Irene Etzkorn runs the simplification practice at strategic branding company Siegel+Gale. She helps clients clarify and simplify their every interaction with customers – a powerful competitive advantage. Now she is calling for the political candidates to do the same thing. In fact, she states that clarity is an opportunity overlooked by each of the candidates, and it could provide a tremendous political advantage to the candidate who embraces it first.

“Despite the fact that each of the Presidential candidates is desperately seeking a point of distinction, they are all missing one relevant and appealing promise: making the government truly more accessible to its citizens. A call for clarity is a powerful message that would resonate with voters.

“It is particularly interesting that Obama, who has made ‘change’ the refrain of his campaign, and McCain, who travels on the Straight Talk Express, have both overlooked this rallying point.”

A trail of paper from cradle to grave
“As citizens, over our lifetimes, we must interact with certain government agencies – notably the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration – and often need to interact with others, whether Medicare, Medicaid or even FEMA. These interactions often occur at times of stress, anxiety or infirmity, and are confusing and frustrating beyond belief. New York Congressman Steve Israel summed it up when he said, ‘Seniors believe they need a Nobel Prize in mathematics to understand this program’ when describing the complexity of the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan.

“Clarity, transparency and relevance are critical to engaging the hearts of the voters. Too often, citizens believe that federal agencies are hiding behind jargon, vicious cycles of paperwork and complicated procedures. This undermines citizens’ faith in government and sets up an unproductive ‘me versus them’ attitude. One of the candidates has an opportunity to distinguish himself or herself from the gobbledygook that pervades Washington by making Simplification a campaign plank.

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Creates Innovative, Inviting, Child-Friendly Online Information Source for
Patients, Families, and Healthcare Professionals

http://www.searchhope.org

Los Angeles – March 10, 2008 – Siegel+Gale, one of the world’s premier strategic branding companies, has created an innovative, inviting, child-friendly web-based portal that allows sick children and their families to easily find online resources about childhood cancer, blood disorders, and other rare diseases or conditions.

Launched in February, the HOPE Portal (www.searchhope.org ) was commissioned by Childrens Hospital Los Angeles to radically expand the breadth and accessibility of its Patient & Family Education Resource Center. Siegel+Gale created, designed, and developed the portal to combine comprehensive information access with a design using illustrated drawings reminiscent of children’s books.

“This site is talking about the toughest topics in the world – severe childhood illnesses – to the most vulnerable audiences in the world – the children themselves and their parents and families,” says Alan Siegel, Chairman and CEO of Siegel+Gale. “We had to strike a balance between not being scary and not backing away from reality. We found our answer in whimsy that appeals to both children and adults.

“We loved this assignment,” Mr. Siegel continues. “Very rarely do we get the opportunity to really help those in need – and the HOPE Portal is an authoritative online resource that truly benefits patients and the healthcare community.”

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Siegel+Gale, one of the world’s premier strategic branding companies, launched its Eyeopener™ Brand Decision Analyzer research tool at THE Conference on Marketing in Naples, Florida, this week.

"In theory, calculating the return on brand investment is a very straightforward exercise, but in practice, not one of the many tools available to marketers today helps them evaluate consumer behavior, reliably predict customer choice, and make valuable, real-time brand decisions," said Alan Siegel, Chairman and CEO of Siegel+Gale.

"Eyeopener™ is dramatically better than any of the other research methods out there," Mr. Siegel noted. "And it works in a quick, startlingly simple, cost-effective way."

Clients who have used Eyeopener™ echo this sentiment. Rich Carvill, Corporate Brand Manager at Gates Corporation, a leading North American manufacturer of automotive and industrial systems, said, "The customer insights we revealed with the Eyeopener™ research program will be invaluable to our brand strategy initiative. The process is not as time-consuming as other methods out there and the results are accurate."

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"Super Bowl ads are one of the purest forms of branded entertainment," says Larry Vincent, Group Director of Strategy in the Los Angeles office of premier brand strategy and design consultancy Siegel+Gale, and long-time entertainment marketing expert. "Superbowl ads have become theatre in their own right, but if you’re not tying the ad to a direct call to action, you have to ask: what is this huge investment really doing for my brand?"

The iconic Apple Macintosh introduction ad in 1984 worked as a brand-building tool because it addressed the promise of the brand and established the voice that the brand would employ for decades to come. But it was also a spectacular launch point for a much bigger campaign – the next day they launched the product. They used the media for its greatest strength: reach. Frequency was not a factor, since the ad ran once and only once.

Advertisements that are tied to a promotional campaign or short-term, national sales initiatives can work well on the broadcast. That’s why you see so many movie ads. The studio has to build a brand in six weeks or less. They need to go from 0 to 100%, and a Superbowl ad can put a film on the map.

But it gets tricky when you plan to use the media for pure brand-building purposes. Too many companies feel they must be represented at the Super Bowl – that they have to buy these spots. It’s the perceived membership dues for a major brand. They try too hard to find a way to use the media, defaulting to ‘brand.’ It’s not clear that a Super Bowl ad does much for most of these companies.

Here are three things to consider when using a Super Bowl ad as a brand-building initiative:

1. Make the ad a tangible touch point of your existing brand strategy; reinforce messages already in the marketplace about what your brand stands for. It must reflect your promise, your values, and your unique corporate voice.
2. Don’t try to load the ad with too many messages. You’re competing for consumer attention. Too many brands over-reach. Keep it simple.
3. Have celebrity endorsements and cutting-edge digital effects serve your brand – not vice versa. You’ve got 30 seconds to create effect for the brand. Think of your casting and special effects choices as tools to help re-convey your story.

To speak with Larry Vincent about branding strategies surrounding the Super Bowl, either before or after the game, please contact Davia Temin or Megan Creydt of Temin and Company at 212-588-8788 or news@teminandco.com.

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Siegel+Gale will launch its new EyeOpener research innovation at THE Conference on Marketing in Naples, Florida, on February 5th.

THE Conference is a place where the greatest marketers will gather to challenge conventionalism, defy boundaries, and celebrate the power of marketing. Your entire marketing team – brand managers, promotions departments, designers, strategists, analysts, researchers, and innovators will leave feeling revitalized and inspired.

Our very own Director of Brand Research, Dr. Rolf Wulfsburg, will present the power of EyeOpener in brand decision making on Tuesday, February 5th at 1:30pm in a keynote session in the Proof Track which will focus on predicting return on brand investment (ROBI) and how to do that effectively.

Learn more and/or register for the conference.

Clearly in today’s rough and tumble world of politics, candidates are packaged as brands, says Alan Siegel, Chairman and CEO of Siegel+Gale. Their handlers work hard to position them. They use research to determine how they are perceived and what messages they can use that are credible and resonate with voters, and they try to find a voice that defines their distinctive personae to differentiate them from the competition.

• Hillary Clinton has been seen as the leading Democratic brand — the experienced leader, an articulate policy wonk, and an insider who has seen it all as the candidate who spent eight years in the White House.
• John McCain is the straight-talking rebel.
• John Edwards is the empathetic populist who grew up in a modest house in North Carolina and champions the plight of middle class Americans.
• Barack Obama casts himself as the energetic change agent with the charisma necessary to inspire a new generation of leadership through the politics of inclusion.
• Mike Huckabee offers solace to Christian values voters who hunger for religious guidance in uncertain times.
• Mitt Romney demands to be seen as a socially conservative but entrepreneurial CEO who seeks market solutions to the nation’s challenges.

But to prevail, the candidates must stay true to their brand promises. Right now, as the Democratic nomination narrows to a fierce competition between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Mrs. Clinton is undermining her position as the “Leading Brand” among the Democratic candidates with attacks on Barack Obama, the “Challenger Brand.”

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Tru2way, the new cable industry brand announced earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show by Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, was created by global strategic branding firm, Siegel+Gale.

“Tru2way is the future of interactive television,” says Alan Siegel, Chairman and CEO of Siegel+Gale. This new, industry-standard technology will allow a whole new generation of interconnected media devices, including interactive televisions needing no cable box. Consumers will be able to vote; order pay-per-view; purchase products, services, and music; organize their content; and access a personalized TV guide; all with a click of their remote.

The brand, previously called OpenCable™ Platform, was brought to life by a multi-industry consortium that included cable operators: Comcast, Cox, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, and Bright House Networks; electronics manufacturers: Panasonic, Samsung, LG, and Microsoft; cable industry trade organizations: CTAM and NCTA; and CableLabs®, the cable industry’s research and development arm, which owns the tru2way trademark.

“Our technology initiatives often result in consumer-facing products, such as the cable modem and digital voice products. But tru2way is the first industry-wide brand, and I was greatly impressed by the excitement and reception it received during the electronics show. Tru2way appears to have really nailed it for cable’s interactive video future,” said CableLabs President and CEO, Dr. Richard R. Green.

Siegel+Gale’s cross-functional strategy and creative teams collaborated with the consortium’s partners to explore the technology’s potential. An accelerated research process to include client and customer interviews led to the development of the name, logo design, and brand positioning for this next-generation technology in five months.

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“It’s a good way to make money, but it’s also a good way to destroy your brand,” said Alan Siegel, chief executive of the New York branding firm Siegel and Gale.

“It has to be done with great care and very intelligently and in harmony with what the brand stands for.”

Read the complete Associated Press article

“People are becoming very price-conscious,” said Alan Siegel, chairman and chief executive of branding strategy firm Siegel & Gale. “Without making any kind of an offer, I’m not sure Starbucks is addressing the problem.”

Read the complete Los Angeles Times article

NEW YORK, NY – November 14, 2007 – Siegel+Gale, one of the world’s premier strategic branding firms, has appointed Richard Pasqua as the Creative Director of its Interactive practice.

An award-winning designer and digital artist, Mr. Pasqua previously led design for Nickelodeon, RedSky Interactive, Xceed Interactive, and Doubleday Direct Interactive.

"Nothing is more important in today’s branding world than designing breakthrough, effective media that extends clients’ brands seamlessly into the interactive sphere," says Howard Belk, Co-President and CCO of Siegel+Gale. "Rich has the artistic eye to blend form and function into consistently superb interactive products. We look forward to utilizing his creative vision as we take interactive media to the next quantum level."

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Next Generation Global Brand Asset Management Tool
to be Unveiled at November 12th Conference

NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES – NOVEMBER 12, 2007 – Siegel+Gale, the premier brand strategy and design consultancy, announced today the launch of BRAND AMPLIFIRE™, an intuitive, powerful digital brand asset management tool using Google Search® technology. Unveiled today at the Henry Stewart Digital Asset Management Conference in Los Angeles, BRAND AMPLIFIRE™ allows companies to achieve consistent corporate branding across all communications, both print and digital.

By combining Google Search® technology with Siegel+Gale’s renowned “Simple is Smart” philosophy, BRAND AMPLIFIRE™ will be the most advanced – and user- friendly – digital brand asset management tool on the market. BRAND AMPLIFIRE™ is a joint venture between Siegel+Gale and SmartDoc Technologies.

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Ad Forum Worldwide Summit 2007: Co-Presidents Howard Belk and David Srere comment on the unique culture at Siegel+Gale and why simple brands work smarter to help clients excel.

Siegel+Gale, one of the world’s premier strategic branding firms, announced today the appointment of Laurence Vincent as Group Director, Strategy of Siegel+Gale’s Los Angeles office. A specialist in branded entertainment and integrated marketing, Mr. Vincent has developed innovative strategies for clients ranging from the National Football League and MasterCard International to The Walt Disney Company and Home Depot.

“Laurence is one of the stars in the field of branding and will be a major asset as we continue to build Siegel+Gale’s presence in the entertainment and technology space,” said Alan Siegel, Chairman and CEO.

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“According to brand expert Alan Siegel, of New York-based Siegel+Gale, Apple was justified in letting iPhone owners know that their warranties would not be honored if they modified the phone. But, Siegel said, any attempt to legally pursue or otherwise punish individuals for unlocking their devices likely would tarnish Apple’s image and damage its hold on its core customer base.”

Read the complete article

Belk on Brand Amplifire™ and Second-Generation Brand Asset Management

It’s not necessarily the strongest or the smartest that survive. It’s the most adaptable—and in the past five years, the marketing, selling, and brand-building world has undergone cataclysmic change. How marketers respond to this media meteorite will determine if they, like the primitive mammals of 67 million years ago, will emerge to rule.

Google™, the rise of social media, exponentially expanding networks, and vast numbers of people creating communications for the first time represent the 10km mediarite that parted the waters of the Gulf of Media. User-generated content leading to millions of downloads through myriad channels puts everyone, from boardroom to showroom to garage, on a close-to-equal footing in the attention-getting bazaar. Here’s the issue: In the corporate world, thousands of DIYers creating marketing communications and sales messages can fracture a brand or accelerate it.

Now, marketers need to harness the talents of everyone in the organization to make their brand relevant, responsive, consistent, competitive, and ubiquitous. This requires systems that put brand strategies, communications guidelines, assets, and tools in the hands of everyone who is creating communications.

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