Quick – name that logo. If you said “Chevy,” you’re right. . . and you’re wrong. Technically speaking, this is the logo for Chevrolet. And in a memo leaked last week, General Motors showed that it’s more concerned about technicalities than about its customers’ love for this well-known brand.
Check out these excerpts from a company memo, as quoted in a New York Times story:
“We’d ask that whether you’re talking to a dealer, reviewing advertising or speaking with friends and family, that you communicate our brand as Chevrolet moving forward.”
“When you look at the most recognized brands throughout the world, such as Coke or Apple for instance, one of the things they all focus on is the consistency of their branding,” the memo said. “Why is this consistency so important? The more consistent a brand becomes the more prominent and recognizable it is with the consumer.”
After the Times reported on the memo, GM backtracked and said that it never intended to stamp out the beloved Chevy nickname, but simply wanted to “move toward a consistent brand name for advertising and marketing purposes” as it expands its global presence.
Ah, yes. Consistency. I’m actually quite a fan of it. But I think it’s safe to say that GM’s recent moves fall under the category of foolish consistency, which Ralph Waldo Emerson called “the hobgoblin of little minds.” I’m not sure what a hobgoblin is, but I know it’s not something to build your brand on. And I also know that brands like Coke and Apple weren’t built by people with little minds.
Today’s consumers connect with brands through multiple channels — online media, mobile phones, social networks and peer-to-peer contact, just to name a few. Marketers control only a few of those channels, making today’s approach to brand consistency much more challenging than it was just 10 or 15 years ago. It’s not just about the colors of your logo or the name of your product anymore. Today’s environment calls for giving your customers ways to connect to your brand, and giving them reasons to love it.
So what are you going to do to earn some love today?
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.