The future needs a tagline.   I’m not talking about the “seeable” future, the readily predictable one where life doesn’t change that much and we raise our kids best we know how and continue spoiling our grandchildren – that’s easy to visualize.  It’s the vague, fuzzy one I’m talking about, the future that's been struggling to break out and declare itself for so many years, the slightly discomfiting one we can’t quite put our collective fingers on, the one the yammering class discusses so endlessly, sometimes without a clue.  When that future finally knocks on our door, how will we describe it?

Clearly, the future of personal flying craft swooping through soaring cities, as illustrated in Popular Science years ago, did not happen.  Nor did a world free of pollution, war and hate, bad germs, disease, distasteful hairdos, foul breath and other toxic things.  But who could have imagined a “personal” computer of such incredible power?  Or a “smart” phone that that (almost) works everywhere, as Issac Asimov predicted in 1964 (http://www.openculture.com/2014/01/isaac-asimov-predicts-what-the-world-will-look-in-2014.html) – and takes pictures of astonishing quality that you can send to friends down the block or around the world on something called the Internet.  Arthur C. Clarke also nailed that prediction 50 years ago.  (http://www.openculture.com/2011/09/arthur_c_clarke_looks_into_the_future_1964.html)

I recall consulting to a firm 25 years or so ago whose business it was to predict the future.  My assignment was helping them describe their benefits to corporate prospects.  They had quite the impressive place, with lots of marble, glass, sneaky lighting, far-out sculptures and minimalist appointments. They also had a clutch of Ph.D.s hard at work (it seemed) trying to out think one another – in hope of impressing prospective clients who had the curiosity (and the cash) to pony up for the firm’s take on the future.

Their main product was something called scenario planning, a technique developed by Royal Dutch Shell to consider how a small handful of alternative futures might affect their business.  Scenarios included the most predictable one (more of the same, just incremental change), one based on crisis-level fuel shortages or some other hugely disruptive event, another featuring global chaos created by the bad guys of the moment (9-11 was years in the future) and finally a wild card, anything goes scenario. It was a good way to get clients thinking that the future is likely to be unpredictable and they’d better get busy planning for something different than what they’ve got.  In other words, allow yourself to wonder over your company’s far horizon in a disciplined (and expensive) sort of way.

Of course, their predictions were all made before the Internet (which likely helped drive them out of business), during a time when the future appeared a whole lot less threatening and didn’t seem to advance as relentlessly as it does now. 

Consider changes happening today, at least as I note them:

• rising geopolitical uncertainty around the world (maybe even including the Arctic)
• our country in decline (some say) especially in military preparedness and space exploration
  
• a burgeoning -- and increasingly more competitive -- China
• China and North Korea intentionally stirring the East Asian pot
• a restive Russia, led by the relentless Mr. Putin
• the sadness and human tragedy that is Syria
• continuing unrest in the Mideast, driven by religious extremism and restless youth
  
• the rise of non-nation state actors with peace in mind -- but only on their terms
• immigration indigestion in Western Europe and North America
  
• the fear of terrorism still lurking in our bones
• cyber-warfare, including potential electrical grid sabotage and loss of our food distribution system
• pervasive refusal to consider both the short- and long-term impact of petroleum-driven “progress”
• economic uncertainty, especially ramifications of a declining U.S. dollar
• a schizophrenic economy (the market way up but without much street level growth)
• disruptive and discouraging political bifurcation, at both the state and national levels
• tepid leadership that seems to lack a constructive vision cut from whole cloth
• the refusal of both left and right to release climate change from its political bondage
• a dramatically shifting workforce, with more losers than winners
• a public education system that often  appears more focused on survival than success
• capitalism that too frequently seems un-anchored from the common good
• too much super-scale retailing at the expense of small businesses and their communities
• the idolatry of celebrity worship, while occupations with greater potential value are devalued
• the bottomless pit of "popular" entertainment and runaway consumerism
• increased personal isolation brought on by the rapid growth of social media
• creeping societal change, ever lapping at the shores of our minds
• a sometimes notion that we in the U.S. are largely isolated from it all.

The countless good news stories (mostly personal, largely local) pale by comparison to the big overarching issues.  Even at everyday level, the treasured notion of apple-pie-red-white-and-blue-opportunity-for-all in the US of A seems to have vanished in so much doubt and haze, witness the ascent of an ultra-class of high achievers while the middle class contracts and whole swaths of society become marginalized as technology and indifference kick them to the curb.  In the face of all that, it sometimes seems as if God himself has taken more time off than we might prefer.

So how might we gaze into such a perilous future and – with our limited vision, come up with a tagline to describe it, enlarge our thinking and help guide our progress as the years unfold?  I have a couple of suggestions – for example, the concept I came up with for the scenario planning firm a generation ago was, “The future: a moving target that changes as you act on it.”  It still is, and it still does. 

Consider these two taglines -- do they even begin to put a finger on the magnitude of change we are facing?

The Future: More Surprising Than You Can Even Imagine! 

The Future: Dream Big … Plan for Disruption and Opportunity!

Usually I’m not much on exclamation points, but using them here seems appropriate when contemplating the future we face these days.  What do you think?    Your thoughts and criticism welcome.

Takeaway:  The future is always different than you imagine, so approach it imaginatively.  Expect significant, unanticipated change when planning business strategy and turn it into opportunity.

Came across a challenging article today about how poorly health care has been branded in this country – not the prematurely named Affordable Care Act, as you might think, but what could be thought of as modern medicine’s opposite number: so-called alternative health care.

Kevin Burke, writing on mediapost.com (Botched Health Care Branding, December 16, 2013), claims “there's a big marketing and branding problem in the U.S.” – in what is most often called “alternative medicine … Natural Health, Integrative Health … Holistic Health”, etc.  The very term alternative, Burke suggests, “points to the branding issue.”

He correctly identifies the problem as “one of marketing.” Consider the stronger, more invasive words we use to frame so-called Western medicine:  doctors, nurses, surgeries, drugs, hospitals, emergency rooms, ambulances, MRIs, scalpels, etc.  And the softer terms that frame more “natural” approaches, some of which have been around for thousands of years compared to less than 250 years for more “modern” techniques: traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, dietary interventions, meditation, herbs and vitamins, massage, acupuncture, reflexology and chiropractic treatment. 

If brand is “experience writ large,” as I have suggested elsewhere, why hasn’t the part of medicine that focuses on the prevention of illness told a better story, the the story of medicine that treats the entire person rather than merely the part in immediate distress, the one that focuses primarily on causes rather than symptoms and that largely presents minimally-invasive, non-toxic and more “natural” health care choices to the patient?

I suggest that part of the reason is that Western medicine by its very nature is more dramatic.  The drama inherent in fixing broken bodies (especially related to newsworthy trauma) is infinitely more compelling, say, than being given a homeopathic remedy.  It’s hard to picture a TV drama featuring a homeopath – unless some regular point of conflict or romance is added, say between her and the M.D. down the hall. 

Burke, in his article, does not try to “suggest that modern Western medicine should be pushed aside, or that alternative medicine is appropriate for all health issues," and I agree.  "But it sure seems that when it comes to people's health choices in the U.S., the scales have tipped far in one direction, thanks to powerful marketing by the newcomer and poor marketing by the incumbent.”  Of course, the media has come on board with the  establishment in a big way and has so fixed “medical science” in the public mind that the majority of us can hardly contemplate seeking an acupuncture treatment to help ease the way for childbirth or asking a chiropractor to soothe our chronically aching backs, even though both techniques have consistently proven helpful to many people. 

Like Burke, I can’t offer a solution to so deeply entrenched a marketing problem by suggesting a few incisive words – such as calling the age-old techniques “traditional medicine” and the practices dramatized on ER every week “non-traditional”.  So alternative medicine is likely to remain an also-ran in the 21st century mind, relegated to a reputation as pseudoscience, or at best, considered a mere complement to “regular” medicine, principally because of the words that have been so carefully chosen to describe it over time -- by the opposition.

Takeaway:  The words you use to describe who you are and what you represent should be strong and to the point, leaving no doubt that you offer the clear and compelling choice, now and in the future.    
© Brian E. Faulkner 2013

Tags: health care, branding, Affordable Care Act, alternative health care, health choices, traditional medicine.

Those of us of a certain vintage will recall the middle ‘50s when American automobile design took a giant step toward the jet age with Chrysler Corporation’s introduction of a styling theme across its line of Plymouths, Dodges, DeSotos and Chryslers: The Forward Look.  The effect was immediate and electric, and among us neighborhood pre-teens, it was topic #1 of conversation.

From front end to taillights, along the chrome-trimmed two-tone (and even three-tone) side panels and up over the wraparound “New Horizon” windshield, the styling was swept back, raked like the wings of the F-86 Sabre, the jet fighter that recently had whipped so many MiG-15s in Korean War dogfights.  The cars didn’t actually have wings, but it was easy to imagine they did.  Both in terms of styling and surprisingly brisk performance, these innovative new models appeared to have absolutely nothing in common with their predecessors, cars that had been “new” just a year before.  Compared to the ‘55s, the ’54s looked like frumpy old shoes, the kind my tottering (but oh so nice) fifth grade teacher used to wear.  The ’55 models also sported nascent tail fins, a design cue that would grow to absurd heights in subsequent models.   

My view of The Forward Look launch was from the inside of a Dodge-Plymouth dealership where my dad worked.   The new cars were kept hidden in the shop ‘til announcement day.  And when they were unveiled, people lined up in unprecedented numbers to buy them.  Even the cheapest model of the least expensive Plymouth line -- base price around $1,700 -- looked great compared to the ‘54s.  Our penny-pinching neighbor bought a black-and-white one with a three-speed manual shift on the column, no radio, black wall tires and a boring six cylinder engine instead of a V8; as I recall, even a heater was optional back then.  But his car looked great, especially compared to our family's ride, a blocky 1950 Dodge Coronet my brothers and I called The Green Giant.

Ford and Chevrolet also turned out stylish new models in 1955, but theywere upstaged by The Forward Look, at least in the public eye.  As a result, Plymouth production soared 52% in 1955.  Dodge production grew a phenomenal 76%.  Ford increased as well, up 25%.  And Chevy made 49% more cars in 1955, although it must be noted that more Chevrolet- and Ford-badged models were sold that year than individual Chrysler models, which was true before and after 1955 until they finally were dethroned by the Japanese for the first time in June of 2008.  The 1955 Fords and Chevys also were much better looking than their previous models (both have become classics) but were not as dramatically styled as Chrysler's cars.

The Forward Look positioned Chrysler Corporation for a strong run against its competitors, but grievous quality and design missteps, especially in 1957 and 1958 (driven by the need to change body styles every year and need to make more cars that they were accustomed to), would diminish Chrysler's fortunes in the years ahead, and by the early 1960s, The Forward Look had pretty much fizzled out.  But while it lasted, it was a huge success – and great fun. 

Takeaway:  If you come up with a design innovation as set apart as the Forward Look, you can help drive sales with a compelling, memorable tagline – one that completely captures and extends your competitive advantage.   Just don't lose sight of quality in your rush to meet demand.

For an entertaining trip down memory lane, check out this retro commercial for The Forward Look.

What can a law firm do to stand out in an era of increased competition? How can they swim out of the sea of law firm sameness, set themselves apart and attract more of the clients they want (clients they truly can help), without falling into jargon or using airless words like “performance” and “quality” and “our people make the difference”?   

Permanently differentiating yourself these days means getting your words right, especially the words that describe your firm’s added value in a compelling and authentic way, whether the words are formed into a tagline and/or become the key message that informs every business communication you make, from exploratory conversations with a prospect to summarizing the long-term value of your work after their case is complete.  To take a strategic leap beyond making ever more phone calls and shaking ever more hands, the progressive law firm (no less than other professional firms) must develop a Key Message to set their practice apart in an immediate and beneficial way that rings a bell with their future clients.

An outstanding Key Messaging example is provided by Merchant & Gould, a Minneapolis-based intellectual property firm.  Two years ago, they set about developing a new tagline and – as you might imagine – went about the task with energy, discipline and a sense of curiosity, looking first for clues in their more than 100 years of experience in counsel and litigation, which includes a creative and inventive approach to often complex client issues and opportunities, deep knowledge across many technical disciplines, extraordinary passion for their work and a consistent success record that has forged lasting, mutually beneficial client relationships.  And that was just the beginning of their thought process.

“We looked around at other firms’ taglines,” says Director of Marketing Gretchen Milbrath.  “And we found that most firms were using variations of the same generic words.”

After two months of study and deliberation, the firm decided on a compelling, four-word tagline that applied to all aspects of their practice: Guardians of Great Ideas.  It worked for the counsel side, where Merchant & Gould attorneys help clients guard their great ideas -- ranging from individual inventors and emerging companies to universities, venture capitalists and Fortune 500 / 100 companies with iconic brand names.  And it worked for the litigation side, where guarding a client’s great ideas requires success in the courtroom.

“When I look at our tagline,” says Christopher J. Leonard, one of the firm’s executive committee members, “I realize that every person at Merchant & Gould serves as a guardian to some capacity for our clients.”

The firm’s new tagline promises to “protect our clients in every facet of their intellectual property needs,” says Milbrath, including counsel regarding the securing, licensing and maintaining of intellectual property as well as litigation and trial.  And, she adds, “We’ve also gotten tons of compliments!”

Takeaway: A tagline based on the authentic, unassailable truth underlying your business can go a long way in attracting – and keeping – the clients or customers you want most.

You walk into your favorite coffee shop, anticipating the pleasure you are about to experience.  You may have awakened with that thought on your mind – and it’s likely that you passed several other coffee shop options on your way.  But you chose this one.   Maybe you like the coffee better, or the baristas are especially friendly and know what you want as soon as you walk in the door.   Perhaps it’s the conviviality you enjoy – or the friendly buzz that fills the place while you work on some project alone at “your” table. 

Brand is experience writ large.

Why do you prefer shopping at one grocery store vs. another?   It could be demonstrably fresher produce or a variety of canned beans you can only find there – or any of a number of other products.  For me, it’s a particular kind of applesauce.  Plus what might be called atmosphere, another component of the brand experience that’s as critical to grocery store presentation as quality, selection, price, etc.

My son and his family live about three hours away, and there are three non-traditional food retailers in the area, Earth Fare, Whole Foods and a small shop that seems like a throwback to the original “natural foods” stores with narrow aisles crammed with product – some unavailable in the other stores.  If more than a dozen people were in that store at any one time, it would feel crowded.  We go there for convenience (it’s within walking distance) and to purchase local produce and dairy products unavailable at the chain stores. Otherwise, they’re a bit pricey.

Their Whole Foods features the spaciousness and vast selection common to their newer layouts.  They have a huge bakery department and, of course, their famous food bar where you purchase lunch by the pound.   I feel a bit lost in that huge store – although some shoppers will find it energizing. 

The Earth Fare, by contrast is “just right” for me, as Goldilocks might say after she sampled the baby bear’s porridge.  It has good scale.  The store is small enough (and lit) to feel intimate, has everything I want, including well-presented produce and a food bar that’s at least the equal of Whole Foods’ – yummy baked goods and great coffee.  Since the Whole Foods opened their store about two miles away, Earth Fare’s business doesn’t seem to have suffered (at least as measured through my eyeballs).   All told, it's a satisfying experience for this shopper.

Back home, we have a new Trader Joe’s, which arrived amid a great flurry of advanced publicity about a half mile from our Whole Foods.  Shoppers flocked eagerly to the place (tucked into 2/3 of an old Border’s store), lured by a reputation for inexpensive wines, other Trader Joe’s branded fare and plenty of easy parking.   The store is about the size of the Earth Fare in my son’s city and is always packed.  There’s buzz and hustle about the place – akin to an outdoor market with a roof on it but not as laid back.   Some people feed off the energy there, but I do not.  I’m in and out and relieved to be so.

I prefer my well-established Whole Foods, which is smaller and more intimate than their new stores.  Their coffee is easier to purchase than in any larger Whole Foods I’ve experienced, and I’m just used to the place, frankly.  I feel comfortable there, partly because I like the people, many of whom know me by sight, and partly because it serves most of our needs very well - although with two major display resets in as many months, I am feeling a bit less comfy, since I have to hunt for stuff now in longer narrow and confusing aisles, which is not a game I like to play.  I know the idea is to cram more SKUs in a given space (to offer a more competitive selection) but there seems little logic in their layout -- at least from one shopper's point of view.  But I'll chin up, keep searching, and stick with them, because most of the experience is good.

Soon, a Publix will be joining the circle of grocery choices within a half mile of “my” Whole Foods.  Publix is new to town and will have parking underneath and the store above, and the lot size suggests it will be smaller than their big Florida stores.   What will that experience be like?   Stay tuned.

Takeaway:  Experience sells – coffee shop, grocery store, no matter what your business.  Make it part of your brand presentation.