Stand up for your brand

Kudos to the Hallmark PR team for participating in a Today Show interview last week regarding their line of cards that address tough health issues, including cancer. But who wouldn’t go on the today show, you ask? Many PR departments and firms spend their entire career trying to get their brand or client on top shows like Oprah, or the Today Show, so why the nod to Hallmark for peddling their products on the well-watched morning show? Because they did the interview knowing that they’d be sitting next to someone who would be openly criticizing their brand and their product decisions the entire time.

In this case, Hallmark’s spokeswoman was flanked by critic (and MSNBC analyst) Steve Adubato, as well as Meredith Viera and Dr. Nancy Schneiderman, Today Show medical correspondent, both of whom clearly supported Hallmark’s position, so perhaps they knew they’d be more insulated. Mr. Adubato is critical of the card line, and essentially bashes the entire greeting card concept, implying that anyone who needs the help of a card to put their sentiments into words is a lesser human being. Get real. Even great writers appreciate a good card to help them celebrate, support or grieve for someone.

Whether you think the cards are tasteful or not, Hallmark wins big here for participating. Many of the very same companies that would give their annual bonuses to be on the Today Show would also cut and run the minute they learned that the opportunity might be anything but a perfectly orchestrated ad for their brand. In doing so, they give their critics the open mic and the story ends very differently. Not only do they miss a major opportunity, they detract from their brand by not standing up for it.

I’m not suggesting that people who work so hard to nurture and protect their brands be foolish or put themselves or their people a position where brand damage is sure to occur. But I am saying that people need to take another look at what it means to be true to your brand and your customers in this day and age. While the days of smoke and mirrors are certainly not over for some companies, consumer tolerance of such opaque marketing strategies is lower than ever. If your product doesn’t do what you say it does, or if you don’t really believe in what your selling enough to talk about it in public, it takes about 15 minutes to be outed online, and if things get bad enough, in traditional media too.

Smart brand advocates know that the best brands stay focused and stick to their guns when it comes to serving their target audience. It’s companies who are so afraid of alienating any one segment of the market, and spend all their time trying to be all things to all people, that end up being inconsequential to everyone.