Of shepherds, sheeps, and integration success

Two mega corporate mergers in my 15 years career. I was part of the marriage deal between a 200 years old European company called Danzas, and AEI (Air Express International), a successful corporation in the US then.

Both gave themselves two years to harmonize any differences and work the right balance. They listed in the "will" the people, assets, liabilities, and share of voice on both sides. They adopted both names and called themselves DANZAS AEI. Quite a fair marriage.Two years later, Danzas AEI took DHL as a partner. This time, the decision was swift. They decided to bury Danzas and named the combined entities DHL, due to its global brand equity. 

These integrations taught me many things. However one thing prevails. People work for people.
The key team who cut the deals - Danzas, AEI, and DHL, are mostly around, fiercely loyal, and the best talents in the industry. They went on to achieve many great things in the corporate history.

A corporation can change directions many times. They can rewrite new mission statements and core values. They can rebrand themselves. They can acquire new assets and buy more companies. All these can be done in a controlled fashion. When it comes to matters of the heart - people's attitude, values, belief, respect - they look only to their leaders for guidance.  No amount of carrots dangling can move your people to do what they don't believe in, unless you have nurtured strong shepherds to herd the sheeps. Don't omit the good shepherds from the will for they determine the success.

More than skindeep, touches the heart strings

A DHL courier's red and yellow uniform caught my eyes as I stepped out of a client's boardroom yesterday. I welcomed the familiarity and everything sweet associated with that brand... couldn't conceal my smile to the boy.

I remembered sitting in the Parkview Square office 7 years ago... doing the tedious inventory of the number of vehicles (from scooters, bicycles, cars, vans to 40-foot container trucks),  inferior and exterior office signages (which building is prominently located and facing the freeway? which is hidden within industrial parks?), uniforms, office stationery, airwaybills, tapes, bags, invoices - all things operational.  Every single touch point with Management, Employees, Customers, Media and general publics needed us to move the world with just one aim. That is to show the world the new DHL brand. Yes, "us" the tiny Regional Communications Department of less than 7 leading the mega rebranding project in 2003.

Every single quarter were a report-out to Corporate tracking old vs new assets. Every single month was a party in at least one country with employees, customers, and media. Every week was a mad rush to push news in all propoganda channels to reach every corner and soul of DHLer. Every day we lived a rebranding high ! The power to excel and the can-do spirit was intoxicating. Everyone in the organization embraced the new brand. It was money very well invested to get people excited isn't it - especially when budgets was a free-flow commodity those days.

Within 12 months, all 40 countries and terrorities completed the project. AP topped the world's records to become the first region to wrap up the monster task. I believed it is the positive spirit of all in one and one in all... that got us through in such amazing speed and precision !

Yeah, we painted every city red, and left a specially blended yellow pantone in everyone we touched. I even suspected there was yellow in my blood ! 7 years on, I still love those colours. DHL was a  rebranding success. I had the best time of my professional life.

Branding. Making it come alive like “No Signboard Seafood”

Everyone knows what a brand is. It is about delivering meaning and value.

My job is to make brands come alive. I describe brands as:
A promise, a personality, an image, a trusting relationship, a sense of purpose, security in purchase, satisfaction in use, leadership and authority, a sense of community, experience, and authenticity.

With decreasing product differentiation, product convergence, acquisitions and mergers, it is hard to tell products apart especially the white goods, automobile and others.

Only 20% of the brand is seen by customers who are able to recognize a logo and or a name. 80% of the brand convey values, that are unseen by the consumer, happen at the unconscious level.

Yes, big boys have money to burn so they have higher chances of getting their branding strategies right. However companies of any sizes have an equal footing if you are passionate about your business.

Even a well-known seafood chain in Singapore which does not have a brand before, has branded themselves as “NO SIGNBOARD SEAFOOD”! The name was given by their customers and they are wildly successful. http://www.nosignboardseafood.com/

So given the challenges, where do you start on branding?
The emphasis now is focus on the intangible or abstract value of brands. The big boys’ various branding architectures well illustrated this.

• SIA: a great way to fly - Corporate Branding
• Procter & Gamble: touching lives, improving life - Product Branding
• Nestle: good food, good life - Endorsed Branding
• Vidal Sassoon (under Procter & Gamble) - Line Branding

Recently I worked with a startup to conceptualize a new brand for a new company. We started by defining positioning in 7 levels: attributes and benefits, price, product class, use and application, competitor, value, and personality. Finally we developed the branding architectures before wrapping it up with messaging and proof points.

The entire process took 3 months from inception to launch, before a new brand is born.