Ahhh, it’s football season again. A bit of a chill in the air, the leaves around Southwestern Ohio on the verge of changing. Good football weather. While not everyone is a fan, football is a great analogy when looking at your brand through the lens of “team.”

Scoring against your competition isn’t always as easy as it might seem to be. Sure the Tom Bradys of the world make it seem effortless, but a lot of planning, work and details go into making a game plan come to life. Your brand is no different.

Let’s take a single play. The coach evaluates the scenario and picks from a host of plays designed to move the ball down the field, be it a short gain or a big play. The play gets sent in by the players most capable of executing it for the best results. The quarterback huddles up and gives everyone the play to ensure the players all know the plan. They line up, and everyone does their job. They block who they are supposed to block, the receivers run the correct routes, the quarterback gets the protection he needs and makes a good throw. The receiver makes a spectacular catch and outruns the defense to score a quick six points. When everyone works as a team and does what they are supposed to do against a plan, it looks easy. I think some brands get this and unfortunately, some brands don’t.

If you could put yourself in your product’s shoes, I think you’d find that products are looking for the same thing as shoppers. The time-honored concept of the right place, the right price, the right time, for the right shopper is still the key to greater store productivity

The Store of the Future is there when my wife suggests one fine day (in a sweet and casual tone) that we should “update the floor tile in the bathroom.” It is there as I begin to visualize how the new bathroom will look. It is there when I have to pick out paint, fixtures, cabinets, countertops, shower doors and oh yeah, tile. More importantly, it is there long before I have to decide where to shop for these products for my now full-scale bathroom renovation.

The Store of the Future is a convergence of technology and possibility that materializes exactly when you need it.

Today we live in a world of consumer co-creation. Retailers can’t wait till the shopper hits the store to see what’s available. It is now all about being there at the moment the consumer realizes a need, and shepherding them along an adaptive path to the store, all while keeping the wolves from luring the them off into the forest of competing brands. Today, more than ever, retailers need to find creative ways to keep shoppers—even their brand loyalists—engaged all the way through the transactional process. That is the power and the risk of digital touchpoints in retailing.

If retailers are willing and able, they can invest in effective digitally-based methods for reaching further into the shopper’s path to purchase, closer to that decision point of “should I or shouldn’t I?” and influence the decision to buy. Keep in mind, however, that it’s the brand strategy behind the digital touchpoints that will drive more transactional traffic—not the digital tools themselves.

It continues to amaze me. Every morning when I get my daily Groupon—no matter what brand the deal is for—every offer sounds exactly the same. Even when the offer is upscale, like custom tailoring or fine dining, its description is written in nearly unintelligible dude-speak. There is no alignment between the marketing piece (the coupon) and the brand that is being offered.

Why are retailers big and small so willing to give up control of their brand? Especially to a company that doesn’t take their client’s brand images into consideration. Some would argue that these deep discounts are harmful to brands, training consumers to expect the kinds of deals that eat into a retailer’s margins. I think the strategy is sound, but it’s the message and tone that are off.

In light of the recent Groupon Super Bowl ad fiasco it seems that this callousness might run even deeper. I wouldn’t be surprised to see significant pullback from Groupon. At least until the company figures out how to present its clients in their best light.

How many brides are eager to be ironic? We will soon find out as Urban Outfitters launches its new line of wedding dresses next week on Valentine’s day. Urban is planning on selling unique “heirloom” style dresses starting online and eventually in stores. The mass produced yet vintage style gowns will be priced between $1,000 and $4,000.

For a brand that has built itself on ironic and often irreverent merchandise I would expect to see dresses that mocked tradition. One might feature a silk-screened slogan of sorts and another would be perma-paired with polka-dot leggings, but this is not the case. These gowns don’t look like Urban Outfitters, most likely because they are designed by the more refined, yet bohemian Urban brand Anthropologie.
Wait…so…if Anthropologie designed them (and it’s obvious) why are they being sold under the Urban Outfitters brand?

Even if brides-to-be can see past the obvious disconnect, Urban may still be a long way from sealing the deal. Remember, this isn’t an everyday transaction. This isn’t the perfect dress – it’s the dress. Women have been thinking about this one dress for most of their lives and the process is just as important as the final product. Buying a dress online may work for the bride who isn’t interested in taking her closest gals out for a day of fittings and personalized service, but for those that are, how will Urban deliver? However, offering the wedding line in stores may only add to the problem. Will a wedding dress feel special when it’s merchandised near an “I survived spring break” tank top? How will it look in the fitting room with the other girls and boys in their skinny jeans?

Today I met a new client client for the first time, and it’s an encounter that I doubt I’ll soon forget. I looked across the table and saw unbridled courage looking right back. Not long into our meeting, the CEO stood proudly on his soapbox and proclaimed that “Wowing the customer is a moving target,” and then proceeded to give us complete freedom to explore what his brand could be, not what it should be. No implementation parameters. No site conditions. No “handcuffs” as he put it. What a terrific feeling, what a terrific opportunity for our company, but more importantly, what a terrific opportunity for his brand.

When I thought about it, it took great courage to hand over the very successful brand he has built by years of hard work and determination. He explained that it didn’t matter if he liked it at all, the only thing that mattered was that the customers whose hearts he had won over in the past would be reinvigorated and that he would attract new customers by giving them something worthy of their attention. The people, the bullet-proof operations, the care that had been baked into the brand would take it from there. Unbridled courage, coupled with the faith of doing things right and for the right reasons. Wow.

Do you remember your first iPod? I bet you do. I bet you remember the feel of the box in your hand. How it looked. I bet you remember cracking it open Like a book! I bet the minimalist feel, crisp white look, and flawless shiny iPod was an experience burnt into your brain. That is power of delivering big in the opening ceremony. In fact if you had trouble connecting it to your computer I bet you never think about that. You only remember that first moment of joy.

The opening ceremony is one of the most under-utilized opportunities to delight your customer. Whether you’re talking about packaging, retail, or online, brands that make a memorable impact in the up-front can disproportionately win emotional attachment from their customers.

Target is a great example of how simple things executed well can create an exciting “opening ceremony” experience. Who doesn’t look forward to walking into Target to see what the new promotional theme is? It’s never just a sign hanging. It’s a fleet of visual eye-candy that tells a story and creates a sense of energy and change.

U.S. brands have very little time to gear up for the branding opportunity of a lifetime—the 2012 U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. It’s been absent from the Formula 1 tour since 2007, and it could be the MOST important single sporting event for American brands in a long time.

Of course, does America really care about F1? Statistics show that motorsports in general are losing favor with Americans. Heck, even NASCAR is losing eyeballs. But the global scale of this single event will still get a massive amount of coverage in its first year.

The international flavor and cultural exchange taking place in Austin will be a huge opportunity for brands looking to break into or ratchet up their international presence. This isn’t just about America, it’s the entire go-fast planet focused on us.

For American technology firms whose focus is hi tech things that go fast, like computer processors, cell phones, cable and internet providers, ISPs, and search engines etc. etc. the Grand Prix is an opportunity to make a statement to the world. Americans are always harping about being leaders in the technology fields, but as brands we balk at the opportunity to stand at the starting line and support a sport always on the bleeding edge of technological innovation.

In a hugely surprising move last week, Gap unveiled a new logo. My first emotion, before even seeing it, was one of excitement (with a side of: why would they mess with such an iconic identity?)

I was disgusted, like everyone else, to see what Gap considered worthy enough to be the new face of their brand. I am all for refreshing your brand, but be respectful. A company like Gap or Coca-Cola or McDonald’s should realize that they aren’t just brands, they are huge parts of our culture and have very significant emotional meanings to people all over the world. It’s because of this that such a lashing out has occurred.

For what many people consider to be the “leader in fashion trends” (actually, I would argue against that) to put such a heinous face on their brand throws their fashion credibility into serious question!

When asked for my favorite brand, I am always quick to respond with Nordstrom. In my mind they achieve highest honors on my list of favorite shopping venues. I have several reasons for loving them so much (and driving over an hour to get to the nearest one).

The sales associates are not only helpful in locating items, and friendly when checking out, but they are thoughtful – they provide new ideas and bring items you haven’t seen to your attention. The stores are well organized and easy to shop – fixtures are typically spaced well enough apart to allow for viewing of all the product, the product itself is organized into meaningful departments and sub-groupings, and the fixtures are not so overstuffed that you can easily pull out and replace items you are considering.

And unlike some of its luxury department store competitors, it’s not so elitist feeling that you’d be ashamed to walk in wearing jeans and a t-shirt on, a non-designer handbag on your arm. In general, the brand makes you feel like you deserve to shop this way, that you are a treasured customer and guest.

So given all this, imagine my shock and horror when the Nordstrom brand promise that is so clear and well articulated in their stores came crashing down when I entered a Nordstrom Rack. To be fair, I didn’t expect it to be the same level of polish, finish or service, but I did expect it to deliver against the familiar organization and level of quality that the products it sells deserves. Instead I was greeted by a flea market environment punctuated by product strewn all over the floor and on top of fixtures, barely enough room to walk between rounders, and an overwhelming desire to run from the space that felt like nothing better than a “last stop outlet where clothes go to die.”

There was little hope of finding a good deal unless you were willing to commit hours to the task of searching. Any warm and fuzzy feeling I had about Nordstrom itself and what it could offer me, was destroyed in the 95 seconds I could tolerate being in the place.

Recently an innovative outdoor apparel brand I admire, Cloudveil, was purchased by a group of private equity investors. The group snatched the brand from the jaws of certain bankruptcy with an eye on turning it back into a successful driver of innovation in the outdoor apparel market. On the surface Cloudveil as a brand seemed to be on top of the world, but the fog of creative financing and fast-paced expansion hung over their head and obscured the brand’s future success.

After pulling the entire online catalog from their Internet presence, the new owners did what any self-respecting brand does to improve their brand awareness, they started a blog! That will fix everything right? Social media and Web 2.0 to the rescue!

No doubt there was a marketing meeting where someone said something to effect of, “Let’s tap into the passion of our customer base, the hardcore cult following.” The problem, of course, is that in changing hands they closed their flagship store in Jackson Hole and alienated most of the cult following.

What followed was a blood bath series of comments on their blog that will live in perpetuity every time someone types Cloudveil into their favorite search engine. Welcome to your new digital permanent record. OUCH!

The more CPG client workshops I attend, the more aware I become of the tension that exists between protecting or gaining distribution versus managing the brand experience in retail. It is the classic tension between delayed versus instant gratification. But are they really separate issues?

Few manufacturers have the cachet to successfully demand that their retail partners afford them carte blanche to create in-store experiences around their brand. In fact, most retailers are becoming more assertive with their own control of the store experience and merchandising standards.

The reality is that distribution choices will always impact a company’s brand, and even impact or influence the success of product innovations meant to move the brand forward. I am more convinced now than ever that your brand and marketing challenges will be determined by where you choose to sell a product and who makes up the competitive set in that environment. For example, does private label dilute your name brand benefits and equities?

When people ask me what I do, somewhere in the description I inevitably use the “S” word: signs. However, in today’s experience-based socially driven marketplace, brands, retail brands especially, need to move beyond signs and think about wayfinding in terms of the whole experience of the built environment, and how every element in a space can play a role in defining what we like to think of as intuitive wayfinding.

Intuitive wayfinding, means a customer or staff member is able to navigate a space without stopping to think about it, and does not need to consciously keep track of where they are in the space. If a customer needs to look at a directional sign to figure out where to go, you’ve already lost the battle for an intuitive wayfinding experience. The intuitive wayfinding experience relies on a system of well organized, strategically placed visual cues to guide the consumer to their destination.

Space planning plays a key role in maintaining an intuitive navigational experience. In the planning stages, if your plan looks like a lab rat’s maze then there is a pretty good chance it will feel like that when it’s built. However, a layout with the proper adjacencies, strategic departmental hierarchy, and ample common navigational walkways is well on its way to achieving intuitive wayfinding right from the start.

There wasn’t an Evolutionary War for a reason. In the pre-dawn of U.S. history, the new settlers wanted more than to just evolve the British rule, it had to be overthrown. A new start, a clean slate. Imagine the pressure that those founding fathers must have felt when deciding that enough was enough, let’s try something new. Today, many brands find themselves in the same place. The status quo isn’t working. It’s time to differentiate. But I wonder if the ideas of “revolution” and “evolution” aren’t being confused.

To be most effective, a sustainability initiative must be approached holistically. Sustainability and brand thinking are alike in that they radiate outward from the heart of the business. Just as brand is part of everyone’s job, sustainability can be too. Both brand and sustainability strategies are ideally intertwined, well thought out and well executed from vision to prototype. Typically, companies with this kind of forethought get high marks for differentiation and credibility, such as Whole Foods Market and Starbucks. There’s a direct benefit to the value of the brand.

Whether a company has a long history of social responsibility or a newly awakened desire to conserve resources, there are trusted ways to make decisions based on return on investment. If a large fleet of stores is in need of image refreshing, that’s an opportunity to look at controlling energy costs and sustainable building strategies. Even stores primarily in tenant spaces can look at a healthier environment and LEED certification.

Retailers looking for great examples of wirelessly connecting with their shoppers have three great brands to look to: American Eagle Outfitters, Netflix and Amazon.com. The continue to differentiate their shopping experiences with intimacy, responsiveness and relevance.

Even with millions of items for sale, Amazon connects intimately with customers, from its one-click ordering to its ability to become more relevant with each visit. The result is a “barrier to exit” that other brands envy.

American Eagle excels at aggressively integrating multi-channel marketing tactics into both its traditional and digital campaigns. It connects at all the right touchpoints, which goes a long way towards achieving brand loyalty. This year, AE included a mobile filed in its loyalty program, and used mobile as a point of entry into sweepstakes as well as an alerts program. Calls to action were posted on social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter in the form of banner ads, status updates and tweets.

While we can all agree that price matters more to the consumer than ever, it’s not the be-all, end-all of shopping. At some point, the hunt for best price has to stop. And why it stops is up to the retail brand.

Shoppers attach to brand, not price. Brand—the distinct way you do business—needs to provide a reason to activate the purchase, a reason beyond price. It can be trust, convenience, fun, effortlessness, time savings, fashion or many other factors a brand makes itself known for.

Many retailers have learned the hard way that price-based competition is simply not sustainable. To survive, they need a balanced value proposition unique to the brand that makes the shopper confident she has found the right choice among similar offerings of the product or solution she seeks.

This year, retailers have made headway in the battle against “sameness” by negotiating exclusive famous name brands, making sure their private labels stand for something besides “cheaper” and by infusing the shopping experience with emotional appeal. One brand that renewed its value-plus-reason image is Old Navy. After veering off into fast fashion inspired by the designer runway, it has returned to bright basic family apparel surrounded and supported by its kitschy sense of humor. Shoppers are returning to the store and business is on the upswing.

Copying the latest “hot” retailer is an easy way to stay current, to level the playing field. But imitation doesn’t keep you at the top of the shopper’s mind. When a retail brand displays a unique, creative energy—the J. Crew Liquor Store comes to mind—I get a dose of inspiration like an electric charge. I’m not just browsing now, I’m fully engaged because a particular creative spirit permeates every touchpoint for an unmistakable experience. That’s when the brand stops chasing and starts engaging. Maybe it’s my emotions, my ego, or my sense of fun which is always looking to come out and play.

Businesses in search of competitive advantage are much more comfortable asking design consultants for “innovation” when they should be asking for “creativity,” the birthplace of new ideas. But creativity, with its faint air of mystery and associations with renegade, non-corporate types, doesn’t seem at home in the world of commerce, where goals are achieved through “procedure” and “knowledge.”

Interbrand Design Forum has seen an increase in the number of retail brands deciding to bring creativity to the table, but a negative tendency to have their procurement officers treat it like a commodity—buying it by the pound. That’s a mistake. Few agencies know how to bring about the environment, the chemistry and the provocation that net the great, disruptive ideas that are actionable in terms of the brand experience. The kind that can move your business to a new place.

Have you ever seen a client celebrate as if they’d just won Wimbledon? I got to experience that last night at the Association for Retail Environments awards dinner. The Burger King Whopper Bar took first place in the fast food restaurant category. We were thrilled to see a client who embraces innovation be rewarded for

Interbrand Design Forum Ranks the Most Valuable U.S. Retail Brands; Walmart Remains the Top Retailer, Target Leaps to Second Report shows that the strong brands got stronger, while the bottom 25 fell.

It looks like consumer frugality is settling in for a long stay. For most shoppers, the new thriftiness is a cautious choice in the face of an insecure future. There is money to spend, but there is a new social consciousness around the idea of value. Value has less to do with price and more

Design Forum has changed its name… sort of.
When we became part of Interbrand in 2002, we kept the name of the company that I founded in 1978. Since then, we’ve evolved from a pure design entity into a multi-disciplined consultancy with a deep pool of talent, including a lot of brand expertise.
“Design Forum” contains valuable

The past year has seen an explosion of interest in shopper marketing. Reportedly 60 percent of brands and retailers are investing in shopper marketing efforts, up from six percent previously. Most, however, admit to being in the learning stages of the emerging practice.
Finding a common language is the first challenge. The term encompasses in-store media,