My brand. Your brand.

Rather unhelpfully, our perceptions of products and their performance are peculiar to each and every one of us.

These perceptions will be generated by the experiences we have buying and consuming these products.   We may take the opportunity to share our experiences, and those of other users, though social media. We will store these experiences and conversations as memories in a manner that is entirely unique to us.

So our experiences, and memories of these experiences, are as unique as our fingerprints, and entirely subjective.

It seems sensible therefore to endeavour to understand people by employing tools specifically designed to unravel the subjective.

What are these fresh and innovative tools for our exciting new world?

Old ones.

Aged 7 I attended my first woodwork class. The ageing Major Pardoe, heroic survivor of the D-Day landings, offered 2 perennial pieces of advice.  Always cut away from you, and use the oldest tools in the box (because they have survived the test of time).

So, as we strain to understand the relentless pace of change of today’s consumer world, spare a thought for the branding equivalent of radar and the jerry can - qualitative research and NLP.

Understanding people has always been the most important skill in the brand person’s armoury.  It may not be fashionable, but sitting in a room, or in a customer’s home, or walking with them as they shop, are still the most important hours any manager will spend building their brand.

And when we are with our customers, we need to remember to listen, watch, and interpret intelligently.  What we say typically accounts for around 7% of our communication.  The remaining 93% is communicated in other ways – body language, facial expressions, tone of voice etc.  So we need to work hard to understand what customers really feel, as opposed to relying on the words falling from their lips.

So, in times when smart use of oceans of data is a common focus for competitive advantage, we shouldn’t forget to employ all the senses available to us when understanding others.  

Insight pays

Brands without insight are like fish without eyes.  All they can do is react to the movement of the surrounding shoal and point themselves as best they can in the same direction as everyone else.

Increasingly, these dark dwellers are emboldened by data (lots of it) in the erroneous belief that it offers a light for the brand to follow.  Unfortunately, their tolerance of the dark means they can usually only see the brightest things present – a shiver of the obvious here, a glimpse of the familiar there. 

It still surprises us how often we come across companies reluctant to acknowledge that the application of insight can provide huge commercial returns.

​The more successful brands are those that have managed to develop a perspective on their market that others haven’t.  Facebook’s meteoric growth was fuelled by the young’s pursuit of self-identity.  Nike realised that most of us needed permission to take exercise and to compete. Innocent found a market for those who valued goodness over price.

These fresh views rarely emerge by simply gathering data.  It is invariably good, old-fashioned insight that acts as a catalyst for strategies and communication that change the way customers think and behave.

3 years ago I was asked by a major terrestrial broadcaster to help them understand what direction their brand portfolio should take.  They had been gathering data for years, yet ultimately felt they knew very little of real worth.

A colleague reviewed every last piece of data and research they had accumulated, and emerged a month later with 3 insights upon which they should focus their brands. 

The business reacted to these insights with clear and differentiated branding, content packaging and communication.  Incidentally, their share price has risen 300% since the insights were unearthed.

So, if you’re happy to swim in the dark and in the same direction as the shoal, carry on.

But if you want to change your perspective on your market, dig for insight. It’ll usually pay off handsomely.

When Tomorrow Comes

Has our need to predict the future ever been more important?

Has successful prediction of this future ever been less certain?

If so, what should we be doing?

We – business owners and brand managers – face levels of acute and chronic change such that those who trundle along the same path as they did last year will almost inevitably suffer lower returns.

The cause of this uncomfortable condition is fickle consumers (that’ll be us) who insist on changing their behaviour. Think about how we use the mobile ‘phone’ now versus 5 years ago, the impact off social networks, TV binge viewing, the rise of Lidl.

We’ve been given permission to change what we do and how we do it when it suits us, switching costs have usually been minimal, so we have ditched many long-held habits.  Today, the only thing that we can predict with any degree of certainty is the unpredictability of what we’ll be doing next year.

For many brand owners the safest thing to do in moments like these is to follow everyone else. See what others are doing and produce what you consider to be a marginally better version of it.  This rarely works in the long run since this lack of vision traditionally fails to create any enduring relationship with your customers (ie it’s difficult to create a me-too brand which can build sustainable value).

There is another way.  If you can’t see the future, you can at least equip yourself for what tomorrow might bring. Some great brands have succeeded in doing this: the Innocents, Apples, Googles, Channel 4s, Red Bulls, Easyjets and MTVs of this world. 

These enduringly successful brands share at least 3 common attributes:

1. Adapt or die:

They have been able to adapt to ride the waves of changing consumer behaviours and market trends. Darwin’s first theory of evolution applies as much to branding in the 21st century as it does to life on Earth: It is worth remembering that Google started life as a one-product company (the product was a search engine called Back Rub).  The brand has embraced each subsequent major product launch, and with each the magic, scope and power of the Google brand has evolved.

2.  Understand their customers

They are committed to profoundly understanding their customers.   This way they can at least lodge their brands in consumers’ slipstreams as their attitudes and behaviours evolve.  MTV made it their business to understand 16-34 year olds better than anyone else, and in so doing became the go-to medium for other brands wishing to reach this elusive demographic.

3. Create. Create again.  And again.

The spirit of creativity and ambition runs through the veins of all these successful brands.  Innocent’s engaging use of copy on packaging, Easyjet’s no frills product, Apple’s retail service, Red Bull’s extreme sports sponsorships, Channel 4’s promos, great brands have boldly gone where no brands have gone before, and reaped their deserved rewards. 

So when tomorrow comes, the winners may not be those who have seen what is coming, but those who are prepared for what comes along, whatever it may be.

How long will I love you?

I love a brand that puts its money where its mouth is, for whom the dots are all joined up with a big dollop of purpose and good, honest passion.

Here’s a brand I love currently, and I expect to love a whole lot longer: the pioneer of all things organic and decent in clothing, Howies, whose base layers fill a whole drawer at home.

I had the privilege of meeting Ade (a Howies lifer) the other day.  He was obviously just back from a post-train journey run, and about to speak to a gathering of brand and marketing types armed with nothing more conventional than a sewing machine.

The story of Howies is a local hero tale of strong principles, a lust for life, love of the environment, all the things that a mindful active chap might like in a brand of outdoor clothing. Entrepreneurial stubbornness and independence brought success, so much so that a big American company snapped them up.  At which point their independence evaporated, and the brand could (should?) have become tarnished with corporate might and mainstream retailing dogma.

Be confident in naming your brand

If I got an English pound for every time a business asked me to give them a name like ‘Google’ I’d be a wealthy man.  Their thinking is usually sound – it will help them to differentiate from the crowd in their market. The trouble is, when presented with names like ‘Google’ or ‘Yahoo’ the business suddenly loses all confidence.  It seeps from them in front of my very eyes as they contemplate their new logo on their website, in a supermarket aisle or store frontage. Google-type names sound just too...different. The trouble with made-up or ‘clever’ names (that have a back story) is they tend not to trigger any familiarity bells, so they get rejected by businesses.

“It should do exactly what it says on the tin” I hear. No it shouldn’t if you are late to the market and there are already 1001 competitors already trampling on your new patch.

So they are offered names that communicate invariably generic attributes or benefits, literally and metaphorically, which of course they think are too dull. And the .com domain isn’t available. So off we head to Google-land again.

There are some great exceptions to this rule – Moonpig, Moo.com and Ocado being a few - fun and distinctive names that mean absolutely nothing, but which we can remember with relative ease. Unlike easyprint, cardsmadeeasy and other slightly dull generics.

Our Story

Mimo was created from the names of our director’s children. It also means Multiple Inputs Multiple Outputs, which describes our approach to brand development, and is therefore what we do every day to create lasting differentiation for our clients.

On discussing the subject of naming your brand on Twitter, there is a common theme emerging with these successful businesses:

Branding, Naming, Name, Creation, marketing

Branding, marketing, naming, brand name

The simpler your business name, the more impact it will have.

A great, simple, short name can create a real buzz and position you as a real competitor. You will differentiate yourself from the crowd with an aspect of mystery from the offset. Just like if someone tells you that they have a secret, you will instantly want to find out more. It is that level of power that really makes a great brand.

Your brand values are important too and remember to keep this in mind. A way to support your brand name further is to use a 'tagline' for example, Nike's 'Just Do It' and you should refer back to this tagline when presenting your brand to someone new and to the public.

Mimo Hints:

1. Like so many things in business life, the whole process should start with a written brief that both parties agree to and sign in blood.
2. Agree the success criteria and stick to them. (Ignore the CEO’s wife who doesn’t like the name because it reminds her of a family pet.)
3. Reject the existing language of the category unless you’re first or second in.
4. Acknowledge inevitable early discomfort of sharing your chosen name (like when you announced your first born was to be called Isambard)
5. Remember, a name is what you make of it.  Google, Apple, Virgin are global brands which we now think are great names, not the other way round.

If you need some advice with your branding strategy please feel free to get in contact with us at Mimo.

Branding in the iGaming sector

There are a multitude of similarities between the sectors of online gaming and video gaming; each driven by the latest generation of technology; skilled teams looking to create hit graphically charged games; boasting multi-million budgets and followed by a dedicated base of players and fans. However, according to Giles Thomas, founder and partner, MIMO Brands, the similarities are as nothing compared to one striking difference - where video gaming has its iconic brands such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Lara Croft and Call of Duty - there are, in his opinion, few if any defining brands in online gaming yet. Mr. Thomas is a branding expert with experience across a range of different categories and has acute knowledge of the video gaming sector as the former European Marketing Director at SEGA, having also worked in the same role for MTV Networks Europe. His view is that all marketers can benefit from the learning and experiences of their piers in other sectors, and that an insular approach can only lead to isolation to a sector, including potentially igaming.

Brands People Love

"If you look at the brands people love, the ones they most associate with, you’ll find none currently from the world of igaming, which I believe is a missed opportunity given the size of the online gaming business” states Mr Thomas. "The online gaming sector is at the point the video gaming industry was before the arrival of brands such as Sonic, Tombraider, Harry Potter and Call of Duty. These new brands were driven by a different approach to brand development and marketing, and they set new benchmarks for their industry. iGaming marketers can choose to embark on a similar path to create brands with meaning and value, to spark their own brand revolution, or to continue to rely on the trench warfare of free trial and incentives."

Mr. Thomas references numerous industries in which the creation of brands redefined the sector. Mobile phone industry branding and marketing were revolutionised by Hutchinson Telecom launching the Orange brand that promised a brighter, wire-free future in a sector previously content with fighting a coverage and price war. In so doing the brand created customer preference and enormous value for then and future parent companies. Apple changed the multiple clone PC sector into the biggest brand on the planet. And the question is, can the online gaming sector do the same? "Online gaming can enter a new phase and begin to think bigger about brands - it needs to move from 'look what we can do' into customer orientated brands whereby players think - 'that's the brand for me,'" states Mr. Thomas.

There are strong parallels between the igaming sector and the early years of the video gaming sector; each with very fragmented markets. However, as we saw in video gaming, the online sector will consolidate and as that happens the combined budgets allow for the creation of a different type of branding. It's not entirely budget led - but the desire to build long-term properties is about more than quarterly revenue figures. "Currently, the online gaming sector appears to be dominated by the short-termist view, whereas building brands requires quite opposite thinking," explains Mr. Thomas.

Current iGaming Campaigns

If you look at some of the advertising campaigns currently promoting igaming businesses, there remain massive cliches and stereotypes that are actually being encouraged by the companies involved. Actors renowned for playing gangsters help to reinforce perceptions of the category held by the wider public. "The semiotics of gambling communication have not only remained largely the same, but usually been reinforced - the strong common visual language that portrays poker in darkened rooms, betting conducted by hard men, and a sector that celebrates a slightly seedy image," said Mr. Thomas. "Given the technology behind many of these sites is much the same, every brand has the opportunity to think about building their own unique attributes. The makers of fizzy coloured water in cans can create brands as different as Coca Cola from Pepsi. Lager is very similar whatever can it is poured from, but the way the brand is perceived by the public is down to the way the owners have branded their products, injecting attitude, meaning and values that differentiate the product experience."

The negative public opinion surrounding betting and online gambling isn't something that phases Mr. Thomas or dampens his view of the potential of brands in igaming. "The video gaming industry received an enormous amount of stick over the last 15 years for its pedalling of increasingly violent games, partly aimed at young people," outlined Mr. Thomas. "The igaming sector must tackle similar challenges by really engaging with their customers. Branding helps define how you talk to your customers and behave around them - understanding your customer relationship is key, and the relationship between players, games, money and the emotional benefits of igaming. For example, there are many different types of players from novice to hard-core gamer, all playing for a slightly different combination of reasons. Businesses need too understand everything they can about their customers and build their brands around these insights."

"In my view, PaddyPower has demonstrated best an intention to create a differentiated brand. They have adopted some of the language of lager brands to create preference, and in so doing have managed to stand out from the igaming crowd. Their communication is usually unmistakably their own, which is a claim that few if any other igaming providers can make. This is a sector currently occupied by ‘brands’ where the customer is selecting their product of choice through promotion and convenience, rather than through brand association. Which is a shame, because there are multitude of opportunities for them to differentiate. Frankly, if insurance companies and price comparison sites can successfully differentiate, then you can bet that igaming brands can."

What is a brand? And building brand value.

Your definition of a brand will be different to mine. The Intellectual Property Office says this about a brand

A brand can be a trade name, a sign, symbol, slogan or anything that is used to identify and distinguish a specific product, service or business. But a brand is much more than this; it can also be a ‘promise of an experience’ and conveys to consumers a certain assurance as to the nature of the product or service they will receive and also the standards the supplier or manufacturer seeks to maintain.

A brand is an intangible asset of your business and is often the most valuable part. So how much is a brand worth?

Brand Value

A brand is really only worth what somebody is prepared to pay for it. If you were to try and calculate what a brand was worth on a business already for sale then in theory you could take the amount the business is to be sold for, deduct its fixed assets and the remainder, often referred to, as "Goodwill" is essentially the value of that businesses brand.

Calculating the value of your brand is a far greater task and there are many methods that we will discuss another day.

Building Value in Your Brand

If you are looking to sell your business then developing your brand is going to be key. Here are a few areas we suggest you focus to add value to your brand and increase its value.

• Develop Brand Guidelines and stick to them. Deliver what you promise, and don't promise more than you can deliver.
• Use Brand Targeting to find the people who will drive revenue and profits into your business.
• Engage your employees and bring them into the brand, they will probably be around for the new owners of your business and they are what makes the machine work.
• Clearly define your brand in a document that allows anybody to continue your work. This reduces the work involved in taking over a business and allows the new owners to focus on other areas.

A fun graphic

Giles Thomas Interview with SBC

An interview with Giles Thomas Founder and Director of Mimo Brands. SBC catches up with Giles Thomas Founder and Director of Mimo Brands. [intro] Prior to setting up Mimo, Giles was Director of Marketing at Sega and MTV Networks. Heading up launches of new technologies, programs and TV Channels. Giles will be a headline speaker at the upcoming EIG conference in Barcelona for gaming [/intro]

[hr]

Q1. Giles great to meet you, can you tells us more about Mimo Brands and how your agencies strategy to branding can help gaming operators.

Answer:

Mimo Brands was set up to help businesses generate the most value from their brands. Our clients typically have brands that are not working as well as they might, are struggling to migrate from one channel to another, or indeed need to develop new brands from scratch.

Our ‘product’ is the creation of relevant and differentiated brands. This is relevant to igaming operators because widespread platform sharing has led to a market inhabited by a multitude of very similar offerings. As a result, consumers find it difficult to choose between brands, and are happy to flit between them.

[hr]

Q2. In a market such as igaming where players can be tracked market and technologies can map out user behaviour Do you feel that in igaming marketing practices such as branding have taken a back-foot to more acquisition led practices such as Affiliates, PPC, SEO marketing?

Answer:

Indeed. But it is not unusual for relatively young markets to avoid strategic branding in favour of a promotions driven approach. The early days of mobile telecomms were very similar, as were console gaming. This is usually because it is often easier to promote what you do and offer trial incentives than to build compelling brand stories. The trouble is, the promotions approach ultimately drives value out of markets rather than building more profitable long-term relationships with loyal customers.

[hr]

Q3. There are many gaming brands that have both an online and offline presence. Many of these brands have tried to shift digital services to their offline customers believing that their brand would be the hook, however results have failed to transpire. Why is this and can having an offline and online presence harm a company’s brand?

Answer:

There are great examples of gaming brands successfully moving online – Playstation, Sega – and those successfully moving the other way – Angry Birds, Moshi Monsters. It is critical for organisations to understand what makes their brand special, and how to transfer these attributes to new channels, as opposed to simply adding a new distribution or marketing channel and hoping for the best.

The only real danger of taking an online brand offline, and visa versa, is if it is not well thought through. It is important to understand channels often perform different roles, and consequently the rules of engagement may differ.

[hr]

Q4. In a saturated online market place such as igaming, where many of the customers are recycled through multiple operators (be it poker, casino, Sportsbook or bingo) can there be such a thing as brand loyalty.

Answer:

There will only be brand loyalty when brands offer something that customers cannot easily find elsewhere. The starting point for this differentiation may or may not to product-based. For example, Orange’s enormous success in the UK mobile telecoms market was brand-led not product-led. Historically, one of the biggest barriers to entry for console gaming brands was the Playstation brand, not the product itself.

[hr]

Q5. The majority of iGaming brands operate using third party technologies to cater for their customers, meaning that we see the same products re-marketed and re-packaged. Operators use price/value differentials to attract the customer such as bonuses, cahback or money back offers as incentives. Is this not detrimental to brand marketing and how can you make sure that a brands principles survive in this tough environment?

Answer:

Successful brand development in any business rests primarily at the door of the senior management team, not simply the Marketing Director. Branding is a company-wide strategy whose purpose is to create long-term value for the business. It is not a short-term marketing cost.

[hr]

Q6: When companies revaluate their brand placement or position for a digital market place. What factors do they need to take into account and what competencies and knowledge’s should they acquire when they undertake this practice.

Answer:

There has been a tendency by some to presume that today’s markets are much the same as yesterday’s. Others dismiss half a century of brand thinking and practice as obsolete in digital market places. Both stances miss the point. Success today rests on having real and relevant insight about markets and their users, on using the fabulous tools that digital affords us to engage and to manage behaviours, and most of all, having the bottle to zag whilst the rest of the world is zigging.

[hr]

Q7. As a headlining speaker at EIG, what do you want your listeners to take from your speaker sessions with regards to branding in gaming?

Answer:

igaming branding and marketing will change. Those who lead this change will enjoy the greatest spoils.