SoKy Local Business or "SoKybiz"

Real heroes are men who fall and fail and are flawed, but win out in the end because they've stayed true to their ideals and beliefs and commitments.- Kevin Costner

I write frequently about branding as part of a complete marketing effort. One branding effort that I truly admired was the the state of Kentucky's recent "Unbridled Spirit" (re)branding of the state. When I first started investigating the brand I thought "what a great idea" Then I heard the Secretary of Commerce speak on the branding effort at a Bowling Green Chamber breakfast. He touted the effectiveness of the campaign but considering the source, I thought it might be a little propaganda(ish).

The logo and tag line is great.

You can read more about this effort at http://kentucky.gov/unbridledspirit/info.htm

Admittedly, a pretty logo and catchy tagline does not qualify it as a good campaign and the decision makers in Frankfort know this. They have taken this "brand" and put it on everything. From the new license plates to state trooper patrol cars. From TV ads to print media, it's hard to go anywhere in this state without being exposed to this new brand in some way. (Good Job!) You can even buy stuff with the new brand on it directly from the state at http://www.unbridledspiritkentucky.com/.

I recently used part of the new brand in a website I've been working on for a state legislator.

I thought it tied the state brand in with the politicians image quite nicely... though of course I'm a tad partial.

Then this morning, as I was trying to get caught up on news and events for the past 10 days, (I've been out of the country) I ran across a press release from the state of Kentucky that reported a study by Commissioner Fiveash had been accomplished on the effectiveness of the branding effort it its first year.

Briefly:

FRANKFORT, Ky. – In just its first year, the “Kentucky Unbridled Spirit” brand has become the most recognizable state brand in the region and has potential visitors saying they are more likely to spend time in Kentucky.

Governor Ernie Fletcher announced these findings as he unveiled the results of an independent study recently commissioned by the Kentucky Department of Tourism. The study was conducted to benchmark residents and non-residents’ awareness of the “Kentucky Unbridled Spirit” brand and to determine what impact branding project may have had upon the perception of the state.

“The whole point of the branding project is to differentiate Kentucky from our competition – the surrounding states,” said Governor Fletcher. “Successfully showcasing that difference will lead more visitors to Kentucky and more jobs to Kentucky. This research is proof that �?Kentucky Unbridled Spirit’ is helping us do that.”

"Kentucky Unbridled Spirit" makes huge strides in first year
Tuesday, December 20, 2005

From a small business standpoint, this is an object lesson for those of us who are trying to build our companies identity, brand and image. It shows how big budgets and lots of clout can make a branding effort successful. Looking how they and other large organizations go about branding themselves, a small business person can learn and adapt those ideas to fit their own needs and yes, budgets.

The fact is, if you can effectively build brand recognition for your business, product and/or services, it adds to the value of your company. As much as a tangible asset, an effective branding campaign over the course of time can add to the businesses net worth. Upon exit, the brand can ad big dollars to the transaction.

It's a difficult process; it takes time, money and creativity. It takes a concentrated effort to make sure the brand identity of a business is included where ever possible. But then, with a well managed marketing plan, the branding of your business will come naturally and be built right into the process. Just as marketing should be "top of mind" when operating your business, branding should be top of mind when marketing.

I'll write more on branding I'm sure, but I thought this was a good opportunity to reemphasize my opinion that branding is very important, perhaps even more so for a start up small business.

We will be taking a short break during the holidays. Because of travels and family celebrations, our attention will be turned from business to what's most important, those I work so hard for, my beloved family. I may post updates at my personal blog, but don't plan to post here (regularly) until January.

I hope that all you small business owners out there are able to find/make time to spend on yourself, your family and/or those who are important to you. I know I will be thinking of my business constantly and doing so with a thankful heart.

After I made the post about the Purple Cow, I received an e-mail with a link to the authors website. Seth apparently received a letter from Kentucky, Southern Kentucky (SOKY) and more exactly, Bowling Green Kentucky.

After reading the article I was encouraged... then I realized that I have never seen the local symphony. Oh, my Grandfather would be so angry. So, 2006 will also include a visit to the symphony and a chance to see for myself what make is so "Purple." (remarkable)

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2005/05/a_letter_from_k.html

Oh, and to the gentleman who sent me the link... THANK YOU and keep em coming.

Many people in the marketing community have heard the term and read the book "Purple Cow" by Seth Godin. Basically, it's a fresh and new look at the five P's of marketing. Like many trendy books, this one pushes allot of buttons for those with traditional marketing ideas. For many people, this book was their first exposure to the term "viral marketing." I know, viral marketing sounds terrible especially for us in the computer industry but basically this new term is another way of saying "referral marketing." Or in the spirit of the purple, the new term makes the tired worn out concept of referral marketing fresh, new and exciting, or in a word (from the book), "remarkable."

I think there are some jewels in this book and it offers some really fresh looks at building a small business. For the small business person, the book offers some affordable methods of marketing by breaking the paradigm that it takes a mountain of money in advertising to make a product successful. Seth takes some pointed shots at big dollar ad campaigns and I think this plays a huge role in the success of the book.

Why "Purple Cow?" Because in the marketing community there is a term used frequently, "the five P's of marketing." Seth writes:

For years, marketers have talked about the "five Ps" (actually, there are more than five, but everyone picks their favorite handful): product, pricing, promotion, positioning, publicity, packaging, pass along, permission. Sound familiar? This has become the basic marketing checklist, a quick way to make sure that you've done your job. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but it used to be that if you dotted your is and paid attention to your five Ps, then you were more likely than not to succeed.

The book introduces another P and that P is Purple. I really loved the parallel and the illustrations he used to explain purple. Seth continues:

No longer. It's time to add an exceptionally important new P to the list: Purple Cow. Weird? Let me explain.

While driving through France a few years ago, my family and I were enchanted by the hundreds of storybook cows grazing in lovely pastures right next to the road. For dozens of kilometers, we all gazed out the window, marveling at the beauty. Then, within a few minutes, we started ignoring the cows. The new cows were just like the old cows, and what was once amazing was now common. Worse than common: It was boring.

Cows, after you've seen them for a while, are boring. They may be well-bred cows, Six Sigma cows, cows lit by a beautiful light, but they are still boring. A Purple Cow, though: Now, that would really stand out. The essence of the Purple Cow -- the reason it would shine among a crowd of perfectly competent, even undeniably excellent cows -- is that it would be remarkable. Something remarkable is worth talking about, worth paying attention to. Boring stuff quickly becomes invisible.

Even though the book was on the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times best seller list (in the business category), I viewed this book as one embraced by the fringe or the online blogging community. It was when a really good friend of mine who owns a integrated media marketing company, came home from vacation and said she was going to read the "Purple Cow." The book had been recommended to her by another traditional minded marketing person and this caused me to rethink my assessment of the book.

I started to find reference to the Purple Cow in many blogs, many articles and from many people. Then this morning I was making my rounds on the internet and on eCommerceTimes.com an ad jump off the page and punched me. When you think of a traditional company, there are a few that come to mind. In the computer industry, the "big blue" is the ultimate traditional company in my opinion. Well my friends, perhaps IBM will become the big Purple because the ad that jumped off the page likely would not have had it not been for a slight touch of red to the "Big Blue."

I've always told small business owners that we should pay attention to what the big companies are doing. I explained that McDonalds, Dell and IBM have the resources to do demographic studies, run sample campaigns and invest in target specific advertising to effectively reach their customers. I've suggested that by observing what the big dogs are doing, we can learn and develop our own marketing strategies with this information in mind.

Now I see the big blue dog known as IBM as well as the small start up companies adopting their own Purple Cows and making this beast of burden work for them. It stands to reason that there must be something to this Purple Cow idea and that maybe my business can benefit from the ideas offered by Seth. Suddenly, I'm seeing business and marketing opportunities in new shades of the color purple.

P.S. As I read the book, I could not help but think of the sequel; "Care and Feeding of your Purple Cow." Or; "Bringing the Purple Cow to Slaughter / an exit strategy that works."