Winning the Branding War: Jay vs Conan
The whole NBC/Jay Leno/Conan O’Brien fiasco is pretty interesting stuff to any follower of pop culture, but it also makes for a good branding case study (particularly on the “what not to do” side of the equation).
Through a series of boneheaded executive decisions, NBC has managed to position itself as a bumbling, inept company that is in the process of tarnishing a 60-year old television institution and doesn’t know what to do with its own talent. Leno has gone from a bland, everyman sort of comic to being seen as a Machiavellian schemer and backstabber who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. And although, on the face of it, O’Brien is the one getting the worst end of the deal, his brand is soaring…by keeping it real and staying funny he’s more popular than ever.
So, here are a few takeaways to keep in mind as we begin what will surely be another very big year for Firefox:
- speak honestly and directly to your audience (like Conan did with his open letter)
- recognize the power of a grassroots following
- use your communication channels as effectively as possible.
- branding matters…be aware of how you’re perceived.
What other lessons can we learn from the ongoing soap opera of late night TV?
January 18th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Agreed 100%. Authenticity counts so, so, so much in this, and you can’t fake it. I think you’ve absolutely nailed the lessons we can learn here, which are actually things Mozilla has been doing all along, only perhaps with a little less self-reflection and self-awareness.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:12 am
* Don’t ask for sympathy. Conan started his letter by pointing out how lucky he has been, and how grateful he is for that.
* I think this reinforces the power of logos, that you can use for avatars, shirts, buttons, etc. much like what was done with the “I’m with Coco” image. I haven’t checked, but maybe there’s an app for Facebook, that adds a “Download Firefox” button to your profile. Sort of like the affiliates program, but without copying/pasting code.
* I heard a remark that Leno’s humanity does not show. If feels passionate about something, he doesn’t let you know it. As a result, it is very hard to relate to him.
January 19th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
@Deb – agreed that we’ve been doing this stuff pretty well all along. I think the fact that it’s largely happened organically rather than intentionally helps, too
@Chris – excellent additions! That “I’m with Coco” image is a great example of the power of a good visual.
January 24th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
I love you Conan! We’ll follow you wherever you go!