Published: March 13, 2008 06:36 pm            

Column: Life in a brand new world

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — Do you know someone who, regardless of the item, always has to buy the most expensive brand? I definitely lean towards the cheap end of the spectrum, as my wife Diane will readily tell you. I blame my Depression-era parents for this tendency. My father was always on the make for a bargain and I remember my mother saying about other people, “They always have to buy the most expensive thing possible,” as if that was the worst criticism she could level.

I strongly identify with a Garrison Keillor characters who buys a cardboard suitcase off a flatbed truck that later falls apart, spilling his and his wife's unmentionables all over the airport floor.

I have never been very impressed by brands apart from maybe Florsheim shoes. Our children, especially the one who was fond of Richie Rich comic books, tend to be swayed by name brands, with the exception of our artist son who refuses to wear anything with a designer logo on it and prefers to do all his clothes shopping at second-hand stores (euphemistically referred to as vintage clothing shops in the city).

A recent study at the California Institute of Technology found that the more people think a wine cost, the more they say they like its taste. Hilke Plassman, the lead researcher says that wine experts may be able to tell the difference, but the rest of us are more strongly influenced by price tag than palate. Dr. Brian Wansink from Cornell University similarly found that people reacted more favorably when they thought they were drinking California wine, as opposed to North Dakota wine.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service quoted Ace Beverage Company executive Joe Riley as saying that this research explains why many restaurants inflate the price of their cheapest wines — so they sell better. Explaining why psychoanalysts charge such high fees, noted psychiatrist Karl Menninger, once said. “That which cost little is seen as having little value.”

Even I have to admit that there are some things you probably shouldn't scrimp on — like childcare, clams, or prostate surgery. But it seem silly to pay outrageous prices just to get a brand name on a product. But Dr. Plassman says that impressive labels, heavy advertising and especially effective brand names can have the same effect as a high price in selling the public on a product or company.

Branding has become big business and even not-for-profit corporations spend megabucks hiring branding consultants to help them differentiate their organizations.

Recently the national Mental Health Association has been rechristened “Mental Health America” and The International Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services is now “USPRA” (the U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association). Although I appreciate the post 9/11 patriotism inherent in these names, I still miss the old “IAPRS” anagram and how everyone referred to it affectionately as “asparagus.” Today, however, the most important thing is to demonstrate how your organization is different and presumably better.

In January, the local Alliance of Community Hospices & Palliative Care Services, Inc. underwent a brand overhaul and changed its corporate name to Hosparus. Have you seen the billboards? Hosparus provides much needed “end of life care” through the Community Hospices of Louisville, Southern Indiana, and Central Kentucky. According to its Web site, the new name is easier to understand and remember and better encompasses what they do. Personally, I was just getting clear on the difference between a hospice and a hospital and I'm not sure I'm ready to add Hosparus to the mix. Etymologically the word means “We guide our guests.” As a logo they have adopted an autumn oak leaf representing the seasons of life, which does look pretty cool. I plan to check out in the winter of my discontent, so maybe a snowflake would be more appropriate for me.

The Louisville Public Radio Partnership has also just adopted a new name and vision. They are now “Louisville Public Media” and they have a snazzy new LPM logo, sort of reminiscent of the one used by National Public Radio.

But changing brands can be risky since you have to jettison any “brand equity” that you've managed to earn over the years. I know of one organization that turned down a re-branding project for that very reason. Of course, if your name has never stood out or worse yet has been associated with some disaster, re-branding might be a good bet. There is also the danger that your new brand is too trendy and could quickly become dated. LifeSpring, where I work, and many other organizations (LifeSpan, LifeStream, LifeLights, LifeLine, etc.) were re-branded back in the back in the 1980s when having the word “Life” in the brand was considered avant garde.

Some career consultants have suggested that the successful business person today has to develop a “personal brand,” that helps them stand out and differentiate from other employees. Business writer Tom Peters popularized this notion in an article entitled “The Brand called You.” The emphasis was on success achieved through self-packaging rather than traditional self-improvement.

Peters says that power is basically a matter of perception, so if you want people to see you as an influential brand, you must act like a convincing leader. He suggests you take an inventory and spell out what specific benefits are represented by your personal brand. Is it speed, efficiency, cost effectiveness, natty dresser, or what?

Peters advises that you get involved in work projects, since projects lead to “deliverables” which result in “measurables” and leave you with personal “braggables.” If all this sounds like just a bunch of shameless self-promotion, then you have a pretty good understanding of it. It's enough to leave you with some gagables.

Personally, I think Peters goes too far when he recommends writing a column in your local newspaper as a way to promote yourself — like what sort of poseur would you have to be, to stoop so low?



Terry L. Stawar writes for The Evening News in Jeffersonville, Ind.

        

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