Edgar Allan Creative Director Mason Poe kicked off last night's Friends of Switchyards roundtable discussion on brand with the eminently quotable line from the picture above. (Yes, the lines only got better from there. No, most of us will never be as good with the pearls of wisdom as Mason is. I'm lucky to get even one good line out, let's be honest.)
So take some notes and make some plans — from brand "sculpting" to creating your club, here are 14 memorable, actionable words of wisdom from Mason:
“GREAT PRODUCTS HAVE GREAT STORIES."
Since humans are irrational beings who are drawn to stories, from a branding perspective we're also drawn to companies with dimension and personality. In a data-based world where Big Data is becoming ever more automated, how do we become more human and make that connection to customers? That's right: Stories.
Edgar Allan follows the concepts outlined in the 2007 article, “The Story-Driven Organization” — which, he says, "is why we’re Edgar Allan." (That article is very much worth reading, by the way. I highly recommend it.)
"What IS the great story?"
What exactly is the great story behind your company that your customers need to know? Mason says the basic "Writing 101” story shapes are excellent for helping create this story; it's just like creative writing. (If you're looking for a good fail-fast-and-keep-going prompt, you can always check out Kurt Vonnegut’s rejected master’s thesis on story shapes. )
"To start a company, you need to be pissed off. It’s a contact sport."
Founders need to be a little bit crazy, open to taking some risks, and just angry enough about whatever it is (Got a passion project? Got laid off?) to fuel the drive behind the company. Not forever, maybe, but at least to start.
"There are two categories of projects: Runway Projects and Takeoff Projects."
Runway projects are those not-so-exciting things that help keep the lights on. Takeoff projects are those awesome ideas that help your company soar. It's a tricky balance some days.
"Have heroes."
Identify your heroes. Write down what they’ve done well, and see what lessons you could learn from them — what’s the magic there? Once you've picked out the smartest people you know, just spend some time around them. They will make you smarter, and better.
"Brand is also an investment in culture."
What you’re doing culturally is really content — there’s no “practical” application, but it adds to the purchasing funnel of awareness, consideration, conversion. (MailChimp is an email spam company. It’s easy to love the company, even though you may (probably...) despise its customers.)
You find "great products that people love" in the the Venn diagram Overlap of Brand Story and User Story.
There's been some recent changes with the brand story: It's classically been approached more like architecture — concrete, permanent foundations, meant to last forever (often due to the longer cycles products used to have). Now, it's shorter and more flexible. Meanwhile, the user story has its own changes; Mason says it's moving from the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to the Minimum Lovable Product (MLP).
"Think of the Brand Story less like Brand Architecture and more like Brand Sculpture."
"You’re the guy on the side of the road making bears out of logs. You make quick cuts for definition, general 'bear cuts,' and then you whittle it down. You drive the shape OUT of something." ~ Mason Poe
Things to know about Mason Poe:
- He fell in love with the Internet in '97
- His first company tanked, but he went through a "slingshot of experience" where he did everything wrong but a few things (like persistent sales) right
- He’s a notoriously bad speller and has never learned Photoshop. He loved Fireworks.
- He used being laid off to fuel his startup concept rather than taking a severance package.
- He chose The Goat Farm for Edgar Allan’s location because he has a connection to music … and because it was near Antico Pizza
- He used to be a runner, but now he’s a “jogger” — he says "it’s less about the time you put in than the ideas that you get out"
"Create hoopla about your product — is it worthy of being talked about?"
Break through the noise, make your brand noticeable. P.T. Barnum of Barnum & Bailey Circus fame was known for his knack with this approach, leveraging novelties like the bearded lady to draw crowds in. Mason also talked about the initial successful hoopla around “Justin.tv,” which still scrambled before pivoting to find the right niche and became the insanely popular video-game-live-streaming service, Twitch.
"Know your audience"
Mason referenced the famous newspaper ad which Ernest Shackleton allegedly ran to recruit men for his Antarctic expedition: "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success." Even though the ad's veracity can't be verified (I know, I was sad too), the point of being upfront and direct with an audience that will appreciate it is still well taken.
Not to mention, Mason says this is how it feels to start a company. "You just get out there and put it in front of people."
"Systems drive behavior which drives value"
Let's use a cake metaphor with this one, and work in from both sides: Identify the value (let's say that's getting to eat the cake); identify the system needed to drive it (getting the ingredients for the cake); and then behavior is the implied nature of the brand (mixing and baking the cake).
Hungry yet?
"Ask yourself, 'Who am I? Who is my customer?' Everything else is just noise."
"What’s the club you want to create?"
And the follow-up: How do you get people to care about your club? Think about who your customers are, and how your brand should resonate with them. Who do you want to be your advocates? How does your product fit into their world?
Chick-fil-A does the club concept incredibly well with its hiring and franchise owner selection. Think about it: They have smart, friendly, motivated people competing for a chance to work in fast food. That's branding in action, people.
"Don’t get so focused on the presentation that you forget about the product."
Mason once did a Loblolly presentation to investors without the actual mattress. He was kicking himself the whole time for thinking so much about the slides that he missed the opportunity to showcase how great the actual product was. (He says he thinks he could have sold that mattress on the spot, in fact!) Keep in mind that your product is still a part of your brand.
"Ask yourself, 'Who am I? Who is my customer?' Everything else is just noise."
Along with the idea of creating a club of "your people," you have to know not only who those people are, but who you as a brand are. Mason says, "Think about brand as the suit you wear to your next conversation. ... It's really about, what did you make the person feel, on the other side of the table?"
That means you also have to be true to who you are and who your customer is, otherwise that conversation is not going to go well. If, for example, your brand works well being a bit edgy, then go ahead and embrace your imperfections and grit. Sharing them can be a competitive advantage, with the right customer.
Are you a Switchyards member (full- or part-time) interested in attending the next Friends of Switchyards roundtable? Join Dave Payne and Michael Tavani every Tuesday "for the most tactical and actionable programming that exists in Atlanta to increase the likelihood of your consumer-focused startup succeeding."
Not a member yet? (Why not???) Check out the space and join them on a tour by emailing hey@switchyards.com!
