Pixar's 5 principles for success

Article over at Jump Associates website gives an insight to some of the concepts that took Pixar to the lead in innovative and blockbusting animated films. The interview with Oren Jacob revealed 5 principles that they live by to maintain success.

1. When it sucks say so.
This is often the hardest decision to make, whether something is excellent in the light of a looming deadline. Very often it feels easier to be satisfied with an adequate product or service rather than push on for excellence due to budget and time constraints. The question is at what cost to the end goal of brand building and ultimate success.

2. Defend your opinion and press play quickly
This is part of the review process, I like the idea of allowing the individual to accept or defend the feedback. I agree with autonomy that it allows. Of course if you have an opinion it is best defended with some examples and proof that your idea is better. This concept works well in a fair and unbiased work environment that allows open discussion without punishment for maybe being wrong.

3. Look upstream for the source of the problem
This is good point to make that not all problems exist at the point you observe, but maybe the result of something somewhere else in the system or process. It is always worth a deeper investigation if the problem solution is not immediately clear. Methods like the "5 Whys" that I have discussed before can help in this. Also open communications among team members can help keep these problem tansparent.

4. Match the medium to the message
This is always critical to the right step in the process of innovation. As Bill Buxton and others have explained the power of sketching early on and prototyping loosely can open up the right conversations, versus seeing "polished" artwork that instead of encouraging debate pushes people to aim their thoughts to criticism and negative feedback only. Seeing the work as the end result. These sketches and prototypes themselves also need thew right medium to encourage the right questions.

5. Hire for excellence.
Hiring the right people and putting them in the right roles is exactly what Jim Collins talks about in his book "Good to Great". Get the right people on the bus and all other things will begin to fall into place. Equally important is to get the wrong people off the bus. The right people are self motivated and need less guidance and motivation to perform excellently.

Brand experiences not products

I think we all believe that life's experiences are more important to us than the material possessions that we own. Well Susan Weinschenk recently wrote about the research that Carter and Gilovich did to prove out this idea and they uncovered some valuable ideas.

Their research looked to uncover why we value experiences over possessions. They proved that people use experiences to define their sense of self. People prefer to talk about themselves in terms of experiences rather than what they own. This can be thought of as part of our life story we carry around with us. People it seems prefer to talk about purchasing items through the experiences they have with it, rather than the material ownership of the product.

Knowing people by what they have experienced and how they use a product is more likely to give us a greater insight to the person than what they bought. Our memories associated with an object make that object more valuable and satisfying when the association is positive.

So with this in mind Susan put forward these considerations for products and experiences.

• If you are marketing a product, put emphasis on what experiences you will have with it rather than what it will look like/feel like/ be like to own it.
• If you are collecting purchasing info about target clients (as has been in the news lately with questions about privacy) you’d be better off to know what people’s purchases imply about the experiences they are having rather than just inferring from the data what they own.
• The user experience of a product is more important than we think. It’s not just the idea that the product should be easy to use/ interesting. The EXPERIENCE part of user experience is not just a fancy word to use. People remember and evaluate, and even cherish experiences, even with technology.
• Customers may resonate more with a brand if they can get a sense of what the organization has DONE, not just what products or services they sell.

Sticky Ideas

If you are like me you have sat in a darkened room many times listening to someone drone on about some topic that at first you thought might be interesting to you, but quite frankly you start drifting off and once the talk is over you don't remember a thing about what the presentation was about or the point that was being made. Or maybe you have been in one of those company motivational speeches given by the CEO that leaves you feeling more flat than inspired. Well it is most likely that these people could have benefited from reading "Made to Stick" by Dan and Chip Heath, two brothers that decided to look into what makes ideas stick and memorable in peoples minds. Their research uncovered some interesting ways to make ideas sticky.

Sticky ideas are those ideas that have certain traits that allow us to recall the concept or meaning very easily. Dan and Chip describe them as ideas that are more like velcro in our minds, they attach themselves at many points in our neural network and as such it makes them more memorable and easier to recall later. They go on to outline what they call the SUCCESs steps to making an idea more sticky. SUCCESs steps refer to:

Simple

Keep the idea simple, people don't remember many items at once, so get down to the core of your message

Unexpected

Adding something unexpected helps you remember it, it makes it more notable in your mind if you suddenly have a twist in your idea.

Concrete

Make something tangible. Put the idea into the real world, remove abstraction.

Credible

Adding a authority or anti-authority to an idea gives it authenticity and makes it valuable

Emotional

Bringing an emotional element to the idea makes it impact people at a deeper level

Stories

This is last in the list but really it is probably one of the most important elements of a sticky idea. Adding a story element makes the idea spreadable, easier to remember and start to take on a life of it's own.

This list is a really nice summary of making ideas last and have value to those that come across them. Of course one of the immediate things that stands out to me is how these steps, are very applicable to not only presentations but also to marketing and branding efforts for companies looking to create a deeper connection to consumers. These steps are really about anything that needs to have a lasting impression on others. Whether that is employee orientation, a charity fund raiser, or a teacher giving a lesson on biology.

One final interesting part of the book didn't get much attention but was worth mentioning was how to UN-stick an idea. Of course most people want to get ideas inside peoples heads. What to do when you want to change someones ideas, the example might be some bad publicity around a product that people now associate with the brand. Their suggestion is to make an even stickier idea to replace the current one. That might include making a better comparison with a positive spin, or redirecting the public's mind towards a different enemy or goal. 

Sticky ideas are valuable and creating idea virus's or ways to communicate those ideas is a valuable skill to have. These suggested steps help get those messages out there and improve the chances of making your ideas stick. So turn up the lights go back and rethink your presentation or idea, with these concepts in mind, and this time you will more likely create an idea that will stick and have an audience not falling asleep in the dark.

Branding the faithful

Being an athlete, amateur or professional, requires a dedication and focus that comes from within, it drives the individual to motivate themselves and stretch their abilities, they must push themselves to the limit. Many give up and only the faithful few make it to the heights of success and achieve the status of champion. At least that is what Nike would like you to think as you aspire to buy a pair of their training shoes. This is the message that Nike preaches to the masses of people that have any thoughts about sports and athletic behavior. The image that Nike wants in your mind as you struggle to make it through another work out is that you are some how empowered by their clothing or shoes to be part of that group of elite professionals that do this everyday come rain or shine. They tell you to "Just do it.", don't waste time thinking about it. They imply that they have already found the answer to the needs that you are looking for, buy our branded goods and you will become one of our champions. They play to your inner self and the story that you tell yourself that somehow by having bought a new pair of running shoes that you are now ready to begin working out and getting fitter. They tell you that you too can become a brand champion that is worthy of their merchandise.



To become a brand champion, requires a level of faith in the messages you are seeing, hearing and reading, it requires you to have a belief in the brand and the gospels of Nike. Nike is not of course alone in their faith building exercises and ardent followers. Many brands that want to make a lasting impression and get to some of the core ideas of being human, touch us where we are most inspired in the faith that we can somehow be better people and fill our lives with meaning. This is what Maslow, would consider at the top of his human needs pyramid, a need for fulfillment and transcendence to be a better person and higher state of being. The power of building a brand is that at some level you transcend the product and service to become almost a religion that has followers and the faithful that are willing to go where you ask them and preach as you tell them. Branding already uses many religious motifs to help them persuade the consumers to become one of the faithful. Icons and logos are powerful badges that show others the brand you follow. Stories and fables are the advertising way to tell the brand messages in compelling ways. They even create "churches" now to worship their gods and icons, the rise of branded retail stores has shown that the parallels to religion are not just a coincidence, these huge corporations and the brands they own are looking for followers and  evangelists to grow the faith. They want to play an important part in your life and mind, they want to be part of what makes you feel like you. Once they get to that place then branding ceases to be a marketing goal but becomes more of a community and one that you are willing to fight for and defend, without prompting from the originators of the brand.

Martin Lindstrom, author of Brandwashed, suggests that religion and branding have common traits on their followers. His list is outlined below, I have added my own commentary to how I think they work for branding.

1. A clear vision

Having a clear vision, is the same as having a clear message, to promote the brand as having particular beliefs and goals, makes alignment to the brand easier. People want to know if the brand stands for the same things they do, this is achieved with a clear consistent vision.

2. A sense of belonging

This is a typical theme in all branding efforts to create a sense of belonging to a larger group of like minded followers. Creating a sense of community can empower the brand to have those that are inside the group and those that are outside. Creating brand evangelists can be the difference between success and failure when competition shows up in the market place.

3. A common enemy

This is an interesting observation that sometimes a brand needs an enemy or rival, to show comparison or rally like minded people together against a common foe. The classic example is Coke versus Pepsi, they seem to need each other to be able to better inspire followers and faithful to defend their brand. The enemy is a good use way to build loyal followers, because the sense of winning battles and time spent fighting can help build a stronger community spirit.

4. Sensory appeal

Experiences make something go from ordinary to extraordinary. The complete experience of being somewhere or doing something can make the difference of our memory recall of that experience later. They raise our emotional states and if we associate a brand with something positive we are doing or feeling then the brand gains a more valuable meaning to us, as it has associated memories to us that are positive.

5. Storytelling

This can be done in many forms today, across many media. Interestingly word of mouth is still one of the most powerful way to send and receive information from another person. Tying a brand to a story helps not only in the telling of that information to another person but also fills the brand with emotion and interpretation that the consumer can add in their own voice.

5. Grandeur

Big and powerful is an image that can work for some brands, the ability to overwhelm the individual with size and wealth can be a positive lasting experience. The really interesting use of this concept is in the physical representation of the brand, building the physical space for the brand to live and breath for a consumer. We work hard to make environments that inspire us, so do brands.

6. Evangelism

Having a loyal following that promotes and lives for the brand is a huge asset. Encouraging people to see themselves as dedicated and faithful, among the chosen few is going to create huge brand value. These evangelists will defend their beliefs and your brand with passion that cannot be bought with money. These evangelists are going to have a more powerful sway over the undecided because of their enthusiasm and apparent enjoyment from being inside the brand circle. These people can become converters to the faith of the brand. 

7. Symbols

Symbols are all part of a mythology that surrounds branding, a logo can be empty of meaning or fully loaded, depending on the branding and investment to fill the narrative of the individual involved with the brand.

8. Rituals
Rituals are part of the mythology, the narrative that gives meaning to things. It can also help in the establishment of social groups and insider knowledge. These can lead to avid brand followers, that feel that they are part of something bigger and are somehow more involved than ordinary people.

Some other branding considerations that could be seen as influential in making people faithful to a brand are:

1. Authenticity

To be authentic requires being real, relevant, have rituals and be part of a story. Companies need to promote and behave authentically to remove doubt around the brand and messaging.

2. Consistency

People like to be consistent not only in what they do but in what they believe and follow. The brand should be consistent so that people can align with themselves and feel consistent in their choices.

3. Perfection

The aim for perfection is part of the concept of self fulfillment and becoming a better individual by what we do and how we act. Perfection can not really be attained but branding most promotes how it can help achieve those levels we seek.

8. Mystery

Mystery helps in allowing the individual to tell a story to themselves about why one thing to them is more important than another. It is the empty space that allow an individual to fill it with their meaning.

These considerations in brand building are powerful motivators to get people involved in the faith of a company, they are tried and tested ways that many religious movements have relied on for centuries. They work and have proven themselves and long lasting. The warning though is that unlike religion the aims of the founders may not be so honest and dedicated to a greater cause than making profits and growing a company. The most valuable advice in this list is to maybe be authentic, if followers are to align with the brand, make sure that they are very clear on the goals and real beliefs of the company that created it. The find out that all that you believe in is actually false can be very consequential to the brand, and suddenly act as a destructive force to bring the brand to it's knees. 

Bringing the conversation to a close, Nike has always promoted itself as an athletic brand, and really there is nothing wrong with promoting healthy living and getting up and doing something rather than nothing. I don't necessarily believe in the Nike brand, but I do like some of it's ideals and ideas. And I think that is how to approach many things, you don't have to be a loyal follower, or sheep with a crowd, sometimes it pays to follow what you believe and what you want to achieve, if the crowd isn't to your liking jump to another or start your own. The point is nothing should be followed blindly, and you have the power to chose, don't let what people or companies tell you dictate you belief, discover that for yourself.

The art of story telling and branding

This promotional video from Dunhill, that shows one of it's cases being made by a master craftsman, is testament to the art of storytelling and the resulting perceived value it brings to an object. This video apparently raised the sales of this case by 500% within 2 weeks after the video was shown. Even if this isn't true, the video has a huge emotional story attached to it that raises the brand awareness and definitely makes it more clear why this case costs $3,200. 

As you watch the detailing and swiftness that this master craftsman goes through as he assemblies pieces of material and carefully sews them together, you are taken back to a time when all things were made this way. You are reminded that somethings are taught and handed down from master to apprentice, over years of study. We see the difference between hand crafted versus production line automation, the value that human touch and detail can bring to an object. It is in perfect alignment with the brand of Dunhill in this instance, a company that was first established in 1893 as a saddlery business, which then progressed to motor cars and now covers all kinds of men's leather luxury goods, as well as, timepieces, fragrances and clothing.

The power of this marketing piece lies in the unwritten, or spoken story that forms in your mind as you see the case come together. This is not only a strong way to tell a story relying heavily on the visuals, but leaves a lasting impression. The value of the item goes up because you imagine how hard and difficult it must be to be so exact. Suddenly you are compelled to want one and buy into the story. So now the case now has something more valuable than the just the name it has a history, that goes back generations.

A very nicely put together piece, and a story well told that does wonders for the Dunhill brand, I definitely wish I could afford one.

Watch it here. or Below