<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5214b76aecad04bd4a000030-793-594/flag.png?maxX=480" border="0" alt="flag" width="480" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bondomania/2636802659/">Flickr/Bondseye</a></div></div>Like every other marketing-related word or phrase, the term "brand promise" has its fair share of definitions. The one I like best is one that I think captures the essence perfectly for it speaks to the <a href="https://responsys.com/relationship-marketing/what-we-do?cid=70150000000gVwUAAU" target="_blank">relationship</a> marketing aspect.
It was written by <a href="http://cattlelogos.com/about.html" target="_blank">Jean Wilcox</a>, one of the authors of the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/AbuLLards-ABCs-Branding-Jane-Cameron/dp/0974561207" target="_blank">AbuLLard's ABC's of Branding</a>: "A brand promise is the statement that you make to customers that identifies what they should expect for all interactions with your people, products, services and company. It is often associated with the company name and/or logo."
Wilcox also believes a brand promise is also the tagline for a given brand - and she's right.
Case in point:
<ul>
<li>Coors Light – “The World’s Most Refreshing Beer”</li>
<li>Geico – “15 Minutes Or Less Can Save You 15% Or More On Car Insurance”</li>
<li>Nationwide Insurance – “Nationwide Is On Your Side”</li>
</ul>
Three classic examples of a brand promise and tagline doing the same thing.
The Promised Land
With a not-so-indirect homage to The Boss, what happens when a brand promise backfires? Well, there may or may not be a "dark cloud rising from the desert floor" but, it can cause damage to the brand itself for sure.
Remember a few years ago when the whole News Corp. brand promise took a major blow? It's promise was to legally investigate and report news and a phone-hacking scandal and questionable journalistic activities did not exactly deliver on that promise now did it?
The brand's actions had a direct impact and effect on its brand promise.
Not long ago I became aware of a restaurant in New York city called Sushi Yasuda which made headlines when they announced they would no longer accept tips from its patrons.
To me this had red flags written all over it.
How great that you no longer have to worry about how much to leave your server.
Sure sounded like a good idea from a consumer's perspective.
Or did it?
And then there was the marketing perspective.
Shouldn't a restaurant's brand promise have something to do with providing not only great foot but great service? And inherent in that great service are the people delivering that service; that experience.
How would their attitude change knowing they are not receiving a gratuity? <img class="mceWPnextpage" src="http://blogs.forbes.com/steveolenski/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" border="0" title="Next page..." /> <a href="http://about.me/juliacarcamo" target="_blank">Julia Carcamo</a>, a brand strategist with a number of years of experience in developing food and beverage <keyword id="31174" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="brands">brands</keyword> ranging from fine dining to casino buffets says what while the prospect of making a dining experience easier on a guest is always exciting, eliminating tipping seems to be a quick way to fail at delivering on a promise of great service.
And it all comes down to the people delivering on that promise.
"Like most brands, the rubber hits the road at the point of guest contact," she said. "You have to hire the people that will deliver on the promise, knowing that promise is even bigger now that you've taken the guests' ability to determine whether their experience was worth a tip and how much it was worth."
<a href="https://twitter.com/jantalamo" target="_blank">Jan Talamo</a>, who is partner in the award-winning restaurant <a href="http://catelliduo.com/" target="_blank">Catelli Duo</a> (and as CCO of the ad agency Star Group knows a thing or two about marketing/advertising), agrees with Carcamo in that this idea is novel and would generate buzz.
However he doesn't believe it's practical for the everyday establishment.
"I believe it would border on entitlement and service would suffer," said Talamo. "There's something about tipping that keeps it honest and everybody striving to deliver the best guest experience."
He adds that tipping plays a role in performance appraisals of employees.
"At the end of the day the amount written in the gratuity line of the check doesn't lie. From an operators standpoint, we have technology that rates each server by the amount of gratuity they register, hence, another metric to gauge guest satisfaction and server performance."
Laying Down The Law
Carolyn Richmond is a partner in the law firm <a href="http://www.foxrothschild.com/" target="_blank">Fox Rothschild LLP</a>. She is co-chair of their Hospitality Practice Group which represents and counsels employers in the hospitality industry, specifically restaurants.
She too agrees that an official ‘no tipping’ policy isn’t necessarily a bad idea. She thinks the answer lies in our state legislatures and Congress revising the wage and hour laws and addressing the epidemic of abusive litigation.
"Eliminating tipping is not a final solution, and what lies at the root of this issue are archaic laws that are on the books," she says. "We have different needs than in 1938. The wage and hourly laws need to be changed with A-to-Z reform."
Named one of the <a href="http://www.socialtechnologyreview.com/articles/top-100-influencers-social-media" target="_blank">Top 100 Influencers In Social Media</a> (#41) by Social Technology Review and a <a href="http://topsmbloggers.kred.com/" target="_blank">Top 50 Social Media Blogger</a> by Kred, <a href="http://thesteveozone.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Steve Olenski</a> is a senior creative content strategist at <a href="https://www.responsys.com/?cid=70150000000g94bAAA" target="_blank" title="responsys">Responsys</a>, a leading global provider of on-demand email and cross-channel marketing solutions. He is a also a member of the Editorial Board for the <a href="http://www.henrystewartpublications.com/jdsm" target="_blank">Journal of Digital &amp; Social Media Marketing</a> and co-author of the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/StumbleUpon-For-Dummies-Computer-Tech/dp/1118505336" target="_blank">StumbleUpon For Dummies</a>. He can be reached via <a href="https://twitter.com/steveolenski" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/steveolenski" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> or <a href="mailto:solenski@responsys.com">Email</a>.

A Brand Promise That Backfires Can Do Serious Damage

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5201095f69bedda525000007-785-589/jaws-the-revenge-1.png?maxX=480" border="0" alt="jaws the revenge" width="480" />Flickr/tohoscope</div></div>By now you know of my love affair - or is it an addiction? - with pop culture. Anytime I can infuse, imbue and inculcate it into any digital <a href="https://www.responsys.com/new-school-marketing?cid=70150000000g94gAAA" target="_blank">marketing</a>, <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> or branding topic, rest assured I will. So listen up brand managers, brand marketers and all those in the digital <keyword id="6354839" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="marketing">marketing</keyword> and all other marketing realms.
And see just what Jaws, brand managers and consumers have in common.
The year was 1987.
While many of us were trying to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWP-AsG5DRk" target="_blank">Walk Like An Egyptian</a>, one among us was seeking revenge. Revenge on a creature so feared, so terrifying as to cause mass exodus from both a movie theater AND an ocean at the same time.
Why was this one person seeking revenge on such a vile beast?
Because this time... it was personal.
And much like Ellen Brody before them, marketers and advertisers need to realize that to defeat their beast, as it were, they need to get personal - for when a brand establishes a personal affinity and delivers a personalized experience to a consumer, all is well in the world.
The findings of a recent survey from <a href="https://www.responsys.com/?cid=70150000000g94bAAA" target="_blank">Responsys</a> (full disclosure: my employer) and <a href="http://www.ipsos-na.com/" target="_blank">Ipsos</a> bear this out.
The headline in the press release says it all:
The Consumer Has Spoken: Personalized Marketing Inspires Positivity Towards <keyword id="31174" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="brands">Brands</keyword> 
As you will see <a href="http://www.business2community.com/branding/what-jaws-brand-managers-and-consumers-have-in-common-0574246">in this infographic</a>, the results are pretty telling and should really come as no surprise. As Scott Olrich, President, Marketing and Platform at Responsys says, it's all about the "R" word.
“Today, in the relationship era of marketing, marketers are realizing that they can in fact orchestrate relevant and targeted experiences at scale across multiple channels, and that this more sophisticated approach can have the greatest long-term impact on the success of their programs," said Olrich.
Alexandra Braunstein, Senior Marketing Manager at <a href="http://www.xogroupinc.com/the-knot-inc-company.aspx">XO Group Inc.</a>, a global media and technology company says the onus falls squarely on those developing and implementing the campaigns, AKA those in the marketing chairs.
"Consumers are demanding more personalized relationships with their favorite brands," said Braunstein "So as marketers we must provide our customers with the most relevant content at the right moment throughout the customer journey.”
Here's some of the key findings, which are also reflected <a href="http://www.business2community.com/branding/what-jaws-brand-managers-and-consumers-have-in-common-0574246">in the infographic</a>:
<ul>
<li>Sixty-one percent of U.S. consumers feel more positive about a brand when marketing messages are personalized.</li>
<li>Nearly half (44 percent) of consumers are less responsive to non-personalized or “mass-marketing” messages.</li>
<li>More than half (53 percent) are more likely to purchase when a brand personalizes digital communications.</li>
<li>More than half (52 percent) trust brands that enable consumers to share their marketing preferences more than brands that do not.</li>
</ul>
So clearly the operative word in all this is of course: Personal. <img src="http://blogs.forbes.com/steveolenski/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Next page..." /> But there are other highly pertinent and relevant words that carry a lot of weight - or at least they better with marketers.
Those words are "positive, trust, cross channel."
Anytime you can glean a positive feeling among consumers AND establish a sense of trust with them, you darn well better be doing it. And you better be doing it at every turn, AKA every channel you market them to.
Ok, so now you know what Jaws, brand managers and consumers have in common.
And don't tell me you've never seen Jaws: The Revenge.
You know you have.
Named one of the <a href="http://www.socialtechnologyreview.com/articles/top-100-influencers-social-media" target="_blank">Top 100 Influencers In Social Media</a> (#41) by Social Technology Review and a <a href="http://topsmbloggers.kred.com/" target="_blank">Top 50 Social Media Blogger</a> by Kred, <a href="http://thesteveozone.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Steve Olenski</a> is a senior creative content strategist at <a href="https://www.responsys.com/?cid=70150000000g94bAAA" target="_blank" title="responsys">Responsys</a>, a leading global provider of on-demand email and cross-channel marketing solutions. He is a also a member of the Editorial Board for the <a href="http://www.henrystewartpublications.com/jdsm" target="_blank">Journal of Digital &amp; Social Media Marketing</a> and co-author of the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/StumbleUpon-For-Dummies-Computer-Tech/dp/1118505336" target="_blank">StumbleUpon For Dummies</a>. He can be reached via <a href="https://twitter.com/steveolenski" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/steveolenski" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> or <a href="mailto:solenski@responsys.com">Email</a>.

'Jaws' Contains An Amazing Message For Marketers

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52713b78eab8ea1668fb295e-1000-750/hand-chalkboard-sap.jpg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="hand chalkboard SAP" width="480" />Shutterstock</div></div>This post is sponsored by <a href="http://www.sap.com/index.epx#" target="_blank">SAP</a>.
<a href="http://www.sap.com/index.epx#" target="_blank"></a>The rise of social media, big data, and the cloud, combined with the widespread use of mobile technology, are revolutionizing our understanding of what <keyword id="50752" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Networks">networks</keyword> are - and what they can do for us.
Networks are reaching beyond corporate walls to help solve global problems.
They're <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/portland-green-city-infographic-2013-3" target="_blank">building smart cities</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/biomimicrynyc-design-materials-and-architecture-inspired-by-nature-2013-3" target="_blank">managing energy</a> and other precious resources better, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sc/rescue-workers-use-cloud-to-save-lives-2013-10" target="_blank">helping Aid organizations </a>provide faster and more effective disaster relief.
"Networks today are transforming business as dramatically as assembly lines did 100 years ago," <a href="http://sapgamechangersradio.com/radiocasts/technology/2013/03/business-networks-social/" target="_blank">according to Tim Minahan</a>, senior vice president of network strategy and chief marketing officer for Ariba. Although initially aimed at simply increasing efficiency, business networks are increasingly providing insights that enable greater collaboration, better customer service, and more informed decision-making.
"With the advent of mobility and big data, there are a lot more networks and they are connected at a much lower level in the organization," <a href="http://sapgamechangersradio.com/radiocasts/technology/2013/03/business-networks-social/" target="_blank">says Quentin Fisher</a> of CSC, "which allows companies to be much more agile and adaptive."
<h2>Why Are Businesses Going Social?</h2>
People spend many of their waking hours with other members of their global tribe of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances, and they share information and opinions about everything that interests them.
Businesses are joining that conversation in increasing numbers, too. These include many Fortune 500 companies, as Steve Olenski, senior creative content strategist at Responsys, <a href="http://blogs.sap.com/innovation/sales-marketing/is-the-social-media-slumber-finally-over-for-big-brands-0300173" target="_blank">recently reported</a>. Companies are trying to figure out how to make stronger, deeper and more creative connections with consumers and other businesses.
<h2>How Will The Internet Of Things Change The World?</h2>
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sc/internet-of-things-sap-infographic-2013-7" target="_blank">The Internet of Things</a>, which is sometimes called Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, is making it possible for us to create dynamic connections between everyday objects such as our home appliances, thermostats, cars, and smartphones - giving us more integrated, fluid and convenient lifestyles.
But the Internet of Things isn't only about warming up your house remotely when you're on your way home or having your refrigerator tell you when you're low on milk.
What if a heart patient's pacemaker could send an alert to her mobile phone, and notify her doctor if there were a problem, such as a low battery?
<h2>Defining The <keyword id="1737939" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Future-Of-Business">Future Of Business</keyword> Networks</h2>
The diversity and complexity of today's networks, their convergence to form new connections between people and things, and their power to change lives and transform businesses, are increasing at a breathtaking rate. And companies everywhere are racing to catch up.
People from the executive suite to the factory floor are seeing how networks are changing the face of industry, and they want to understand how they can harness the power of networks to help them grow and improve their business. Increasingly, these conversations are taking place across all industries and all lines of business - and they are critical to the future of business.
- Adapted from a post written by <a href="http://blogs.sap.com/innovation/author/jimfields" target="_blank">Jim Fields</a> for the <a href="http://blogs.sap.com/innovation/cloud-computing/conversations-future-business-power-networks-0463795" target="_blank">SAP Business Innovation</a> blog.
To join the conversation on the future of business and the changing workplace, check out <a href="http://www.sap.com/campaign/na/usa/CRM-US13-CRP-2HFORHPE/index.html" target="_blank">SAP.com/conversations</a>.
Find out <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sponsor-posts">more about Sponsor Posts.</a>

Networks Are Revolutionizing Our World - And It's As Big A Deal As The Assembly Line 100 Years Ago

Marketers and advertisers the world over are constantly trying to find the "next big thing." The one thing that will allow them to stand out from the crowd. Back in the day of course it was TV, radio and direct mail or email for example. Then came the digital revolution and <a href="https://www.responsys.com/mobile-marketing?cid=70150000000g92aAAA" target="_blank" title="responsys">mobile</a> marketing and <a href="https://www.responsys.com/social-marketing?cid=70150000000g92zAAA" target="_blank" title="responsys">social media</a> marketing took center stage - and rightly so.
Today, it's content marketing.
While all the aforementioned mediums remain and always will be key players in any <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/integrated-marketing-communications-then-and-now-2012-6" target="_blank">integrated marketing communications</a> campaign, clearly content marketing is the next big thing - at least for right now.
And a major tool in the content marketing arsenal may be one that many of you have heard of and visited, but perhaps have not used to date - <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">SlideShare</a>.
As per their own site, <keyword id="1037643" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="SlideShare">SlideShare</keyword> is " the world's largest community for sharing presentations. With 60 million monthly visitors and 130 million page views, it is amongst the most visited 200 websites in the world." SlideShare has also been referred to as "the world's largest professional content sharing community."<img src="http://blogs.forbes.com/marketshare/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" border="0" alt="" title="More..." />
I would say that's pretty accurate given the impressive numbers re: visitors, page views and so on, wouldn't you?
So with all this going for it, SlideShare seems to be an incredibly valuable tool for marketers, brand managers, etc., the world over. I decided I needed to get some expert advice for not only myself but for all of you for this tool is truly something I believe we all should be using to some extent.<img class="alignright" src="http://www.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/slidesharelogo1.jpg" border="0" alt="Image" width="383" height="132" style="float: right;" />
I reached out to my friend, <a href="https://twitter.com/davidbrier" target="_blank">David Brier</a> who is an award-winning brand specialist consulting small-to-medium sized companies and cities as well as a Fast Company expert blogger. In addition to his controversial blog posts, David incorporates his native New York City candor to <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/brierman" target="_blank">his various SlideShare presentations</a> that have in total exceeded 200,000 views across the globe.
Two of his presentations have each recently surpassed the 70,000 views milestone. The first one is “<a href="http://www.slideshare.net/brierman/whats-killing-your-brand-darker-alt-2" target="_blank">What’s Killing Your Brand (and how to kill it before it kills you)</a>” (over 80,000 as of this writing) while the newer presentation, “<a href="http://www.slideshare.net/brierman/5-ways-to-create-a-brand-people-give-a-sht-about-rb" target="_blank">Why is it so hard to create a brand anybody gives a sh*t about?</a>” reached 70,000 views in 10 days.
Clearly if anyone can help marketers and brands understand just how to use SlideShare to its fullest it's someone like David.
So I reached out to him to pick his brain.
SO: Why is SlideShare so important for brands and marketers?
DB: SlideShare is pretty unrivaled in being targeted to professionals seeking content and information whereas YouTube is essentially for video entertainment. SlideShare is a great resource, but more importantly, businesses can use SlideShare to get its message out in a venue that is already primed for and seeking information, insight and useful strategies.
SO: What are some Do's when it comes to SlideShare?
DB: Here are a few guidelines I use:
<ul>
<li>Show more. Talk less. (<a href="http://www.slideshare.net/sprinklr/best-practices-from-the-worlds-most-social-big-brands-16374417" target="_blank">this presentation</a> violates this)</li>
<li>When in doubt, trim the fat.</li>
<li>State the problem early on or forget it.</li>
<li>The problem needs to be a “big picture” type of trend.</li>
<li>Then you can talk about the solution.</li>
<li>The solution cannot be “you” but it can be a strategy, a method, an approach</li>
<li>Contest (or slaughter) a sacred cow. Pick one. Your opening has to have some big bang, or go home, so slaughtering a sacred cow is a good way to start.</li>
<li>It’s been reported that 45% of the presentations on SlideShare have 10-30 slides with an average of 24 words per slide.</li>
<li>I leverage the presentation by embedding them in posts I write for Fast Company and my own blog.</li>
</ul>
SO: What are some Don'ts when it comes to SlideShare?
DB: Some of the things I try to avoid doing:
<ul>
<li>Never resorting to using the stock photography and imagery that everyone under the sun also uses.</li>
<li>Forgetting it’s the audience whose interest I must serve.</li>
<li>Using too many words to say something that could be said in less words.</li>
<li>Not including enough humorous points that show the author has some insight (which is my way of rewarding them for showing up and looking at the presentation)</li>
<li>Don’t make it a shameless self-promo piece, or if you do, it better be:</li>
</ul>
<ol><ol>
<li>Funny</li>
<li>Self-effacing and</li>
<li>Able to poke fun at itself or its reason for being</li>
</ol></ol>
<div>
SO: Are there any myths about SlideShare that you think are out there that would like to clear up?<a href="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/marketshare/files/2013/02/myth-vs-truth.jpg"><img class="alignright" src="http://www.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/myth-vs-truth-300x2301.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="240" height="184" style="float: right;" /></a>
A: That the people viewing these are not an important part of your influence in the world. One important myth is how SlideShare can be used.
It is a blank canvas so just as brands have turned YouTube into a vehicle for their brand, the same could be done on SlideShare. It’s a wide open channel that could truly be revolutionized and I see that happening.
Plus with their new Send Tracker service, you can see how people engaged with a presentation, thus providing analytics for the content. <img src="http://blogs.forbes.com/marketshare/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Next page..." /> 
SO: What are some examples of brands who are currently using SlideShare correctly?
DB: While SlideShare is built for a B2B environment, here are some observations.
<ul>
<li>Quite a few resorts and hotels are taking advantage of SlideShare such as The Palms Hotel and Spa - Miami Beach Spa who basically took the presentation and made it into a <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/palmshotel/the-palms-hotel-and-spa-miami-beach-spa?ref=http://socialfresh.com/5-companies-using-slideshare-to-increase-brand-awareness/" target="_blank">mini-brochure</a>.</li>
<li>Believe it or not, Disney has quite a few presentations that show different sides to the company.</li>
<li>IBM, in partnership with SlideShare, created the first ever Expert Channel last fall where IBMers' presentations are curated and made available around topics related to industry, technology, conferences, software, hardware, cloud and more.</li>
<li>Another great example is author Seth Godin, who has used SlideShare very well.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Ok so there you have it.
Some great advice from a SlideShare expert.
Do you currently use SlideShare?
How do you think a marketer or brand can best benefit from a tool like SlideShare?
Image Source: Google Images
Named one of the <a href="http://www.socialtechnologyreview.com/articles/top-100-influencers-social-media" target="_blank">Top 100 Influencers In Social Media</a> (#41) by Social Technology Review and a <a href="http://topsmbloggers.kred.com/" target="_blank">Top 50 Social Media Blogger</a> by Kred, <a href="http://thesteveozone.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Steve Olenski</a> is a senior content strategist at <a href="https://www.responsys.com/?cid=70150000000g94bAAA" target="_blank" title="responsys">Responsys</a>, a leading global provider of on-demand email and cross-channel marketing solutions and a member of the Editorial Board for the <a href="http://www.henrystewartpublications.com/jdsm" target="_blank">Journal of Digital &amp; Social Media Marketing</a>.
</div>
</div>

You Searched For "Steve Olenski" and got 4 results

A Brand Promise That Backfires Can Do Serious Damage

Steve Olenski

'Jaws' Contains An Amazing Message For Marketers

Steve Olenski

Networks Are Revolutionizing Our World - And It's As Big A Deal As The Assembly Line 100 Years Ago

Sponsor Post

SlideShare Is The Quiet Giant Of Content Marketing

Steve Olenski