Do KPIs spell the death of brands?

Over the last two years or so, there has been increasing talk about accountability in the public and private sector. This backlash from the economic crisis has generated huge outcry for transparency and honesty.

Many local companies and public offices in Malaysia have over the last few years been adopting KPIs as a move towards greater accountability and performance. While I laud these organizations for the move, I must also express some concern over the ways that this has been done.

Delayed Brandification

Starting up a business is a time of heady excitement. Everything is fresh and new and so full of promise. With the mantra ‘time is money’ going over and over in your head, your first job as CEO is to get your company up and running in order to get the money rolling in. You’ve hired all the people you need, paid them the right amount according to market rates to put all the processes in place, and you are now busy with trying to get business in.

So three years down the road, you’ve got business coming in but something is not quite right.

Employer Branding: What a Clown Taught Me

It has been an amazing week for learning. I had the supreme pleasure of listening to Patch Adams talk about what makes him tick and he basically boiled it down to two words -- Love and Care.

I had been fortunate enough to hear him speak once before at the Art for Health conference in Manchester, UK. That was about 10 years ago when his fame was gathering momentum fresh from the movie debut and he had just started on the speaking circuit. He was full of energy and he spoke about doing what he does and why he did it. The stories were filled with sadness yet tinged with hope. That was the thing with Patch.

Patch Adams - doctor, clown,
 healer, carer

A decade ago he left me in awe of the indomitable spirit of one man and the feeling that that if he were around, then there would always be hope no matter how bleak the situation. Last week, the same man, albeit less energetic than before and perhaps due to the long flight, again left a mark of hope sprinkled with a liberal dose of love and care. 

If you can’t stop the genocide, alleviate the poverty or cure the sickness, the least you can do is spread laughter, fun, joy and hope through the single act of caring.

Newer and developing brands should take a leaf from the Patch Adams’ brand. I must apologise to Mr Adams for calling him a brand as he spoke vehemently against advertising but a brand he is. And the best kind of brand – the kind that inspires, empowers and makes you want to be a better person. What makes Patch Adams stand out is that he cares

Branding: Why Steve Rocks

Although I am an avid Apple fan and am slowly becoming a pure Apple user in terms of lifestyle gadget, for me, there has always been one sacred cow that Apple has never been able to penetrate - that of the mobile phone domain. For me I am a Nokia loyalist. Having made the mistake of following a trend and switching to Sony Ericsson, I can now happily say that I am back with Nokia and have never been happier.

Think Different...And Make Customers Happy

So when the iPhone came out I was intrigued but apprehensive and the touchscreen keyboard was a concept that frustrated the hell out of me with constant spelling errors due to the proximity of each key. I was sure that I would be one of the few that would be iPhone-free. 

Brand Talk : Getting Started.

I am currently on the Ask the Expert panel on the tmsme.biz website and the most frequent question I get asked is- How do I brand my company or my product?
Many people think branding is harder than it is and many think it is easier than it really is. What it is, is somewhere in between! Those that think it is hard, often get so stuck in the planning stage and the channels available to them that they never get off the ground. Those that think it is easy, often have a DIY approach which may work well depending on the type of company or product you have. DIY approaches often fail when you are selling anything premium or when your company has reach a certain level of growth that requires the branding to look more organised and sophisticated.

The biggest mistake people often make is thinking that branding is too expensive for them and it is not worth getting a professional to do it.

Ladies and Gentlemen - The Ritz-Carlton Brand

A while ago I wrote an article about 'Living the brand' and one of the examples I chose was the Ritz-Carlton. Their credo of 'Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen' struck a chord in me. I had experienced the brand when dining or attending conferences, never as a guest.

But I made a careful note that I would one day, and my resolve toughened last week.

I was on a business trip to Shanghai, and I dropped in at the Ritz-Carlton for a nice coffee break after visiting the Apple flagship store in Pudong. The coffee was lovely, the service thoughtful and impeccable. Around 6.30pm, one of us said we were hungry – the staff advised us that their ciabatta sandwich would be 50 per cent off at 7pm.

Now get this.