The DNA
“Our mission is to be the most essential global Internet service for consumers and businesses.” – Old Yahoo mission statement

“To organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” – Google mission statement

“Yahoo’s mission is to connect people to their passions, their communities, and the world’s knowledge.” – New Yahoo mission statement (February 2007)

As two of the biggest Internet names slug it out, the change in Yahoo’s mission statement is telling. Originally, Yahoo’s statement was just an exhortation to be the most important Internet company. The new statement puts Yahoo on a different path than Google – it is now the company that connects people. These are not trivial differences in wording – they reflect the need for a company to be able to define itself accurately and succinctly. It is the DNA of a company. 

To make sure that a company’s DNA will engender growth, there are five important questions to ask:

1. Is it relevant (do customers care)?
2. Does it make you stand out?
3. Does it turn customers on?
4. Is it credible?
5. Is it durable?

If the answer is yes to all five of these questions, then the DNA blueprint is ready to turn into a successful brand. Will Yahoo gain ground against its traditional foe? It will hinge on how well it delivers on its new promise.

The fractured whole
Since the 1990s, M&M’s have been attached to movie characters that kids and adults can enjoy together, such as the cartoon character Shrek. Promotional campaigns deliver these messages via interactive websites, in TV commercials and with sales displays at vending machines. Customers must receive the same message in a consistent manner across all media.

Unthinkingly yours
When Apple released iPod Nano, the critical element of the sleek, stylised MP3 player that flew off shelves wasn’t new features or expanded capacity – it was what PC Magazine called the “undeniable cool factor”. One blogger tried to dissect the decision-making process behind buying an iPod Nano and concluded that no conscious decision was involved. It goes to show that a consumer brand that’s carefully managed can quickly develop cult status. Followers find a means of personal expression by purchasing particular brand products and creating web forums to discuss the brand.

Keep the special ingredients
In the 1990s, McDonald’s was faltering after a nearly 40-year uninterrupted growth story. Battered by bad press, a reputation for poor quality and a host of hipper competitors, McDonald’s was in trouble. In late 2002, a new executive team went to work. The quality of the original menu was restored, older methods of quality measurement brought back, and subsidiary brands sold off. The result? McDonald’s returned to profitability and its brand value is climbing. The moral: always be faithful to the qualities that built the brand in the first place. Delivering on a promise never goes out of style. 

Internal affairs
When a defect in a car appears on an assembly line, Toyota factory workers have the power to stop the line to find out where the problem originated. It’s one of the internal elements in a culture that’s steeped in a tradition of openly acknowledging and sharing ownership of problems. Toyota is one of the most trusted automobile brands. Imagine employees as individual brand ambassadors, rather than potential saboteurs, and you can see why UPS Vice President Ed Buckley referred to internal brand building as possibly the biggest missed opportunity in branding. Employees must understand the value proposition of the brand, and see it in action everyday.

Are you experienced?
“The politicism of The Body Shop has always been its DNA – the shops became our billboards,” says Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop. Roddick imbued The Body Shop, a retailer of specialty beauty products, with the sense that purchasers were taking part in a giant campaign for social justice. Whether it was in-store petitions against animal testing or installing child care centres for employees, every aspect of The Body Shop was a brand experience that reflected Roddick’s activism. In every retail outlet, everything from the petition paper to the colours of the packaging reflects that conscience. To be successful, a brand experience must also be a complete experience.

Branded to death
Do people get sick of brands, or sick of branding? Adbusters, an organisation that began with a magazine which poked satirical fun at contemporary pop culture and advertising, has developed a series of black spot products that compete with major brand name products. The black spot is meant to be an anti-brand, though commentators now view the black spot as a brand.

Money from nothing
What’s a brand worth? For some enterprising New Zealanders, it’s US$91 million. That’s how much 42 Below, an upstart vodka brand started in 1999 netted from its sale to drinks giant Bacardi. Thanks to a clever combination of guerilla marketing, cheeky adverts and a website full of dirty pictures, 42 Below became an instant hit with partygoers worldwide. It’s not surprising to learn that Geoff Ross, the CEO and founding partner of 42 Below, was formerly a Saatchi and Saatchi executive. For many companies, the brand is easily the most valuable asset.