The band Beirut has created a wonderfully simple music video concept ripped straight from the bowels of creativity.  Less is more nearly all of the time, folks.  That is exactly what Beirut has done.  They’ve not only decided to create a live music video for their track called “Nantes”, but they introduced the music in such a way that will have you asking yourself, “Why hasn’t anybody thought of that before?”

They’ve managed to set themselves apart from other bands of any genre.  This is key for their brand.  Let’s face it, bands are moving, breathing brands.  Can you, off the top of your head, identify key traits associated with Guns n Roses, The New York Dolls, The Sex Pistols, etc?  Those are all strong brands…ahem…”bands”.  Branding is key in music, as it is with all products and services.

Here are the 5 things to take away from the “Nantes” video by Beirut:

1. Less is more
2. Music doesn’t have to be overly-ProTooled
3. Euphoniums in any band are awesome
4. Setting your band/brand apart is key…people will notice
5. New Order’s live “Temptation” video from the early 1980s has some legitimate competition

See the video below:

The branding and marketing department at American Airlines is cringing right now.  They relied on their vendor to ensure that the American Airlines brand was protected.  Whoops!

You may remember my friend that had the great experience with the Cathay Pacific brand on his way to Asia from Los Angeles.  He delivered once again this week!  He was on a flight to Katmandu or Timbuktu or some other place that ends in “u” and opted to watch an episode of 30 Rock.  The opening credits for the episode listed the United Airlines logo paired with NBC.  He was on an American Airlines flight.  Gulp.

People make mistakes, but this one is the kind that stands out.  If you are a brand manager and miss the fact that your competitor’s brand is on your content then you’ve got a problem, hombre; vendor provided content not withstanding.  At the end of the day, brand management is a soft and fuzzy form of quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC).

With social media and social networking instantaneously broadcasting the successes and failures for brands, individuals that manage brands have got a much more intense job than they ever have in the history of marketing.  With so many modern exposure points and amplification tools, top brand managers must create robust systems that catch mistakes like the one pictured above.  Otherwise, people like me blog about them.

Crappy service from service oriented brands or businesses makes my mind melt.  It’s one of my  pet peeves.  In light of that, I’m always excited to hear about great experiences with brands.  Today, said excitement reignited after a friend (that happens to do marketing for a large global brand) told me about his flight to Asia on Cathay Pacific.    Do you hear that, other brands?  Go get your notepads.  It is as simple as our good friends at Gigom said in one of their articles:

…in branding, it turns out that what matters most in the message are simplicity and consistency.

It is that simple and something that Cathay Pacific has continuously delivered year after year.

I should preface this story by telling you that my friend is a big business and leisure  traveler.  It’s also important to note that he appreciates 5 star service more than any other person I know.  You should also know that I really enjoy guacamole.

When my friend finally got comfy in his seat, he received a birthday card signed by the entire Cathay Pacific flight crew in their native languages.  He was so excited by this nice touch, that he immediately posted it to his Facebook profile.  Since then, numerous people commented and some have definitely shared that story at their respective water coolers and watering holes.

That, my friends, is a scenario that is about as basic as it gets for any brand.  Part of the game for brand managers is just showing up.  The remaining portion is simply giving a damn about customers and engaging them in ways that THEY want.  The sad truth is that many brands know this, but seldom deliver.  The truth is that most take that same half-assed approach to their social media strategy and expect magic to happen.

There is a sentiment that my peers, associates and friends often hear me belabor in one form or another:

If your brand is not clearly defined in your daily company life and isn’t consistently reinforced [read:  brand sucks ass], what makes you think that diving into social and community media will help you find the marketing Holy Grail?

Here’s a tip.  You won’t find the magic sauce just by creating a Facebook fan page.  Rather, your attempt will most likely more closely resemble a Holy FAIL.  After all, brands are like individual people.  If one is inconsistent and “fake” then the likelihood of people actually wanting to hang out and say good things is quite slim.  The same goes for brands.  I’m so glad Cathay “gets it”.

What are some pet peaves or noteworthy scenarios you’ve experienced with brands?