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Debbie Laskey On Branding And Leadership

Image Credit: Freepik.

For years, branding, marketing and leadership expert, Debbie, Laskey, has offered her insights, observations and tips to my blog readers. Today, Debbie joins us again to answer questions about branding and leadership.

Debbie Laskey has nearly three decades of marketing experience and an MBA Degree. She developed her marketing expertise while working in the high-tech industry, the Consumer Marketing Department at Disneyland Paris in France, the nonprofit arena, and financial services and insurance sectors. Her expertise includes brand marketing, leadership development, and customer experience marketing. She is a regular contributor to several national blogs that provide insights about marketing and leadership, and she's been recognized as one of the "Top 50 Branding Experts" to follow on Twitter/X at @DebbieLaskeyMBA. Visit her website at www.BrandingAndMore.net and her blog at www.DebbieLaskeysBlog.com. 

QUESTION: NBC has launched a new unscripted reality series called “On Brand with Jimmy Fallon,” which will be hosted, created, and executive-produced by Jimmy Fallon, host of The Tonight Show. 

In each episode, On Brand Agency creatives will work with a major brand in need of a big idea for a massive, high-priority campaign – from creating earworm jingles and unbelievable activations to producing the most quotable commercials and must-have merchandise. They will have unprecedented access to the client's business before pitching their vision to a brand rep, with only the best ideas moving on to proof-of-concept and the opportunity to see their campaign brought to life on the national stage after each episode. What are your thoughts about this new TV show? 

DEBBIE LASKEY: Here's Jimmy Fallon's explanation for the show, "I love branding, I love marketing, I love the world of advertising, and I think there are a lot of people out there who do as well. This show lets the audience and our contestants get a peek behind the curtain of how campaigns for some of the biggest brands come together and what goes into making them. It's exciting." 

As someone who views the world through marketing-colored lenses and as a professional marketing pro, I cannot wait to see the show! It sounds like a lot of fun - and hopefully, it will teach everyone about the importance of marketing - and that marketing success isn't easy! 

On Brand with Jimmy Fallon premieres on NBC on Tuesday, September 30 at 10/9c and airs Tuesdays and Fridays, with the second episode premiering on Friday, October 3, at 8/7c.

QUESTION: Cracker Barrel dropped its plans to remodel its restaurants while also quickly rolling back its recently announced new logo after public backlash. What went wrong and what are the brand marketing lessons learned? 

DEBBIE LASKEY: This brand's logo change played out in the mainstream media unlike most brand identity changes. In fact, we can look back in time and recall only a few that garnered such public interest, for example, the GAP's logo change back in 2010 may rival the attention of Cracker Barrel - and of course, there was New Coke back in 1985. But what made this change so unique was that it attracted attention and comment by the White House - and then became a divisive political issue. 

According to Tim Calkins, Marketing Professor at the Kellogg School of Management, "To understand the Cracker Barrel situation, it is important to realize that the brand has been struggling. While the chain has grown significantly since its creation in 1969, it is no longer on a promising path...Behind the brand’s struggles is an aging consumer base. Cracker Barrel’s core target is over 65: individuals with time to enjoy a leisurely lunch and browse through the retail offerings. Traffic with this group fell off post-pandemic and remains weak. It’s hard to see how the current trajectory leads to better results; the brand’s old-time look and feel is comforting but not likely to resonate with younger consumers or those entering their older years. The problem is that the Cracker Barrel rebrand is becoming political. The former Cracker Barrel imagery was old, rural, traditional, and, for some people, racist. Any move away from that can appear inclusive or woke. In a world with hair-trigger social media and commentators eager to stir up controversy to drive ratings, this is a dangerous area." 

It's hard to tell what logo changes and brand identity changes will stir up controversy (although the debate regarding the Sydney Sweeney jeans ad campaign by American Eagle Outfitters should definitely have been predicted!), however, we live in such a divisive era that brands should conduct more extensive focus groups than ever before to gain insights into possible public reactions. 

QUESTION: MSNBC recently re-branded and became MS NOW. What are your thoughts about this brand identity change? 

DEBBIE LASKEY: The Hollywood Reporter explained, "The MSNBC name is about to be phased out. On August 18, as the news brand preps for a future separated from NBC News, the cable TV stalwart unveiled a new name, logo, and acronym-driven identity: MS NOW, meaning "My Source for News, Opinion and the World." The shift retires a name that was christened in 1996 with the launch of the co-branded partnership between Microsoft and NBC News that carried the MSNBC name. The impetus for the change? NBCUniversal owner Comcast is spinning off most all of its TV channels into a separate publicly traded company, Versant, in a deal that may close this fall. Because of that, the formerly named MSNBC is rebuilding its news outlet for a world in which it doesn’t collaborate directly with NBC News and carry the peacock imagery."

These days, since we have so many outlets for news and information, this one option's rebranding may seem insignificant. However, when a brand changes its name and, in this case, meaning behind its initials, one must wonder about the explanation - and if the "new" version of the outlet will have staying power  

QUESTION: Now turning our attention to leadership. Often, we read about best boss traits. What are two traits of a bad boss, and why are those behaviors so damaging within the workplace? 

DEBBIE LASKEY: Here are two...when leaders think they know everything AND when leaders don't own errors. 

When leaders presume to be the smartest person in the room, they create a toxic workplace because employees are afraid to ask questions and speak up. The best work environment is when leaders acknowledge their own strengths (and weaknesses and/or areas where they can grow and learn) and assemble a team of people with areas of expertise in a variety of areas that enrich theirs. This demonstrates that the leader trusts the team and wants to develop the team as a whole. And also, the room is full of experts - not just one! 

Second, everyone makes mistakes. When a mistake is made, the leader is the top of the food chain - and the error is his/hers/theirs. No one wins if a leader points fingers at the team member who actually made the error - and especially, if the finger-pointing happens in public. 

QUESTION: Do you believe that there are differences between leading for a for-profit versus a nonprofit organization? If yes, what are some differences? 

DEBBIE LASKEY: Leading a for-profit is different than leading a nonprofit. Revenue is the top priority for a for-profit leader (also referred to as KPI's or key performance indicators) while spreading the mission, doing good work, and attracting donors are the top priorities for a nonprofit leader. 

In addition, C-Suites in many large for-profit orgs include experts such as CFO, CIO, CISO, CITO, CMO, and Chief Personnel roles. These don't exist in the nonprofit arena, and as a result, many of these areas of expertise fall to people who end up wearing many hats. One area in particular has not received appropriate attention in the nonprofit arena - due to small budgets – is the marketing function, and as a result, brand awareness campaigns suffer. 

QUESTION: What is the most impactful book about leadership you've read, and why is it your favorite? 

DEBBIE LASKEY: There are so many inspiring leadership books that I'm going to share one that may not appear on the classical leadership lists. It's HOW'S THE CULTURE IN YOUR KINGDOM, Lessons from a Disney Leadership Journey by Dan Cockerell. 

Here are some memorable quotes - and lessons - from the book:

"As leaders, it is within our control and our responsibility to create the right culture for our organizations. It is also the most important thing you can do for the success of those with whom you interact." 

"Find your moral compass. Ask yourself these questions:

  • What do I want to be known for?
  • What do I want people to say about me?
  • What makes me the happiest and fulfilled?
  • Who are the role models I would like to emulate?" 

"Get to know your teammates...send out a worksheet to them asking their favorite songs, movies, food, and more...in order to treat them as individuals and make them feel special." 

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