I don’t buy it. Sorry Rhonda. There are many detractors, and even books that were rushed to market to expose “The Secret.” There also is a book coming out this summer called “The Secret of The Secret.” All of this makes me mad. Such nonsense, such pyschobabble, such distraction. I don’t believe there are any secrets or shortcuts—in life or in branding.
I make the business correlation because I see it happening all the time. Companies think there is “a secret” to a competitor’s success, a formula they just need to master and then they, too, will be basking in the limelight. It’s simply untrue. Great brands, brands that really “get” their customers, work very hard—all the time. They are not easily distracted, they don’t take shortcuts, and they don’t look for quick fixes. They care about their employees and their customers; they care about the little things, and they prioritize the big things. They are true to themselves and to their promises. This isn’t glamorous, but it’s what sets the great brands apart.
Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi and author of “The Lovemarks Effect: Winning in the Consumer Revolution,” speaks of attraction as well. He believes we’ve moved from an attention economy to an attraction economy. Roberts writes: “In the Attraction Economy, the consumer must be at the center. Never has being in tune with consumers been so important. The ear is one of the key marketing tools of this new century. That, and the understanding that people are attracted not by what they want, so much as by who they are.”
So, keeping this in mind, how do great brands remain great? Here are a few necessary steps:
Brand Discipline #1: Know Your Position
Take a look at Office Depot, Office Max and Staples. Go to their Web sites, visit their stores, and peruse their catalogs. All three are resources for office
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