MJ2 attended the AAF District 5 Luncheon today with an excellent presentation by Kelly Ruoff, Chief Creative Officer at Ologie.
What we learned:
A brand isn’t just a logo, tagline or campaign. A brand is an experience that includes not only the product or service but the people, placement, information and the inspiration that led to its creation.
A strong brand is created through stewardship. Stewards are ambassadors, advocates and champions that protect and are responsible for the brand.
But how can we strengthen our brand through stewardship?
Kelly shared 6 ways…and gave examples. We also have weighed in on our own examples.

1. Line of sight – Give your employees direct visibility.

Show the people behind the product and the passionate followers you have collected.
Kelly’s Examples: GE shares videos about the people creating their products and Patagonia shares videos about customers talking about how they use the products and repairing services.
MJ2 Example: Our client Fire-Dex incorporated their team and the sewers of their gear in their latest video coming out soon. Here is a sneak preview.

2. Voice – Give your employees and customers a role in telling your story.

Kelly’s Example – Zappos uses their own employees to describe shoes on the website. These videos are funny descriptions that help you learn more about the shoes while gaining trust in the brand selling them.
MJ2 Example: We just shot a new video for Borror Properties with President Doug Borror giving his own personal tour of one of their new urban Columbus homes. Stay tuned!

3. Empowerment – Give your employees and customers a voice.

Let the people that already love your brand speak for it. User-generated content is authentic and real.
Kelly’s Example: The flight attendants on Southwest Airlines add personality to their announcements and customers share the videos and experience with others online.
MJ2 Example: Our client, The City of Dublin, shares testimonials, images and videos of residents sharing why they love living and working in Dublin.

4. Information – Give your employees and customers the information they need to tell the brand story.

Make sure everyone knows your story and can tell it in a simple way.
Kelly’s Example: Warby Parker uses video and online avenues to share the details of their story.
MJ2 Example: We created our own brand video to share who we are and tell our story.

5. Inspiration- Give your employees and customers motivation and a clear sense of your brand’s purpose.

Remind people why you do what you do.
Kelly’s Examples: The Allstate Good Life Anthem and GoPro Hero commercials remind customers why the brand exists without talking about their service or product. They focus on the message and reason behind the brand.
MJ2 Example: We recently sat down with Sarah Engstrom, AVP and MLO at Priority Mortgage as she discussed why she is a loan officer and what she does to help organizations close to her in this video.

6. Recognition – Give your employees and customers positive reinforcement for on-brand behavior.

Kelly’s Example: REI reinforced their message of encouraging people to go outside by closing down all their stores on the biggest shopping day of the year.
MJ2 Example: Our client, Cutler Real Estate highlights employees that live the Cutler brand while obtaining amazing results.

Thanks to Kelly and the AAF District 5 for a great event and presentation.