Do you have a contagious brand?

Do you have a brand that is contagious?

Is there compelling content that people love? 

Are you creating unique ways to connect with your fans and allow them to participate in the creation process?

I recently  read the Hierarchy of Contagiousness, which offered the perspective of brands being either a rubber stamp or box of Crayons, 

Step back and take a look at your creative business model, is it more like a rubber stamp or box of crayons?

 In the Rubber stamp model, one size fits all, and a very short life cycle. Ironically,  most personal brands fit into this category; since the idea of a personal brand is to highlight your uniqueness.

In the "box of crayons" model,  your fans can use tools to mix and blend their own colors.   The “Crayon” model is so successful for businesses interested in long-term success that mega brands are creating opportunities to include their fans in the creation process:

Pepsi / Doritos   invited fans to help them create and submit video content, that the product selected a winner to use for their Superbowl ad.

Bjork’s "Biophilia" for iPad  will include  ten separate apps, all housed within one "mother" app. Each of the smaller apps will relate to a different track from the album, allowing people to explore and interact with the song's theme's or even make a completely new version of them.

Nine inch Nails have invited fans to remix 21 tracks which have been called the limitless potential. 

 Share your examples of how you have used your “box of crayons” to create fan engagement opportunities in the comment section below.

Links:
 http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/#/?finalist=6886

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophilia_(album)

http://www.9inchnails.com/remixes/
http://www.pollsb.com/photos/o/32699-box_crayons.jpg

Growing by Giving

I have noticed a shift in corporate marketing.

Two huge brands have shifted the focus of the advertising budgets in a positive way.         To help our communities.

Corporate grants  or “corporate giving” programs are not new, but typically they are only available to 501© organizations. 

These highlighted groups have kicked open the doors to individuals.

Google Science Fair :  Remember when you were a kid, the chemical rotten eggs? Volcano erupting? Flying June Bugs lifting items with a string harness?

Google is offering scholarships, trips to the Galapagos Islands, and trips to partner corporations around the globe for intern positions (not bad for a 13-18yr old).

The Pepsi Refresh Project:   

This is the 2^nd year Pepsi has offered up a $20 million budget to fund great idea’s, former grant reciepients have help fund school lunch programs, rescue animals from underserved communities,  starting a aquaphonics school program to grow lettuce,  The funding goes to the idea that garners the most votes.

Were all “one Tribe Ya’all”!  

As we approach Dr. King’s- National Day of Service  on January 17^th-  Each of us needs to have a way to “give back” built into our business plan- 

What do you do to support making our world a better place?  I would love to  hear about it,  in your blog comments below!

Are you interested in getting started?  Let's talk!

Recommended reading to help 

Kids get in the habit of healthy giving: 

References:

http://www.google.com/events/sciencefair/

http://www.refresheverything.com/dr

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._Day

Photo Credit:

http://www.unityinthefoothills.org/images/giving.jpg