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August 16, 2005
Passion Play
(Last post from Stan Slap's Sunday Session ... I swear)
According to Slap, the key ingredient to any successful brand is one thing: passion. Passion attracts and keeps customers, and attracts disciples to work for the organization (which he pointed out is especially important if you can't necessarily afford to hire the "best and brightest").
Apple is the obvious example. It only has 3.1% market share (and Slap joked that their slogan must be "Never 3.2!"), but its market is slavishly devoted.
Interestingly, Apple's customer base proves its devotion not through blind acceptance of the company's actions. In fact, Apple devotees parse every single statement issued by Steve Jobs, reading between the lines, arguing back and forth over every company announcement, filling message boards and blogs with their criticisms and suggestions as well as their praise. You'd think they owned the place.
Because they do. It doesn't matter if they own stock or not. They have an ownership stake in Apple for the simple reason that they've claimed ownership. The Apple customer is devoted; she's passionate; Apple's actions matter, because it matters to her.
When your association's CEO issues a statement, does it provoke a similar reaction from your members?
Many associations, because we are built around the concept of consensus, fear controversy. We'd be much happier if everyone got along ... if people worked through "proper channels" rather than airing critical thoughts in public. However, if your association is not the topic of pro-and-con conversation among your constituents ... if your trade press is not analyzing your actions and measuring your success ... if you're not being criticized sometimes ... then you have to question how relevant you really are.
Passion is not blind allegiance. It's a commitment to the idea of an organization and a fervent desire to see that idea succeed.
The way to inspire such passion is to feel it yourself. It's not enough to put out competent publications, develop a solid educational program line, copy member programs from other organizations that worked well for them, send lobbyists to work the legislature, form committees to set standards, etc.
That's "stuff" that many associations do. But it's not what your association is. Are our members sitting around engaged in animated dialogue about our associations? Does our acronym pop up in members' minds and conversations several times a day? Do we feel and inspire real passion for what the association is -- what the association stands for?
Do your members even know what your association stands for? Do you?
Because that's your brand. As Slap said, you can't create your brand. It's not a tagline that emerges from a committee. Your brand is the experience you create for your members and your customers -- good or bad.
Posted by Kevin Holland at August 16, 2005 07:11 AM
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