MIT Sloan Branding Section B

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The thin line of creativity

Creativity is one of the traits differentiating human beings from other animals. Creative pitches/ads have the potential to become viral, arise curiosity and capture attention and engagement of a massive audience. But it may also go beautifully wrong. When you have to further explain your creative approach, it means your communication strategy failed. 

Creative ads may generate positive feelings such as amusement, social identification and empathy. But it may also generate embarrassment, disgust and upheaval. 

So how to use creativity in your favor?

Avoid stereotypes and always use common sense when making jokes. It is not a problem to be politically incorrect, but if you are willing to cross this line, make sure it is funny. The risk of misinterpretation can seriously damage your brand equity and this is something you don’t want to face as a brand manager.

But the bright side of using creativity is you are able to convey a message and talk to the hearts of your audience. Use creativity, but use it wisely. 

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Creating a personal brand that packs a punch and feels true to you

After our discussion on Tuesday I did some research on ‘Personal Branding’ and came across this article that stood out to me. I always think about finding the balance between building my brand and being true to myself, and I think the author does a great job of outlining the steps in a way that is simple and easy to digest.

How to Build a Personal Brand Without Being Obnoxious

1. Define your “shtick”

2. Share it with others

3. Create, create, create!  

4. Show up and connect.

5. Don’t forget real life.

Source: http://greatist.com/live/personal-branding-how-to-build-a-personal-brand

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Who am I?

The important factor to do self-branding is to understand who I am. If we disguise ourselves, it would be difficult to appeal the real value of ourselves to others. The same thing can be applied to the way how to pitch a brilliant idea. We don’t need to disguise ourselves as a specific type such as a showrunner, artist or neophyte. It is important to match ourselves to the type closest to who we are so that we can pitch a brilliant idea more naturally.

It would be a good start to understand what we are good at and not good at to understand who we are. What we successfully achieved is a very important factor to form what we are good at. But, it would not be enough. What we learned from our failures also forms what we are good at and help us understand what we are not good at.

What we would like to achieve is a strong motivation to enable us to make efforts at our best. What one likes, one will do well. Understanding what we would like to achieve is also important factor to understand who we are.

The demand in the market where we can contribute in the world is also important. This relates to the meaning of our existence. In addition, it sometimes highly motivates us to do our best in the market.  

If we can find the intersection among what we are good at, what we would like to achieve and the demand in the market where we can contribute, it would provide a hint to us about who we would like to be and how we can reach there. This information really helps us how to do our self-branding successfully in a sustainable manner. Consequently, it helps us close the gap between who we would like to be and who we are now.

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Y’all haters corny

In the last class, we talked about what to do when your brand gets hijacked and how brands should respond to that. Shortly after Beyonce’s superbowl performance of “Formation”, a song that touches on police brutality and the #BlackLivesMatter movement, some police unions called for a protest of Beyonce and created “Boycott Beyonce” paraphernalia.

I wondered how she would respond. If in her typical Beyonce fashion, she wouldn’t say anything and post an Instagram post that may or may not be related to the boycott. Or if she wouldn’t respond at all, and just let it slide, since only 2 anti-Beyonce people showed up to the protest and more of the Beyhive came out to defend her. 

But as Queen B is the master of surprise (evidenced by her last two albums), she definitely surprised me with her response to the haters by selling “Boycott Beyonce” t-shirts at her own concert. Even though this is not what I expected from her, it’s brilliant! By selling shirts with a message that the haters hoped would tarnish her brand, she is able to take control of the message again. She is trolling them, and diluting the negative association by selling the shirts herself. If someone sees a Boycott Beyonce shirt, they won’t know if that person supports Beyonce or actually wants to boycott Beyonce. Plus, whenever someone wears the shirt, it will inevitably ignite conversation and keep her story relevant. 

Once again, she was served lemons, but she made lemonade. Best revenge is your paper.

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Kidney Disease- Awareness issue

I have participated in various forms of walks and runs for diseases such as cancer or leukemia, but I do not recall hearing anything about Kidney disease. In fact, even during health events, I do not see their booths, no volunteers distributing pamphlets, no TV campaigns, and people do not talk often about kidneys. What is startling is the fact that 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for developing kidney disease and the prevalence of this disease has only been increasing.

In spite of high prevalence, one wonders why people are not as aware of kidney disease in comparison to other diseases. Is it the brand, is the funds for research, the providers, lobbying efforts or the disease itself? Having no symptoms probably play a huge role, but how about lifestyle? There is a clear link between heart-diseases, diabetes and risk of kidney disease. Then why is it that these patients do not know about risks of CKD? As part of the project, we will be conducting interviews with patients to understand what part of the patient journey has a biggest gap and where NKF should focus. Branding the foundation better involves understanding what is it that patients want? Also, how do nephrologists look at this? Their families? We hope to get insights that will help us reform the story for both NKF as well as kidney related diseases and prevention.

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Life’s a pitch: Brand it right and keep it tight!

Our life is full of pitches, personal and professional. These pitches can be direct or indirect, they can be pre-meditated or they can be unintentional.  As Professor Gosline pointed out in the last class even though each student can think of 5 words to describe their personality or personal brand, they’ll not be 100% right most of the time according to research. In fact at business school each student has his or her own brand and the way he or she talks, communicates, works, thinks and demonstrates his or her ability to collaborate impacts his or her personal brand. All these actions and interactions across multiple touch points in a way pitch the individual, consciously or subconsciously. This doesn’t mean that an individual can’t be true to himself when talking to others in a bid to portray a certain image he wants others to see, but what it does mean is that one should be aware that actions small or big, at anytime do shape perceptions of others. 

This awareness of other’s perspectives is key, especially when one operates in the professional world and works with corporates to target customers with brilliant ideas for products that can change lives. If one chooses to remain unaware of how he or she pitches thoughts/ideas and how others perceive them, no matter how brilliant the idea, what happens in real life is best captured by Nicolas Cage (playing the role of a real life boss) in the meme below: 

Coming up with great ideas is hard but pitching these ideas in a way that gains traction is even harder! If the target audience don’t understand the value of the idea at first glance, they’ll never adapt or embrace them. This pitching business becomes even harder if your brand has strong associations. Depending on execution, audience will categorize you, the idea pitcher, as (1) a showrunner (smooth and professional), (2) an artist (quirky and unpolished), or (3) a neophytes (inexperienced and naive). Reference: https://hbr.org/product/how-to-pitch-a-brilliant-idea/R0309J-PDF-ENG

Lets look at the example of a showrunner pitch: Cisco Systems, traditionally a hardware company specializing in hardware products likes routers, switches and networks. Most recently Cisco has started pivoting towards software, internet of things and the digitization movement that will transform traditional cities into smart cities by leveraging its technology. Its ad on video collaboration focuses on the experiences of a consumer and utility of its solution rather than just the products its selling and gains traction immediately. Have a look at the video, its cool, tacky and very professional. While Cisco has been in business for years, the video makes the company look really relevant and able to relate to the popular pop culture of today: 

On a lighter note, Jimmy Kimmel did a take on pitching creative ideas to investors! His confidence, regardless of how ridiculous the idea, makes his pitch fall somewhere between the artist and neophyte pitch category, its quirky and funny but naive too (but thats his intention anyways :) ): 

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My Brand, My Identity

The reading on “How to pitch a brilliant idea” gave me a good framework to think about strategies to pitch effectively but more importantly it gave me a lesson on pro-actively and constantly managing the brand I am portraying to others. I could be categorized as a show-runner or as an artist or as an neophyte depending on how I am perceived by the catchers. I think what’s important here is to identify  which of the categories one fits into and then make efforts to ensure that image is being communicated to others. This reading has parallels with the topic of applying Branding to our leadership style as discussed in the last class by Professor Gosline. If one doesn’t proactively manage his/her brand, then he/she will be be typecast into a category by others.

It was not new to learn that humans constantly stereotype  in every breathing moment, consciously or unconsciously, but what was interesting to learn was that these unconscious biases can play a significant role in decision-making which have huge ramifications such as getting that high-paying job, getting the much-needed funding for an idea, or getting to play a lead role in the next blockbuster. I think one can not control the unconscious stereotyping mechanisms that exist within oneself and others but what one can do is to recognize the existence and prevalence of Harry Potter’s sorting hats, and pro-actively manage one’s brand to mitigate the effect of of unconscious biases.

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Yukasabe: Creating value within a community

Venezuela is a country known for many things, Oil, Beauty, Beaches and in the past few years, for its stirred politic, economic and social environment. Within my family, there has always been a tradition and philosophy of helping others, my grandmother used to say: “What’s really important is not the recognition we receive but the lives we changed to get there”. 

On this week’s topic about personal leadership style - that personal signature of what kind of a leader I want to be - takes me back to putting in practice my family's philosophy. 

In 2014, I had the opportunity of putting in practice this philosophy by founding Yukasabe, a for-profit food and snack social enterprise with a non-profit mission. Yukasabe has changed the small town of El Rincon, where it’s cassava production is based, and the gluten-free cassava bread has become a hit as Domino’s Pizza first cassava dough pizza in Venezuela. This social enterprise has helped improve the life of 25 families and 35 workers by giving them a % of the revenues and helping their kids go to school. 

I invite you to check out our website www.yukasabe.com 

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Judgement Day

Professor Gosline’s pep talk highlighted a much overlooked topic at Sloan: actual, practical leadership. Leadership doesn’t just encompass our ability to take ownership and/or hustle. It entails understanding how our behavior can affect, and hopefully, motivate others. Social influence, if you will. 

Comms 101 from the core drilled into us the importance of likeability as a Cialdini principle. Professor Gosline asserts (and I strongly believe) that likability is a key determinant of success. As such, it’s important to consider how people perceive you. 

On the flip side, people are also judgy. So much so, that they make snap judgements about others, often within 150 milliseconds according to the reading. That’s why it’s ever important to understand how people perceive you and ensure your leadership style is authentic not just to who you are, but also to how people perceive you.

It’s particularly important when there exists an asymmetry between our own assessment of who we are and how people perceive us. As I launch my career again over the next few months, I plan to indulge in a lot of introspection and conversations with friends/family/colleagues to understand the following:

- how am I perceived by others vs. how do i perceive myself (perhaps through a 360 leadership, myers brigg, talking to friends)

- what is my body language like (perhaps by videotaping myself as Professor Gosline suggested)

- What are the asymmetries between these perceptions  and how do they affect my relationships (introspection)

- Leadership more broadly: I’m not even really sure what this means but I think it’s worthwhile to think about how I like to be managed, how I like to manage, what motivates me, what are my 5/10/20 year goals, how do I want to be remembered? 

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What type of pitcher are you?

Heuristics are used in all sorts of decisions, but I never really thought about how heuristics shape first impressions, particularly in the context of pitching a new idea. As the article described the 3 positive pitcher stereotypes: the Showrunner, the Artist and the Neophyte, I was thinking to myself about which category I might fall into. It was a bit concerning that I don’t think I fall into any of the 3 categories quite neatly, and I feel like this is probably an area I need to work on in my personal leadership branding. I’m probably closest to the Neophyte and when rehearsed to pitch an idea try to be the Showrunner. 

I also think as a future leader, and being in the position of judging the ideas of others, its equally important that I develop certain tactics to mentally break away from using these heuristics to make decisions. I think the article provided some strategies of asking objective questions, but I am curious to learn more about how to preserve that self-awareness to consciously break away from stereotyping, which I’d argue is probably the hardest part.

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Leadership Branding

Leadership branding is something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently, as I wrap up a 4 month long summer-internship recruiting process. What are the qualities that set me apart as a leader–as perceived by me, and by others? There are definitely a handful of qualities that I believe set me apart, but I also believe these qualities need to be honed and shaped in the right ways. They can be very effective parts of my leadership brands, but they also have pitfalls. 

 I think all would say that I’m a Doer–anyone who looks at our MBA Facebook page can attest to the fact that my leadership style involves action, since I’m involved in way too many extracurriculars at Sloan! Being a Doer is a strong leadership quality–people look to you to organize, rally, activate, plan, and execute. And, because part of being  a Doer is being proactive, Doers are also often seen as leadership figures–”creative” in some ways.

However, I, and other Doers, need to be careful to not fall into the trap of simply being seen as the “executor.” Though Doers are proactive, they’re sometimes seen as the productive planners and executors, and are passed over for the more “artist” figures, to reference Elsbach’s article. My challenge will be always be to showcase both sides of myself in order to establish myself as a leader.

I’m also very expressive and enthusiastic, which I use in leadership settings to create positive atmosphere and culture, foster collaboration, and sell my ideas. Moving forward, I hope to keep these qualities in my leadership style, but to refine them. My expressiveness connects me to people, and creates warm, friendly enivronments and relationships. However, it also occasionally makes me impatient and impulsive, which can be dangerous qualities in a leader. So this is my other point-of-difference and point-of-parity: to harness my energy towards positive impact.

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“How to pitch a brilliant idea”

This gave me an eye-opening fact. Those who want out of the box ideas always put pitchers into a box!  As a leader responsible for both selling and buying ideas, I found it important to understand the tendency of catchers to rely on stereotypes.

When I prepare for presentations, I normally focus on what audience is interested in most or how I can deliver key messages appropriately, but I realized I need 2 more perspectives, 3 successful creative stereotypes and the catcher’s tendency.     

I believe an innovative idea isn’t an innovation until it is implemented. Putting ideas into implementation requires many steps and pitching ideas is one of most important processes because innovation normally needs funding, team formation and official acknowledgment, which are provided through an approval process of pitching. 

I have learnt a lot about “innovation” as a pillar of Sloan Fellows Program. I had many opportunities to listen to innovators’ and entrepreneur’s presentation, but nobody told about this. Creating innovative ideas is critical and managing processes to develop businesses is important. But I think nothing would happen if ideas are not delivered appropriately to those who support the ideas.

I think I can be someone between the artist and the neophyte. So I will write down a phrase “be creative like the artist and be an eager learner like the neophyte in pitching ideas” on my innovation note.  

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Charity: Water Branding

In the case of non-profits or companies, branding associated to a social cause comes with potential criticism based on perception of authenticity of the organizations intentions. If a company is perceived to be using a social cause to boost profitability through a public relations stunt, then consumers (particularly in the age of social media) will see through the facade and could cause more harm than good. Likewise, charities or non-profits have often come under criticism for the great amount that they spend on overhead, especially when it comes to executive salaries and bonuses, rather than towards their mission or social cause.

One example of a non-profit that has effectively branded itself as an authentic and transparent organization is Charity: Water. They do a great job expressing their heart-warming origin story and can tangibly express what your donations are going towards and follow-up to provide transparency. Likewise, they have created several use-cases that you can do yourself to help raise money to donate to Charity: Water, including throwing a birthday party where you receive donations instead of gifts or running in a race to raise money. These use-cases provide effective ways for you to raise money and help the cause of providing clean drinking water to the entire world’s population as well as earn social currency among your friends and family. Please see the video below with more details into Charity: Water’s marketing and branding efforts.

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Leadership Branding and the Woman I Want to Be

This quote from Diane von Furstenberg resonates with me. Business school has given me a unique opportunity to truly reflect on my past experiences, my abilities and interests, and the kind of impact I would like to have on society. As an MBA student, I am not only gaining analytical skills and strategic thinking, but I am also thinking about my leadership style and the person I want to be as I build my career.

In addition to having the space to reflect and think, I am also listening to feedback and other people’s journeys. I’ve been fortunate to speak with entrepreneurs, consulting partners, merchants, strategists, professors, venture capitalists, and engineers to learn about the experiences and decisions that brought them to where they are today.

Through these conversations, I have learned that a combination of intention, hard work, and luck has helped these people succeed. 

As much as having a clear plan is comforting, I am learning to embrace opportunities that align with my values and the woman I want to be. Reflecting on this “woman” and my values helps me prioritize feedback, opportunities, and time.

Two things that I value are openness to new cultures and self-expression. These values have led me to organize an African fashion show and travel to two new-to-me countries. This year I have found that the more I intentionally partake in activities that align with my values, the more opportunities come my way.

When I graduate next year and re-enter the working world, I don’t want to be just another MBA. Instead, I want my brand to reflect my interests, personality, heritage, work ethic, and values.

The woman I want to be is bold, eloquent, generous yet fair, firm yet supportive, spiritual, and cosmopolitan. She celebrates the successes of others while working hard to make her own dreams a reality.

I may not know exactly how I’ll reach this state, but I do know that being intentional and open can help me succeed.

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Can branding have negative implications on companies trying to do good for the world?

Better World Books is a great example of a company that strives to have a social impact while providing financial returns to shareholders. They were on the early wave of trend that has been growing in the past 15 - 20 years of companies that want to do good for the world. These companies are realizing that the decisions they make, even internally, have a significant impact on their external brand which is critical for their ability to succeed in their overall goals.

When investors have an equity stake in a company, they have to receive financial returns. Even investors like Good Capital require a financial return in addition to the social return on their investment. A decision between giving 15% of revenues to charity vs. 10% makes a significant impact on their investment. Should a company give more to non-profit partners today or reinvest it with the hope / possibility of turning that investment into more money tomorrow? I believe that there is a very short-term nature of providing more money today rather than later. The long-term, consistent cash flow to non-profits is more critical in my mind than a short-term increase in payments. On the branding side, however, this is very different. The media response for reducing the giving percentage may have severe negative consequences on the company. If they say they will drop their percentage of giving to 10% or change the funding structure and this causes a negative consumer backlash, their overall revenues and giving to the non-profits will drop even further and create this vicious cycle!

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It is difficult to find a brand that despite being for-profit, has a social and environmental component. Similar to “Better World Books” I was pitching a startup to judges in the Clean Energy Prize that had a social component but it was a for profit venture. The judges did not believe in it, because when co-founders focus on the social impact side, they will start making poor economic decisions for the profitability of the company, such us not optimizing prices or in the case of BWB giving away equity to the NGO partners.

So using your brand to persuade consumers to buy from you or donate your product when you are making profits out of it needs careful consideration and may be a controversial marketing campaign, even more when it is not very clear that E-books are more environmentally friendly than printed books. 

Transparency becomes a fundamental partner here. For example, BWB’s website has a tiny mention to its partner at the bottom of the page which does not seem to highlight the importance of using their brands to collect book donations which ultimately is the engine of their business model and it is widely used as part of their advertising campaigns.

So when using a social brand for profits, make sure that you clearly state how is your company helping other social causes, let them be protagonist of your campaign, and share the results with absolute transparency of what is the benefit. Let’s look at TOM’s advertising campaign “one for one” (whether I agree or not on the benefits) you have to give credit to the clarity of the benefits and easy concept, as well as how their social component becomes a protagonist in all campaign materials.

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To do good or to not

I am passionate about technology and its applications in solving problems in third world countries. I really get excited by the prospect of using technology for uplifting the living conditions or for adding an extra source of revenue. While at my time at Sloan, I found opportunities with tech-focused social ventures to pursue my passion and dreams. It was not until I got into pitches with investors that I realized the hardships and obstacles of bringing alive a social venture. Regardless of whether a venture has a double bottom line or a triple bottom line, it is extremely hard to create a for-profit vision for investors who have alternative options for investments in high return on investments ventures. We have all heard of the Warby Parkers, the Toms, and now the Better World Books. They come and go but it is really hard to sustain the idea of doing good and sustain the company as well.  I wonder how many more years will it take for the society to accept for-profit social-ventures as a norm and not as exceptions. As such, I am skeptical about pursuing a social-venture as a career after school. My dilemma of doing good.

That said, I am really impressed with the commitment and determination of Better World Books in the midst of the rise of Amazon and the eBooks, and the decline of physical book stores including the Barnes and the Border book stores. Looking ahead, I would recommend BWB to look for equity-free funding as much as possible, and through bootstrapping and diligent operations, make the company profitable, and use the profits to sustain the mission of the company.