In a recent interview with Andrew Marr I was surprised to hear General Sir David Richards refer to the British military as a ‘hugely strong’ ‘brand’. One that ‘despite cutbacks’ would continue to achieve its core objectives.

So is the British military a brand? If so presumably its premium status means that it is more desirable, for those countries who can afford it, than say the Afghan military who would not be able to command the same premium rate?

Our manufacturing base might not look too hot but here at least is something we do well – a world class brand. But what about the cutbacks? If we go along with the general’s notion of the military as a brand – one which is strong but cash strapped – then surely it would make sense to consider some strategic cross branding?

Brand ‘X’ is in need of the halo effect which brand ‘Y’, the British military, has in spades. In return brand ‘Y’ gets a much needed injection of cash. The question is who would make the perfect partner – Proctor and Gamble perhaps?

Unfortunately like most good ideas it looks like this one has already been done by a creative team based at The School of Communication Arts. Well done chaps!

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I recently bought a book at a well known chain of bookstores in Manchester.  Handing it over the cashier asked if I had read any others by the author. “What a great read, wonderful writer” she beamed, enthused – almost.

A few weeks later and same thing happened again, the only difference the location, Chiswick, London. Surely nothing wrong with having staff who are friendly, share your passion for books and are interested to find out what you think? If it were true then  nothing at all. The problem was I didn’t believe it. On both occasions I had the uneasy feeling of having just stepped into an episode of the Stepford Wives.

Perhaps all the staff had been chipped. Programmed to respond according to, and in alignment with, the latest tranche of market research on how to make customers feel wanted, welcome, dare I say it; loved.

Intrigued I decided to do a bit of impromptu market research and hung out around the gift card section, next to the cash desk. Although hardly a reliable piece of research it did seem to confirm my worst fears. “John Grisham. He’s such a good read. Have you read…”  While the book and customer were interchangeable the dialogue remained much the same.

For most companies being ‘professional’ is all about presenting a consistent experience. According to conventional wisdom this should leave the customer feeling that the staff have been friendly, helpful and welcoming. Always wear a smile – I remember that one from my ‘Uni’ shelf-packing days at Safeway. Needless to say we always did wear a smile as soon as we got through the front door and headed for home.

The trouble with the professional approach is that it robs us of the one thing that can make a brand really sticky – people. According to this school of branding not only does the burger you eat need to be consistent from one store and one town to the next the staff who serve it need to be equally consistent.

This ‘prescriptive approach’ to customer service which is an integral part of the brand comes from a desire to control environments rather than create them. There is little room for intuition, creativity or mistakes. The desire for control effectively removes any spontaneity and freedom. The result is for the most part consistent inauthenticity.

Spaces that are created from the desire to pass on the brands vision are quite different from those created from the desire to control. The first invites customer to participate in the companies sense of purpose. The offer is clear, nothing hidden, take it or leave it. You know what’s on offer when you walk into an Apple shop or an Abercrombie and Fitch. The second, far from achieving the desired effect of comfort and safety, can often leave customers feeling guarded. In this space, one that is controlled rather than created, the best that can be hoped for is a truly forgettable experience.

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I remember the first time we walked into the Dunstan Inn, boots and a muddy dog, in search of a drink and a something to eat. The pub was small, all but empty, I asked if the kitchen was open only to be told by the landlord that they didn’t do hot food… or sandwiches. I was surprised, these days most pubs have to, to survive.

The landlord recommended a pub down the road, ‘good food and a decent pint.’ My second surprise. It takes confidence to recommend the competition at the best of times and in today’s economic climate doubly so.  So how was this pub managing to thrive when others are struggling to survive? *

In turned out that the Dunstan did do food but not in the way other pubs do. For a start there is the Friday night spread. Pates, french bread, biscuits, slabs of cheese pickles and chutneys. The spread has its own table. Help yourself its all free.

On Saturday’s the landlord, Richard Maurice, orders in a few dozen pies or fresh hamburgers from the local butchers. First come first served. Watch the match have a pint and pie or a burger. There’s a kitty to cover the cost but it’s not obligatory.

The Dustan also does one thing I’ve never come across before. Takins. Chinese, Indian, Fish n Chips… There’s a stash of menus propped up against the wall at the corner of the bar. Plates, cutlery and condiments are provided by the pub, orders take about 30 minutes to arrive. I haven’t tried the ‘takin’ service yet. But it’s on the list.

The Dunstan does not offer discounts, loyalty cards or special events to bring in those customers, that will according to market research, drink more and stay longer. Events are not driven by the pub but belong to the community and are seen as joint ventures, so there’s no need to plug, cajole, promote or bribe.

By actively generating generosity, no measly squares of dried up cheddar cheese from the ‘cash n carry’ and few pickled onions. The cheese is local, farmhouse, not vacuum packed and there’s a cake of it, the Dunstan has done what all sticky brands do. Created a club, the glue that makes brands sticky, and along with it a sense of belonging and community. The result is that holy grail of holy grails; customer loyalty.

The secret to the Dunstan’s success is the landlord Richard Maurice who sees himself not just as a proprietor put community guardian. The relationship that this creates with customers is markedly different to those publicans who see their business through a balance sheet. While profits are important, without them the pub would go the same way as so many already have, it is not the driving force.

Richard sees the pub, of which he is the custodian, as serving the community.  It is this view of the world that informs the marketing and gives it the authenticity that brands like Levi’s, despite endless market research and deep pockets, are unable to command. It’s one thing to tell customers you are part of the community another to behave in a way that shows you truly are.

Marketing strategies that are driven by research rather than a long term vision may well increase profits but at what cost to the brand over the long run? Generating mistrust rather than generosity they are unlikely to ever create the brand loyalty that is the provence of a really sticky brand.

The Sticky Brand Checklist

The Dunstan ticks all the following checkpoints needed to create a sticky community and with it real brand loyalty as apposed to fans or followers.

1. A clear sense of purpose. The Dunstin’s purpose is to be a cornerstone of community life.
2. Meets a need. Provides an informal gathering place and with it a sense of belonging. A hub for charity events, village life – bonfire night, Halloween.
3. Unspoken rules. No one would dream of trying to eat as much free food as they could. The Dunstan is self-policing.
4. Participation: Food is free on Saturdays – but everyone pays their way. Room to give and be part of rather than just pay. Generosity is a two way street.

Source: Guardian

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James Forman (Tod) Sloan

The phrase ‘on your tod’ comes from the Cockney rhyming slang, Tod Sloan – alone. While the saying has stuck the person who helped coin the phrase, James Forman (Tod) Sloan, has long since faded from memory.

The more I read about Sloan’s life the more I was struck by how his outlook and the challenges he faced were very similar to those faced by companies and entrepreneurs  who, not content with business as usual, have gone on to create some seriously sticky brands.

Born in Indiana in 1874 James Forman (Tod) Sloan’s life didn’t get off to a promising start. Rejected by his parents and left to fend for himself Sloan overcame almost impossible odds to become one of the world’s best-known sportsmen and the greatest jockey of the late 20th century. The song I’m a Yankee Doodle dandy, was based on Sloan’s life. *

Undoubtedly Sloan was a gifted rider but it was his unconventional approach to riding that was to set him, quite literally, head and shoulders over his competitors. While other jockeys used long stirrups Sloan used short stirrups. By positioning himself over the animals centre of gravity he enabled the horse to achieve its maximum speed. Sloan was not the first to use this style of riding but he was the first to adopt and adapt it for professional horse racing.

Having won every race there was to win in his native North America he travelled to England – the epicentre of the horse racing world. In 1897 the Prince of Wales engaged Sloan as his principle jockey. At the age of 23 Tod Sloan was the undisputed king of the horse racing world.

While the America press were far from complimentary about his unorthodox style of riding the British press were, true to form, positively caustic, referring to Sloan as the ‘monkey jockey.’  Far from being praised for his winning ways Sloan was mocked.

The Jockey Club, a stalwart of convention, did not approve of Sloan’s maverick behavior and in 1900 the club’s steward, Lord Durham, stepped up pressure on the Prince of Wales to have Sloan fired. In 1901 Sloan, no longer in the employ of the Prince of Wales, was informed by The Jockey Club that he need not re-apply for a license.

Sloan never raced again. The Cockney rhyming slang that was to far out last his fame proved to be an all too prophetic one. Sloan died in 1933 impoverished and alone or as the Cockney rhyming slang would have it ‘on his tod’.

The phrase may well be slipping from everyday use – my son who is 15 has never heard of it – but Sloan’s unorthodox style of riding which is the one used by every jockey in the world today looks like it’s here to stay. Unless of course….

Like most entrepreneurs who go on to create sticky brands, Sloan cared less about what others thought and more about what he did. An attitude that allowed him to look outside the confines of his profession and change the way things were done. When the going got tough, and you can bet your bottom dollar it will, Sloan’s disadvantaged background gave him the drive to keep on going. Like many entrepreneurs before him and since Sloan was a born maverick.

But I can’t help thinking that there is one big difference between Sloan and the Apples, Body Shops, Howies and Innocents of this world. And that difference is Vision. While Sloan shared their passion, talent, and ambition there is nothing in his story to suggest that he wanted to change anything other than his own world.

Sloan, like so many driven men and women and the companies they have created wasn’t moving toward something but simply trying to escape from it. Ultimately those entrepreneurs and companies that are driven purely by fear and the need to grow ever richer and larger with the sole aim of putting as much distance between themselves and their fear are, sooner or later, bound to come a cropper.

Perhaps if Sloan had had a vision of how horse racing ‘could be’ he would have changed more than just the way jockeys ride and in the course of doing so a small part of the English language.

*‘The Yankee Doodle Boy’ By George M. Cohan

I’m a Yankee Doodle dandy,

A Yankee Doodle, do or die;

I’m a Yankee Doodle dandy,

A Yankee Doodle, do or die;

A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam’s,
Born on the Fourth of July.
I’ve got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart,
She’s my Yankee Doodle joy.
Yankee Doodle came to London,
Just to ride the ponies,
I am a Yankee Doodle boy.

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