A recent survey of 1,200 people conducted by strategic brand consulting firm Siegel+Gale shows that trust in financial-services companies has dropped nearly 40 percent in the past year. Nearly two-thirds of those respondents also believe that businesses complicate their processes and communications in an attempt to mask real risks. This is a stunning indictment of the financial establishment. Click here to read the full story

I was slack jawed.

About a week ago I sat watching the Duke/UNC Basketball game with my daughter, Shannon. As a Duke fan I became pretty dismayed when the game in the second half started to head South –literally. As the final minutes were unfolding and the Tar Heels began to sprint ahead, the commentator trained his attention on a special guest at the Dean Dome - His Highness, Michael Jordan, was in attendance and rooting Carolina on. This would not have been a big deal, but for what I next heard come out of my daughters mouth – “Daddy, who is Michael Jordan?”

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The ad team experts at USA Today queried leading experts in the corporate identity business to field suggestions on what elements would support a successful logo for the U.S. Economic Recovery Program. Alan Siegel weighs in.

Wings of a nation

“The wing implies freedom and energy, the ability to rise above,” says Siegel. “It is derived from our powerful unifying national symbols, the flag and the bald eagle. The wing is intertwined with the flag, reinforcing both a sense of home and a national vision. The result is an extremely dynamic symbol that speaks to the power of a positive outlook and the ability to see the road ahead.”

Shining city on a hill

“The symbol is inspired, says Siegel, by a 1630 discourse by Gov. John Winthrop of Massachusetts Bay colony. It was a favorite of President Reagan, who quoted it often in his career. He used it last in his 1989 farewell address to the nation: “For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword throughout the world.”

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If you look around your home or office, chances are you’ll see a product that has been influenced by Alan Siegel. The founder of the New York–based strategic branding company Siegel+Gale and author of Alan Siegel on Branding and Clear Communications has established himself as a singular authority on brand management and the power of simple strategic communication. FuelNet chatted with Siegel about the importance of creating a strong corporate brand identity with a clear and persuasive voice.

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CMOs have become master jugglers as many have portfolios overflowing with brands created, acquired, and merged over the last decade—product brands, business line brands, and corporate brands. Some brands have a strong presence in the marketplace, but many of these brands lack real equity. In fact, what many organizations perceive as brands are in fact just names. Whether made up of “names” or real brands with strong equity, a portfolio of multiple brands drives complexity and cost—such as the costs for keeping a brand top of mind, continuously refreshing the creative, and protecting your trademark. Also, there is the cost of missed opportunities for unifying the organization around a single brand promise, increasing customer loyalty, cross-selling, or cultivating marketing synergies. In this recessionary climate, CMOs should examine their portfolio to determine if their brands have clear reasons for being. Killing the weak brands may be the right strategic choice. And, streamlining your portfolio down to a few strong brands, or possibly a single master brand, can have compelling benefits—focus, clarity, and efficiency.

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