From Brand Equity To Brand Reinvention: Teleprompter Script

October 7, 2005

JIM SPEROS

THANK YOU BOB AND GOOD MORNING.

IT'S A PLEASURE AND IMMENSELY GRATIFYING TO WELCOME SO MANY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF THE ANA TO THIS VITAL AND GROWING GATHERING OF MARKETING INDUSTRY LEADERS.

AS WE CONVENE THIS 95th ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN A 'CLASSIC,' FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT INSPIRED SETTING IT'S AN APPROPRIATE TIME FOR ME TO SHARE WITH YOU A 'CLASSIC' CASE HISTORY OF A BRAND THAT'S BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH OUR ORGANIZATION FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

WHEN THE ANA WAS FOUNDED IN 1910- THERE WERE 45 CHARTER MEMBERS. SOME, LIKE FORD, PEPSI-COLA, GENERAL ELECTRIC AND PROCTER & GAMBLE-- CHANGED WITH THE TIMES REMAINING FRESH AND RELEVANT.

OTHERS, LIKE THE BURROUGHS ADDING MACHINE COMPANY, PHILCO CORPORATION, STUDEBAKER CORPORATION AND WILDROOT COMPANY STAGNATED AND LOST THEIR CONNECTION TO THE CONSUMER.

MY CASE HISTORY TODAY IS A ABOUT A VENERABLE BRAND A WELL-KNOWN LEADER -- THAT OVER TIME FADED AND BECAME A BIT STODGY. THEN, UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP-- IT RE-DEFINED ITS VALUE PROPOSITION TO REFLECT THE CHANGING TIMES AND EMERGED STRONGER AND MORE FOCUSED THAN EVER.

I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE AMAZING PERFORMANCE OF P&G's BRAND PORTFOLIO I'LL LEAVE THAT TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER, JIM STENGEL.

I'M ALSO NOT TALKING ABOUT KODAK'S PAINFUL BUT INCREASINGLY PROMISING TRANSFORMATION TO A DIGITAL BRAND THOUGH THE EFFORTS OF CEO DAN CARP AND HIS SUCCESSOR ANTONIO PEREZ ARE TRULY HERCULEAN.

I'M NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT MY OWN COMPANY'S BRAND, ERNST & YOUNG WHICH CONTINUES TO THRIVE SINCE ITS FOUNDING OVER 100 YEARS AGO.

MY CASE HISTORY THIS MORNING IS ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL ADVERTISERS' VERY FIRST BRAND -- OUR OWN -- THE "ANA".

LIKE ALL OF YOUR BRANDS -- THE ANA OPERATES WITHIN A MARKETING ENVIRONMENT THAT HAS UNDERGONE EXTRAORDINARY CHANGES.

YOU KNOW THESE AS WELL AS I DO.

EXTREME AUDIENCE FRAGMENTATION...
EMERGENCE OF POWERFUL MULTI-CULTURAL FORCES...
AGING OF THE BABY BOOMERS...
THE HUGE IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION...
THE ENORMOUS IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY...
A SEA CHANGE IN CONTROL -- FROM THE MARKETER TO THE CONSUMER...
AND, OF COURSE-- A RADICAL SHIFT IN THE TYPES OF MEDIA AVAILABLE TO MARKETERS TO REACH CONSUMERS.

JUST LAST MONTH IN A NEW YORK TIMES INTERVIEW AMERICAN EXPRESS NOTED THAT IN 1994 -- THE COMPANY SPENT 80 PERCENT OF ITS AD BUDGET ON TELEVISION. BUT TEN YEARS LATER IT WAS DEVOTING JUST 35 PERCENT TO TV. TODAY MARKETING IS ABOUT FAR MORE THAN TELEVISION ADVERTISING. IN FACT, IT'S ABOUT FAR MORE THAN JUST ADVERTISING.

IT'S ABOUT THE BROAD SPECTRUM OF WAYS -- CONVENTIONAL, ALTERNATIVE AND UNEXPECTED -- TO REACH CONSUMERS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH A MEANINGFUL, MEMORABLE BRAND EXPERIENCE.

CANDIDLY, THE VENERABLE ANA BRAND:

WAS OUT OF STEP WITH THE DYNAMIC MARKETING LANDSCAPE
HARDLY STOOD OUT FROM ITS COMPETITION -- OTHER MARKETING ASSOCIATIONS.
AND SIGNIFICANTLY LAGGED THE ORGANIZATION'S TRUE POTENTIAL.

AS THE VOICE OF MAJOR MARKETERS WITH THEIR THOUSANDS OF BRANDS AND BILLIONS IN ADVERTISING SPENDING THE ANA HAD BECOME A SLEEPING GIANT AN ORGANIZATION THAT HESITATED TO ASSERT ITS INHERENT LEADERSHIP ROLE WITHIN OUR INDUSTRY.

LIKE SO MANY OTHER BRANDS THROUGHOUT MARKETING HISTORY WE HAD TO CHANGE OR DIE.

[PAUSE]

WE CHOSE TO CHANGE.

THE ANA BOARD GRABBED THE REINS AND DIRECTED A SWEEPING TRANSFORMATION OF THE ORGANIZATION.

THE PROCESS BEGAN WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW LEADER -- BOB LIODICE WHO MARSHALED THE TALENTS OF A SUPERB MANAGEMENT TEAM -- BARBARA BACCI MIRQUE, DAN JAFFE, MICHAEL PALMER, BILL DUGGAN AND CHRIS MANNA -- WHICH STRATEGICALLY DREW ON THE EXPERTISE OF AN ENERGIZED, ENGAGED BOARD AND THEN UNLEASHED AN EXTRAORDINARY WHIRLWIND OF DECISIVE ACTIVITY AND ACCOMPLISHMENT.

AMONG THE MANY CRITICAL INITIATIVES -- TOO NUMEROUS TO LIST -- THE ANA:

EMBRACED MARKETING ACCOUNTABILITY AS ITS MANTRA AND CHAMPIONED AD ID AS THE DIGITAL CODING STANDARD FOR THE INDUSTRY
HELPED MEMBERS SHARPEN THEIR MARKETING SKILLS WITH NEW STUDIES, FORUMS AND TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT FOCUSED ON DISCIPLINES LIKE INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, MULTI-CULTURAL MARKETING, EVENT MARKETING AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
BUILT A STRONG, MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL BRIDGE WITH THE 4A's AND HELPED MEMBERS ENHANCE THE VALUE AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THEIR AGENCY RELATIONSHIPS
AGGRESSIVELY FOUGHT AD TAXES STATE BY STATE, UNDERSCORING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ADVERTISING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
DEVELOPED AND PROMOTED GUIDELINES FOR INTERACTIVE ADVERTISING THAT HELPED BRING CLARITY AND STANDARDIZATION TO AN IMPORTANT NEW MEDIUM. AND
LED PASSIONATE CAMPAIGNS TO COMMUNICATE THE INDUSTRY'S POINT-OF-VIEW ON A WIDE ARRAY OF ISSUES FROM CHILDREN'S ADVERTISING TO FOOD AND PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETING.

WITH HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS THE ANA HAS BECOME A POWERFUL ADVOCATE FOR THE MARKETING INDUSTRY

A COLLEGIAL, COLLABORATIVE ORGANIZATION INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY...
AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE FOR INSIGHTS AND BEST PRACTICES.
YET THE ORGANIZATION'S BRAND IMAGE -- DEPICTED BY THIS DATED LOGO LAGGED THE REALITY THAT ANA HAD ACHIEVED.

CLEARLY IT WAS TIME TO RE-VITALIZE THIS BRAND.

BOB CONVENED THE ANA'S SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM AND ITS LONG-TIME COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER COOPERKATZ.

TOGETHER THEY BEGAN THE PROCESS OF ARTICULATING A NEW MISSION STATEMENT AND LEADERSHIP PLATFORM.

THE GROUP TOOK INVENTORY OF EVERYTHING ANA WAS DOING AND MAPPED THE ASSOCIATION'S RELATIONSHIPS AND TOUCHPOINTS WITH ITS MANY CONSTITUENCIES.

THE RESULT OF THIS EFFORT WAS A NEW MISSION STATEMENT WHICH THE ANA MANAGEMENT TEAM PRESENTED TO THE BOARD:

TO BE THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR MARKETING TO PROVIDE INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP AND PROPRIETARY RESOURCES THAT ENABLE MEMBERS TO BUILD BRANDS IMPROVE MARKETING PRODUCTIVITY AND DRIVE BUSINESS RESULTS.

THE BOARD ENTHUSIASTICALLY EMBRACED THE TEAM'S WORK AND THEN BUILT ON IT THROUGH A SERIES OF RETREATS.

AT ONE -- CONSULTANT GORDON WADE, A P&G ALUMNUS AND NOW PRINCIPAL OF THE "EMM" GROUP LED US THROUGH AN INVALUABLE "OGSM" -- OBJECTIVES, GOALS, STRATEGY, METRICS-- EXERCISE.

TWO CORE THEMES EMERGED FROM THESE SESSIONS.

ONE WAS THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY.

TO A PERSON, OUR BOARD MEMBERS FELT THEY WERE EACH PART OF A SPECIAL, TALENTED GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO - COLLECTIVELY -- COMPRISED "A COMMUNITY OF MARKETERS."

IT WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, THEY BELIEVED FOR THE ANA TO NURTURE AND FOSTER THIS SENSE OF COMMUNITY AMONG MARKETING PROFESSIONALS.

THE SECOND CORE THEME WAS LEADERSHIP.

THE BOARD UNEQUIVOCALLY FELT THAT THE ANA THE ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING THE NATION'S LARGEST MARKETERS HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY, IN FACT THE OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE BOLD LEADERSHIP FOR THE MARKETING DISCIPLINE AND THE MARKETING INDUSTRY.

FROM THE BOARD'S DELIBERATIONS AND PASSION EMERGED A NEW ANA POSITIONING STATEMENT THAT CLEARLY EMBRACES THESE CRITICAL THEMES:

TO PROVIDE INDISPENSABLE LEADERSHIP FOR THE COMMUNITY OF MARKETERS.
LEADERSHIP THAT DRIVES MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA AND BRAND MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE FOR MEMBERS.
LEADERSHIP THAT CHAMPIONS, PROMOTES AND DEFENDS INDUSTRY INTERESTS FOR ALL ADVERTISERS AND MARKETERS.

THIS STATEMENT BECAME THE FOUNDATION FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR WORK: DEVELOPING A NEW BRAND IDENTITY THAT REFLECTED OUR NEW POSITIONING.

FOR THAT WE SOUGHT THE HELP OF ONE OF THE WORLD'S FINEST BRANDING AND DESIGN CONSULTANCIES: LANDOR.

LANDOR HELPED US TIGHTLY STATE OUR GOALS IN A SUPERBLY-WRITTEN CREATIVE BRIEF THAT AMONG OTHER THINGS IDENTIFIED OUR PRIME TARGET AUDIENCE CHIEF MARKETING OFFICERS AND THE PROFESSIONALS WHO SUPPORT THEM AND OUR KEY VALUE:

SHARPENING THEIR MARKETING SKILLS IN WAYS THAT HELP THEM MAKE BETTER, FASTER, MORE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

FROM A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE OUR OBJECTIVE WAS TO DEVELOP A VISUAL IDENTITY, BRAND LINE AND HOUSE STYLE THAT TELEGRAPHICALLY COMMUNICATED THE ANA'S POSITIONING TO OUR KEY CONSTITUENTS.

THE LANDOR PROCESS WE EMBARKED ON WAS A FASCINATING ONE EVEN THOUGH MOST OF US HAD TAKEN SIMILAR JOURNEYS ON BEHALF OF OUR OWN BRANDS OVER THE YEARS.

WE SCRUTINIZED ANA'S EXISTING IDENTITY FROM MANY PERSPECTIVES:

ITS STRIKING SIMILARITY TO ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS
ITS INCONSISTENT APPEARANCE ACROSS OUR PRINTED MATERIALS AND OUR WEB SITE
AND ITS UN-DIFFERENTIATED APPEARANCE WITHIN THE COMPETITIVE BRAND SCAPE OF OTHER COMMUNICATIONS TRADE ASSOCIATIONS.

NEXT, LANDOR HAD OUR TEAM IMAGINE THAT ANA WAS A CAR, OBJECT, BUILDING OR ANIMAL AS A WAY OF IDENTIFYING THE VISUAL BRAND DRIVERS THAT DEPICT THE CURRENT ANA BRAND IDENTITY.

AS THIS MOSAIC REVEALS, WE ASSOCIATED THE ANA WITH RELIABLE, TRADITIONAL IMAGES, SUCH AS:

A REPUTABLE, BUT NOT FLASHY CAR
A PRACTICAL, LOW-TECH PRODUCT
AND A CLASSICALLY DESIGNED, OLDER BUILDING

IN CONTRAST TO THESE IMAGES, THE VISUAL BRAND DRIVERS WE DESIRED FOR ANA TOMORROW WERE:

A STYLISH CAR WITH UNDER-STATED EXCELLENCE
A CONNECTED, TECHNOLOGICALLY SOPHISTICATED PRODUCT
A CONTEMPORARY DESTINATION THAT SERVES AS A HUB FOR IDEAS

WITH THIS GUIDANCE, LANDOR DESIGNERS EXPLORED HUNDREDS OF LOGOTYPES AND COLOR PALLETS.

ULTIMATELY ONE DISTINCTIVE DESIGN SOLUTION HIT THE MARK PERFECTLY.

YOU CAN IMAGINE THE MIXTURE OF EXCITEMENT AND TREPIDATION WHEN THE ANA MANAGEMENT AND LANDOR TEAM PRESENTED IT FOR APPROVAL TO THE BOARD!!

THEY DIDN'T HAVE ONE CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER TO PLEASE BUT 30 OF THE MOST TALENTED, EXPERIENCED AND HEADSTRONG CMOs IN THE INDUSTRY!!

THE BOARD IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED A MARK OF EXCELLENCE.

AND NOW -- LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO CELEBRATE WITH ALL OF YOU THE NEW LOGO OF THE ANA.

[MUSIC, LIGHTING, REVEAL]

WE LOVE THIS MARK FOR MANY REASONS.

IT IS STRONG AND FORWARD-LOOKING WITH LETTERS MARCHING INTO THE FUTURE.
IT'S BOLD AND DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT FROM ALL COMPETITORS YET WARM AND ACCESSIBLE.
THE PALLET OF SOFT COLORS (PINE, OCHER, UMBER AND SLATE) CONVEYS APPROACHABILITY AND VEERS FAR AWAY FROM THE EXPECTED REDS AND BLUES OF SO MANY CORPORATE AND TRADE ASSOCIATION MARKS.

ACCOMPANYING OUR NEW LOGO ARE SOME IMPORTANT WORDS WHAT LANDOR CALLS VERBAL BRAND DRIVERS.

THESE TERMS HELP DEFINE AND UNIFY ANA'S BRAND EXPRESSIONS TO OUR MANY AUDIENCES.
THEY ALSO SERVE AS A RALLYING CRY FOR OUR MEMBERS AND PARTNERS IN THE MARKETING COMMUNITY.

FIRST ARE OUR CORE COMPETENCIES.

IT WASN'T EASY BOILING DOWN EVERYTHING THE ANA DOES TO A FEW CLEAR WORDS THAT ENCOMPASS OUR BROAD MISSION.

BUT WITH LANDOR'S HELP WE ARRIVED AT THREE TERMS THAT APTLY EXPRESS THE VALUES WE PROVIDE:

INSIGHTS
COLLABORATION
AND ADVOCACY

INSIGHTS ABOUT THE MARKETING PROCESS ARE THE DIRECT RESULT OF VIRTUALLY EVERY ANA ACTIVITY. OUR COMMITTEES, CONFERENCES, PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH ARE ALL DESIGNED TO ADDRESS CRITICAL ISSUES AND IDENTIFY PROVEN BEST PRACTICES OF IMPORTANCE TO MARKETERS.

COLLABORATION IS THE MODE BY WHICH WE OPERATE:

BRINGING MARKETERS TOGETHER TO SHARE EXPERIENCES AND KNOWLEDGE;
WORKING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS TO ADDRESS COMMON NEEDS;
PARTNERING WITH OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS AND ACADEMICIANS TO STAY ABREAST OF MARKETPLACE TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS.

ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF THE MARKETING INDUSTRY IS OUR CONSTANT COMMITMENT.

TAKING STANDS ON CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL THREATS TO OUR FREE-MARKET-BASED SYSTEM AND ULTIMATELY DEFENDING OUR MARKETING FREEDOMS FROM UNDUE GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS AND REGULATIONS.

INSIGHTS...COLLABORATION...ADVOCACY.

THAT'S WHAT THE ANA IS ALL ABOUT.

EARLIER I LIKENED THE ANA TO A SLEEPING GIANT. NO MORE!!

THE PAST THREE YEARS OF HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE AND VISIBLE ANA LEADERSHIP ON SO MANY FRONTS HAVE TRULY DEMONSTRATED OUR ROLE IN DRIVING THE MARKETING INDUSTRY FORWARD.

WE ARE NO LONGER SHY ABOUT SPEAKING OUT OR TAKING ACTION.

REFLECTING ON THE STATURE OF THE ANA AND ITS MEMBERSHIP THE WORLD'S LARGEST MARKETERS THE BOARD FELT STRONGLY THAT IT WAS TIME TO OVERTLY ACKNOWLEDGE OUR INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP WITH A BOLD NEW TAGLINE "LEADING THE MARKETING COMMUNITY".

OUR NEW IDENTITY, VISUAL AND VERBAL, WILL BE IMAGINATIVELY REFLECTED IN A NEW HOUSE STYLE FOR ALL COLLATERAL MATERIALS.

IT INTEGRATES THE ANA SIGNATURE, COMPETENCIES, TAGLINE, COLOR PALETTE AND TYPOGRAPHY WITH A VISUALLY APPEALING PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE AND FRAME.

AS THESE EXAMPLES DEMONSTRATE, WE NOW HAVE A FRESH, MODERN, DISTINCTIVE LOOK FOR OUR VIBRANT ASSOCIATION!!

[SHOW EXAMPLES]

AS ALL OF YOU KNOW SO WELL, A BRAND IS MUCH MORE THAN WORDS AND VISUALS. IT REPRESENTS THE TOTAL EXPERIENCE THAT CUSTOMERS CAN EXPECT.

IN OUR CASE, THE ANA BRAND AND THE ORGANIZATION THAT STANDS BEHIND IT WILL CONSTANTLY STRIVE TO FULFILL ITS MISSION: TO PROVIDE INDISPENSABLE LEADERSHIP FOR THE COMMUNITY OF MARKETERS.

WE WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS BY:

1. SHARING MARKETING INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES GENERATED THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES OF THE MEMBERSHIP.

2. BRINGING ANA's MEMBERS TOGETHER WITH OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO ELEVATE MARKETERS' ABILITIES TO BUILD BRANDS IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND -- MAKE BETTER DECISIONS.

3. CHAMPIONING THE MARKETING FUNCTION -- FOSTERING SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND CONSTANTLY UNDERSCORING THE BEDROCK AMERICAN RIGHT TO FREE, UNENCUMBERED SPEECH.

IN A NUTSHELL, LEADING THE MARKETING COMMUNITY WITH INSIGHTS, COLLABORATION AND ADVOCACY.

IT HAS BEEN MY PLEASURE TO SERVE ON THE ANA BOARD DURING A PERIOD OF GREAT TRANSFORMATION AND TO SEE THIS ORGANIZATION ADOPT AN EXCITING NEW IDENTIFY THAT TRULY REFLECTS ITS LEADERSHIP MISSION.

Source

"From Brand Equity To Brand Reinvention: Teleprompter Script." James D. Speros Chief Marketing Officer, Ernst and Young. ANA Annual Conference, 10/06/05 - 10/09/05