Once upon a Brand: Part Two

Early on, Amos committed to go with the highest scoring commercial among consumers. It was chance, but it paid off. In addition to print collateral and brand story training, a duck pond was constructed at corporate headquarters. Four Peking ducks live in the one-third-acre pond.

The Aflac duck was voted one of America's favorite icons during the inaugural Advertising Walk of Fame ceremony in NYC. The duck beat out veteran icons such as Ronald McDonald and the Energizer Bunny. The duck will receive its official spot on the walk of fame this year. Also, Aflac recently changed its logo to incorporate the duck, who has several cameo appearances scheduled on the big screen in popular films.

Container Store
The Container Store tells its uncluttered, more space, less stress story in a simple, concise, and consistent form from the store environment, Web presence, product selection, advertising, catalogs, and -- most of all -- through its employees.

Since 1978, this privately held company has experienced tremendous growth. Many industry analysts attribute its success to its investment in brand ambassador training which incorporates every chapter of the Container Store's story. The average retailer invests eight hours of training per year per employee. The Container Store invests 241 hours per employee in the first year.

Silversea Cruises Ltd.
Silversea has a fleet of four intimate cruise vessels that offer five-star service, luxurious accommodations, gourmet food and wine, and a distinct Italian heritage. The company is owned by Italians, the ships were built in Italy, and most of the ship's officers are Italians. "As a result, our story is about authentic 'Intimate Italian Cruising,'" explains Brad Ball, director of corporate communications.

Advertising has been an effective tool in telling the company's brand story. They recently launched a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign that centers around their new "cruise ambassador," Isabella Rossellini. "Selection of the right ambassador is key," Ball says. "Ms. Rossellini portrays the complete essence of our story: elegance, beauty, and luxury adventure."

Public relations also plays a significant role in the communication of the Silversea brand. Through numerous press articles and media interviews published in a wide variety of lifestyle, business, trade, and travel media, they've been able to tell their brand story to a worldwide audience.

"But our most important brand story channel is the actual cruise experience we deliver," Ball says. "Our loyal guests become stewards of our brand. They experience luxury on all touch points and then tell the story around the world."

ShoreBank
ShoreBank, a Chicago-based financial institution, demonstrates daily that a regulated bank can be an environmental partner and instrumental in revitalizing communities no matter what the income or the ethic composition is.

Shorebank has a variety of branding support tools. A Brand Book outlines everything from how to apply the logo correctly to materials to how to use the brand voice, and ways photographs can be styled to showcase the brand. A communications blueprint challenges employees to put all communications (written, verbal, large audiences, and one-on-one) into the context of the brand.

ShoreBank uses two key tactics to tell its story. First, as a triple bottom line company, they look for stories that highlight the three bottom lines: community, the environment, and profitability. Second, while the company takes diligence and research seriously, they rely on their customers to tell the ShoreBank story. In their communications materials, you'll see stories, quotes, and photos of real customers who provide an objective view and lend credibility to their communications.

Kimpton Group
Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants has more than 38 unique hotels, each with its own style, personality, and story -- essentially 38 "Brands of One." The five pillars of the brand, "Care, Comfort, Style, Flavor, and Fun," communicate the promise while the tagline "Every Hotel Tells a Story" communicates the message that each hotel experience will be different.

Niki Leondakis, COO, points out that their organizational brand story initiatives are not purely marketing, but company- and operation-wide. "Steve Pinetti, senior VP of marketing, and I held individual employee meetings at every hotel," Leondakis says. "We presented a custom-made brand video and verbally told our brand story in conjunction with showing our video in small employee groups. We made the session fun and interactive by giving out branded prizes to the participants for telling their own stories about how they have brought our brand to life."

Leondakis continues: "We also run employee break room contests in all of the hotels, offering prizes for the best decorated employee break room illustrating our company's brand pillars as well as their own individual hotel's story. This engaged management and employees in creatively bringing the brand to life in their own way."