By Abe KasboSo Wal-Mart is changing it’s logo I hear. So what? It’s part of a huge reputation repair job. According to Marketing Daily, Wal-Mart’s first revamp of the logo since 1992 comes as the retailer continues to tweak its image after facing criticism from union-led groups and local communities across the nation opposed to big-box store developments. In the time since, Wal-Mart has launched a marketing campaign highlighting its environmentally focused practices and efforts to make health care more affordable for customers through a discounted prescription drug program.”Wal-Mart’s got it right. Managing its reputation is good for its business. Wal-Mart will continue to try to convince people that “what’s good for Wal-Mart is good for America.”  Years of bad press, Wal-Mart Watch campaigns, and local protests have given Wal-Mart some things to thing about, like how to be survive and thrive despite its reputation.  Companies like Wal-Mart really need to think about engaging the market in the following ways:1. Become A Consumer Advocate - Deliver information to the market place to help consumers and key decision makers understand why doing business with your company makes a measurable difference in their daily lives. Wal-Mart’s tag line “Live Better. Save Money” did not spare the company from mass criticism here and abroad even though the tagline conveys “everything” that Wal-Mart would like us to know as consumers.2. Tell the Truth - In everything you do, be forthright with the marketplace. Consumer confidence right now is low because of the economic climate, but anecdotal evidence also suggests that consumers are tired of being lied-to. From Enron, to the sub-prime melt-down, there’s only so people can take. And confidence in your business is not something that can be repaired with a press release or key marketing messages.3. Use Open Mediums - That means the internet. Get your message into the hands of consumer crusaders who can light a fire under your campaigns and get the message out quickly and efficiently.  4. Be Prompt and Aggressive -  An attack on your reputation should be viewed as an attack on your core business. In 1982, Johnson & Johnson faced such an attack when the Tylenol murders happened. Tylenol’s market share collapsed from about 35% to about 8%, but rebounded in less than a year because J&J was upfront and out front of the situation. It controlled the message and introduced the capsules in triple sealed bottles to gain the public’s confidence.  Soon after, Tylenol regained its market leading position. So, being in business means that your reputation is on the line every day. And with the internet, your brand is really in the hands of other people. So controlling your reputation and brand comes down to how well you are prepared to engage the markets - for as long as it takes.  

The cavemen and the duck, and the duck with Yogi Berra are as synonomus as Nike’s tagline or swoosh. How do insurers produce some of the best commercial? I mean we’re talking about boring ol’ insurance here.  GEICO & AFLAC.  These guys not only managed to make marketing and selling insurance fun, but they got it so far into the culture that GEICO’s cavemen actually, though ill-fated, made to their own prime-time network TV show.  Both of these companies’ regular everyday television commercials pass for other companies’ Superbowl ads.  The main thing that these wildly successful campaigns have achieved, from my point of view, is engagement. They’re fun, memorable, and simple.  

Other insurers are now trying their hands at engagement, through different means. Take for example Liberty Mutual’s Responsibility Project.  This web based film and blog is also a forum that invites people to view and submit their own stories about people doing things for strangers.  The web portion was started because Liberty Mutual received such an overwhelming response to its TV commercials. And now it’s using a website to come full circle and engage these folks…and how do they drive the website? Advertising.  Liberty Mutual allocates a portion of its advertising to promoting this site.   So what can we learn from these guys?Engage the market - Engaging the market through humor, genuine emotion, sports, or even appealing to humanity’s finer attributes.  It’s finding the sweet spot in your message and executing campaign with the right media mix.Enjoy this “caveman” commercial.

Little Falls, New Jersey – June 9, 2008 – Verasoni Worldwide’s 30 second television spot for Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille has been nominated for 19th Annual Aegis Awards competition. The Aegis Awards is one of the oldest and most respected video/film production contests in the United States. The Aegis Awards is the only competition that features true peer judging by fellow producers, directors, cameramen, editors, and other professionals who work in the video/film industry every day.

“We were fortunate enough to win last year, and this year’s award competition should prove quite exciting because some of the best in the business are represented. We’re humbled by this and are extremely proud, especially for our client, Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille” said Abe Kasbo, CEO of Verasoni Worldwide.

Winners will be announced mid to late July. To view the commercial visit http://www.rodssteak.com/tvspot.html.