Embark on a refreshing journey into the heart of branding and marketing with our illustrious guest, Kris Brinker, a maven who seamlessly melds the art of Tai Chi with the science of branding. In a candid and insightful session, Kris and our host delve into the essence of marketing, debunking myths and laying bare the core strategies that drive successful branding. From aligning stakeholders to understanding the erratic nature of public perception, this episode is a treasure trove of insights for entrepreneurs, brand strategists, and anyone keen on crafting authentic narratives in a market flooded with discord. Tune in as we unravel the nuances of branding and explore how to navigate the delicate balance between authenticity and strategic branding in a world where every voice is vying for attention.
Embark on a refreshing journey into the heart of branding and marketing with our illustrious guest, Kris Brinker, a maven who seamlessly melds the art of Tai Chi with the science of branding. In a candid and insightful session, Kris and our host delve into the essence of marketing, debunking myths and laying bare the core strategies that drive successful branding. From aligning stakeholders to understanding the erratic nature of public perception, this episode is a treasure trove of insights for entrepreneurs, brand strategists, and anyone keen on crafting authentic narratives in a market flooded with discord. Tune in as we unravel the nuances of branding and explore how to navigate the delicate balance between authenticity and strategic branding in a world where every voice is vying for attention.
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:38:03
Kris Brinker
We kind of consider our workshops to be, you know, mostly strategy but also a part therapy session because it's just it's really amazing to see how out of alignment the members of leadership are in their thinking and to try to get everybody on the same page and is really can be a stumbling block for a company.
00:00:38:06 - 00:01:04:09
Tan Wilson
In a world saturated with messages. Crafting authentic narratives is both an art and a challenge. Central to this is the power of effective communication. And in today's episodes will delve into the fundamentals of branding. Guided by a unique perspective, our guest, Chris Brinker, lending her expertise in marketing with the principles of Taichi. Chris offers a distinctive approach to understanding and mastering the art of branding.
00:01:04:12 - 00:01:34:09
Tan Wilson
Our guest today is Chris Brinker, partner and VP of relationship Development at Ocean Life Strategies and a branding expert renowned for uncovering a brand's true essence. Chris's professional journey is a unique blend of contrast, combining the calm and focus of Taichi with the dynamic world of branding and marketing. Our expertise transcends conventional boundaries of the boardroom, extending into the serene world of Taichi, where she imparts wisdom and inspiration.
00:01:34:12 - 00:01:55:26
Tan Wilson
This fusion of disciplines, which is her approach to branding, making it as comprehensive and thoughtful as it is results oriented. And with her extensive experience in marketing and this distinctive perspective, Chris offers an invaluable insight into the power of branding. Today, we're excited to explore these insights and learn some process rich experience. Welcome.
00:01:55:28 - 00:02:04:16
Kris Brinker
John That was a heck of an introduction. Thank you so much for inviting me to join you today. I'm really looking forward to our conversation.
00:02:04:18 - 00:02:23:29
Tan Wilson
Me too. And so I have a few questions before we dive into our main discussion. But in a world so obsessed with buzzwords, how do you maintain authenticity and your branding approach without sounding like a walking advertisement? Is there a secret sauce to being authentic and relatable?
00:02:24:01 - 00:02:51:10
Kris Brinker
Secret sauce? I'm not sure about secret sauce. I do agree with you about the buzzwords. I have to say, that's I'll admit that when people start to overuse some of the branding and marketing buzzwords, or I find myself needing to use for myself on the inside, I can feel my eyes rolling just a bit. Just being perfectly transparent.
00:02:51:12 - 00:03:20:12
Kris Brinker
I think branding itself is actually one of the biggest and misunderstood buzzwords. Many people consider branding to really only be concerned with colors, pictures, logos, fonts, the visual stuff And these elements are important, but they are really only a fraction of the puzzle pieces that go into branding. Branding is really a lot wider and deeper than that, really to remain authentic and relatable.
00:03:20:13 - 00:03:47:14
Kris Brinker
I think you need to do a little bit of soul searching, a thorough audit of your company goals, visions, values, and what problems your company solves for your target audience. I guess branding is really it's about controlling the narrative and determining how you want to show up, not only really to potential clients, but also other audiences for government contractors.
00:03:47:16 - 00:04:05:04
Kris Brinker
It means also relating to teaming partners and potential recruits. So I'd say part of the key to maintaining authenticity is really to maintain, to maintain transparency and consistent in your messaging.
00:04:05:06 - 00:04:24:27
Tan Wilson
So agree with that. And I think sometimes people use branding in a very superficial kind of way, like you said, just scratching the surface of it, the logos, the colors, those are the easy, fun things. But really to the heart of it is diving deep and really kind of looking. And so I couldn't agree with you more on that.
00:04:24:28 - 00:04:49:18
Tan Wilson
And so, you know, communication, that's kind of like the essence of branding, yet it's kind of easy to get lost in all of this jargon, especially in the government contracting section, you know, industry. And so like, how do we ensure clarity and engagement where when we're trying to convey a company's branding narrative without, you know, going into this alphabet.
00:04:49:18 - 00:04:50:10
Kris Brinker
Soup.
00:04:50:13 - 00:05:11:29
Tan Wilson
Or industry jargon and get lost in all of that, I get it. You say this and drop this to make sure that, you know, you're smart and you know you're you're being caught. You know, like, put things on the hashtag, different things like that. But sometimes it gets to be a little bit much and you lose that whole, you know, essence of what you're trying to communicate.
00:05:12:01 - 00:05:39:19
Kris Brinker
Yeah, I definitely agree. It's it's really easy to get lost. I like your your the way you phrase it in a jungle of jargon and yeah, no group deals with more jargon than government contractors, the alphabet soup and all of the acronyms. And really to to be able to clearly articulate your value and the problems that you solve, the pain that you take away.
00:05:39:22 - 00:06:08:04
Kris Brinker
And you know, just understanding who it is that you're trying to influence are really key. We at Ocean Five, we work with government contracting companies and we see a lot of techno speak on their websites, the capability statements and even just talking to them, you know, 1 to 1 in person, you know, most often the people that these companies are trying to communicate with are not actually the technical people.
00:06:08:07 - 00:06:30:14
Kris Brinker
So people need to keep in mind that you're creating messaging that really needs to speak human. And, you know, don't assume that people that are, for instance, coming to your website and reading your RFP responses are the technical people. What the people the what the people really want to know is how are you going to solve their problems?
00:06:30:17 - 00:07:04:16
Kris Brinker
They need to solve their problems. They need to meet their deadlines and they need to achieve our mission. And they're not really concerned with what gadget gizmo service you're going to do it with these people. These people are people. And and they need to know how you're going to help them. We found that often having an outside party conduct a strategic meeting of all the stakeholders to draw out all that critical information and then condense it down and and so they can actually now clearly articulate the messaging.
00:07:04:18 - 00:07:13:05
Kris Brinker
And that can be a big help. And really, once you have your messaging nailed, then then you don't have to totally rely on jargon.
00:07:13:08 - 00:07:35:21
Tan Wilson
Yeah, well, I totally agree with you. It's it's what I call the the so what question. So when I come in because I'm an outsider, I'm not drinking Kool aid, I'm technical in-house, so kind of understand the technology or the solution that they're trying to pitch. But at the end of the day, if you can't answer my so what then?
00:07:35:23 - 00:07:59:22
Tan Wilson
You really don't have a, you know, like a strong value proposition that may not really resonate, you know, with the end customer who the end user is. But yeah, but you know, we've had previous chats about, you know, this, this whole, you know, me, I'm all about being authentic, but, you know, being tactical at the same time, you know, there's a dynamic between authenticity and tactical aspects of branding.
00:07:59:24 - 00:08:24:01
Tan Wilson
And it's always so eye opening when you and I talk because we agree more than we disagree. And but you're always every time we talk, it's I'm always learning something new and so intriguing, which leads us to, you know, this discussion that we're having today to kind of explore and dig a little deeper into like your branding philosophy, especially around authenticity.
00:08:24:03 - 00:08:47:12
Tan Wilson
I think, you know, you have a really kind is unique and fresh look about that. So, you know, I kind of wanna like let's like I like to say let's pull that thread a little bit here in our discussion. But you know, branding often casts a long shadow over, you know, like the business landscape. But from your perspective and experience, what does branding truly encapsulate?
00:08:47:12 - 00:08:59:02
Tan Wilson
You know, can you kind of help unravel some of the atomic bits that might, you know, lead a lot of these companies and, you know, branding, marketing people astray?
00:08:59:04 - 00:09:28:09
Kris Brinker
Yeah, sure. You know, as I mentioned earlier, one of the biggest myths is, is really it's a very narrow viewpoint of what branding is all about. Branding is really it's about what you look like, what you sound like, how you behave and other characteristics and really understanding who you are as a company and how you want to be perceived as is a great first step.
00:09:28:12 - 00:09:49:21
Kris Brinker
You know, it's really how you want to show up, not about your products and your services. It's if you keep in mind, it's about how you make people feel and what is the experience your audience will have when they engage and interact with your company and, you know, and how how do you want them to feel? What experience do you want them to have?
00:09:49:24 - 00:10:19:23
Kris Brinker
So I'm going to I think of a couple really well-known brands, and I'm just going to go with the big ones that people will recognize. For instance, there's a there's a really big difference if you think about Nike, and their branding really conveys something like inspiration, motivation, empowerment, and and how do you feel when you interact with that brand and then compare that to to Lego, right?
00:10:19:26 - 00:10:44:29
Kris Brinker
That company, which is it's really about creativity and imagination and playfulness. And I have to admit, I still love playing Lego with this, but, but it's a very different feeling. And and so, you know, it's the experience, you know, and I know we're talking about the government contracting world and not be to see business to consumer. But and there is a drastic difference.
00:10:44:29 - 00:11:18:09
Kris Brinker
But you can kind of see where I'm going with that. And the nature of these differences will ultimately lead to decisions that are made to me by your essential customers, as well as your teeming partners and employees as well. So I think another big misunderstanding about branding is that it gets handed down, you know, in an organization from the top down, top top people make the decisions and they hand it down and and then it just is.
00:11:18:12 - 00:11:40:25
Kris Brinker
But but we recommend getting feedback from all of the people that your brand touches is is also incredibly important. And that can be your employees. It can be your clients, you know, just really salespeople, their business development and feedback from those folks is is really important to.
00:11:40:28 - 00:12:14:28
Tan Wilson
Our and you do see that more on the government contracting side and I really some some companies have done a really great job you know octo IBM they they put a lot of time and attention into you know their branding like the it impacts their company culture. And, you know, like a lot of times they you know, I think the culture kind of feeds into the direction of their branding that will attract other people, other companies that want to work with them.
00:12:15:00 - 00:12:55:24
Tan Wilson
Same thing with Libra, right? You know, RELA has a lot of philanthropy. They they do wonderful work that one of the big contractors out that they that are really great they've got a very different feel about you know like their fun they give back to community. And so I think there are some really great examples in our industry that you can kind of model after or at least, you know, like admire and bring that internally and try to not, you know, like mimic or replicate, but kind of see how you can kind of forge a different path for your organization that kind of suits, you know, the style and the culture and, you know, the
00:12:55:25 - 00:13:00:16
Tan Wilson
customers that you're trying to attract and and employees to employees.
00:13:00:18 - 00:13:32:20
Kris Brinker
And that there is a there is a huge, huge challenge now more than ever with attracting and retaining top talent. And I mean, it's it's a it's a bit of a war out there and really making sure that you are considering considering your brand. You know how how you're recruits potential employees are going to interact with it because because they want to know, you know, do I want to work for this company or do I want to work for your competitor?
00:13:32:27 - 00:13:37:15
Kris Brinker
So, yeah, really, really taking that into consideration is also a huge it.
00:13:37:19 - 00:14:06:13
Tan Wilson
Exactly. So you know, our discussion about like strategic core of branding has always really resonated with me and there's so many different opinions and approaches and places in a company, you know, aligning to everyone's, you know, similar narrative can be kind of kind of challenging. How do great. Can you share some thoughts on creating more of an alignment between all the stakeholders and why it's crucial for, you know, branding success?
00:14:06:16 - 00:14:32:20
Kris Brinker
Yeah, Yeah. And you hit it. You hit it right on the head. Creating alignment among the key stakeholders is really it's huge and it's very often very challenging when we run our, our marketing and messaging workshops for our clients, the first thing that we do is really try to get input from all the key stakeholders and, you know, and try to work towards that alignment.
00:14:32:20 - 00:14:55:00
Kris Brinker
I guess we kind of consider our workshops to be, you know, mostly strategy but also a part therapy session because it's just it's really amazing to see how out of alignment the memberships, the members of leadership are in their thinking. And to try to get everybody on the same page is is really can be a stumbling block for a company.
00:14:55:02 - 00:15:35:21
Kris Brinker
And then, you know, once you have everybody's input then then you really just need to sit down and take a good hard look and draw out what is truly important. And then and then the next step after that would be creating very clear and concise company messaging that then flows into important tools like company website, your capability statement sales pitch, tax proposals, just really everything, because having the key messaging aligned across every touchpoint that your target market comes in contact with and that's to be employees.
00:15:35:21 - 00:16:00:00
Kris Brinker
It could be teaming partners, could be your end client influencers. You know, that is that's what actually develops and is the key to brand trust. So you want to keep in mind clarity and transparency and authenticity. When you're creating your company messaging and keeping it consistent, just keep in a consistent.
00:16:00:02 - 00:16:31:08
Tan Wilson
Yeah, I think to the things that you just said here, really kind of a sticking point with me is the consistency part, but it's it's the trust, right? It's trust on all levels. It's the trust internally within your own internal stakeholders and is also establishing that trust externally to some companies. And I'm not going to name names to protect the guilty, but sometimes how very good and impressive outward appearance.
00:16:31:10 - 00:16:53:18
Tan Wilson
But when you really dig deeper into what is it like working there, what is it like working for the company? What is it like teaming with that company? Now you get a whole different story. So you really do need to, you know, dig deep sometimes and not be fooled, you know, by some really slick work that's, you know, that that's sort of out there.
00:16:53:18 - 00:17:22:03
Tan Wilson
So it's solid, it's real. It's you know, we hear and see and speak amongst ourselves. So I that is something that I think companies should be really kind of concern and mindful of. So but, you know, like in the business realm, you know, there's marketing dynamics and public perception are constantly like, is that constantly in flux? This fluidity is such a challenge for brands striving to kind of evolve or remaining kind of true.
00:17:22:03 - 00:17:44:04
Tan Wilson
You want to kind of evolve and change and be agile, but you know, you don't want to change so much that you don't recognize yourself. But can you share some of your insights on how a brand can, you know, effectively like navigate some of these tides of change whilst still kind of making sure that the evolution still resonates with the shifting market?
00:17:44:04 - 00:17:53:00
Tan Wilson
But public perceptions and stays aligned with your mission is a goal. So can we do all of that and we all do all and still be true to ourselves?
00:17:53:07 - 00:18:23:12
Kris Brinker
I love this question and the consideration of fluidity, constant change is navigating the changing tides of business. That's really all largely the inspiration behind the Ocean five brand and just a little little history or background in case people are not aware that due to the Earth's changing environment, Fifth Ocean was declared back in the year 2000, and prior to that, we were taught that there were four oceans.
00:18:23:14 - 00:18:51:02
Kris Brinker
So an ocean is actually defined by environmental conditions. That's, you know, that we considered that the ever changing, unpredictable environment that created a fifth ocean. It was also very representative of what businesses face every day. And part of what we focus on in our marketing programs for our clients is fluidity and the ability to pivot with change. Change is going to happen.
00:18:51:02 - 00:19:16:24
Kris Brinker
You have to be agile enough to adapt and stay in front of it. It's also a great opportunity for me to weave in what I teach in my TAICHI classes that really to thrive, you need to remain flexible and at the same time build strength, endurance and you also have to become really sensitive to the ground that you walk on in order to maintain your balance.
00:19:16:27 - 00:19:56:11
Kris Brinker
I think you just asked a question I could probably talk about forever, but but one of our Ocean five differentiators is, is that we utilize an Agile project management style in our marketing programs. And I borrowed a bit from the Agile project management, from software development. And you know, we feel like when you're agile you can pivot during unexpected change and, and it and it truly ensures that you're always focusing on the most important activity that ultimately is driving towards the business growth and meeting the strategic goals.
00:19:56:17 - 00:20:12:19
Kris Brinker
And you know, if you if you remain stuck in what I call a menu style program, there is really little room for adaptation and change and you kind of get what you get every month and something changes you. You really don't have the ability to pivot.
00:20:12:22 - 00:20:23:28
Tan Wilson
Yeah. And here all this time that I've known you, I thought oceans Five was, was was a homage to the Oceans 11 movies. So you learn, okay.
00:20:24:05 - 00:20:33:24
Kris Brinker
We'll take the recognition and we will take it. But now it was ultimately it was inspired by an article that I read on the NOA website.
00:20:33:26 - 00:21:23:05
Tan Wilson
interesting. Yeah. Well, if Julia Roberts is listening, we'll have you on the show any time. So putting that out there, hey, if it can work for Travis Kelce, kudos. All right, I'll catch it. So let's let's continue with this. I love this whole ocean type of, you know, analogies here that we're using. But, you know, when you're steering the ship of branding, let's say, through these trivial waters of marketing dynamic demands and a compass where awareness like a map or a strategic foresight and a crew with stakeholders, how would you explain or help a client for charting a new course over branding landscape to rally the crew around it so share it narrative?
00:21:23:07 - 00:21:32:11
Tan Wilson
Moreover, you and I can prove and strategies be intertwined with a brand's authentic essence to navigate toward success.
00:21:32:18 - 00:22:09:27
Kris Brinker
So I love all the ocean analogies tongue. We begin all of our engagements with a thorough understanding of not just the marketing goals, but the growth goals of the company that we're working with. We typically work with companies that have an aggressive growth goal and have some kind of timeline in mind. Mostly these are companies that have come through what we call business infancy and the teenage years and and really in their own words, they identify by themselves that it's time to look and sound like a grown up company.
00:22:09:27 - 00:22:38:22
Kris Brinker
And and that's their words that that they come to us with. You know, we're working with established companies that recognize that they've they've been fortunate and they've done a good job. And sometimes they've just been lucky that they've gotten where they've gotten to at this point. They also recognize if they continue only doing what they've been doing, they're not going to ultimately reach their growth potential and their growth goals.
00:22:38:25 - 00:23:05:09
Kris Brinker
Once we understand the growth goals of a company, we'll drill down into creating the messaging and the visual brand assets that will propel them towards their goals. The process usually begins with a strategy workshop, and that's where we get all the key stakeholders on the same page. And that creates the clarity that that the company needs to really be successful.
00:23:05:11 - 00:23:34:14
Kris Brinker
And as I said, it's the strategy with a business therapy. So we really recognize with the phrase failing to plan is planning to fail. And I know we've all heard that, but but we really like that quote. And all of our programs follow a strategy. And we've even trademarked our proven process. We call it swim and more water analogy.
00:23:34:16 - 00:24:04:21
Kris Brinker
Swim stands for strategy with implementation and measurement. So we basically create the strategy, we implement the programs, we measure the progress and and then we in the measurement, we see where we need to pivot and possibly adapt where necessary so that we're that we're really constantly moving towards the strategic goals. And we generally also advise people not to try to measure everything.
00:24:04:21 - 00:24:35:14
Kris Brinker
You can really get bogged down in. There's some measuring measure. Yeah, part of part of the the success is realizing, you know, what things you need to measure and what things just aren't important. And and people generally refer to those as vanity metrics or just or sometimes it's just noise. So once you determine what makes up your brand and you've clarified your messaging, then you really need to get alignment throughout the whole company from the top down.
00:24:35:15 - 00:24:51:27
Kris Brinker
And we talked about before, consistency really is critical and an ultimately that will ensure happy customers, happy teaming partners, happy employees, and will lead to the growth and the success of a company. Now that's great.
00:24:51:29 - 00:25:18:15
Tan Wilson
We go from insanity to let's just get really serious about like my next question here, because you provided so many insights and actual nuggets in this discussion that I have another serious question that you if you had a superpower that would make you unbeatable in winning government contracts or a new customer, what would it be? And you do get extra points if you can relate this to a superhero, since I'm a huge marvel.
00:25:18:17 - 00:25:46:04
Kris Brinker
All right, now you're really tapping into my inner geek. I am a big fan of X-Men comics, so while that I have to admit that ultimately I think my favorite superhero really is Nightcrawler, I think the answer to your question would ultimately be the superpower of continuous adaptation. So I think the winner of the ability to adjust to any situation and ensure their survival would be Darwin.
00:25:46:07 - 00:25:50:17
Kris Brinker
So do I get any extra points?
00:25:50:19 - 00:25:57:01
Tan Wilson
So you pick two. So yes, maybe you maybe I'll double your score on that. I don't know too much more. Right.
00:25:57:03 - 00:26:02:25
Kris Brinker
Well, I just I just meant you just mentioned the first one, but the answer that, you know. All right.
00:26:03:02 - 00:26:30:01
Tan Wilson
I might actually subtract point. I don't know. You're taking away from the superheroes, but I digress that seriously. You know, like in your experience with branding strategies, you know, how do they differ for new entrepreneurs, places, established business owners, because their processes are really different while still kind of being authentic in this competitive market.
00:26:30:03 - 00:26:58:17
Kris Brinker
Part of a brand strategy for a new startup often centers around How do I bootstrap this? They're just kind of they're just starting off and everything. Everything is really kind of an experiment. You still need to focus on creating a unique brand and understanding your differentiators so that you can really resonate with your target audience. But for the most part, you are doing a lot, if not all, of it yourself.
00:26:58:19 - 00:27:29:04
Kris Brinker
And in contrast to established business, they generally have the advantage of being able to create a marketing budget which would allow them to bring in outside expertise, outside opinion, get a you know, get to actually a third party fresh look. And and also their brand has been out there for a while and it's been tested and that that's important you need to you need to test your brand and get feedback and make sure that you know that it's working the way that you think it will.
00:27:29:06 - 00:27:56:01
Kris Brinker
And generally, a company that's moving from teenager to adult really needs to audit their brand, you know, to make sure that they're still relevant and, you know, and possibly refresh, refine and refresh it. But typically, unless they've gone through some drastic change, like a merger acquisition, for example, the the car and existing brand, it doesn't need to go back to the drawing board again.
00:27:56:02 - 00:28:22:17
Kris Brinker
So that is that small pivot. It's a small change, more of like tweaking and refining. And as far as authenticity, I'm going to go back to transparency and consistency and create a strategy, follow through with implementation measure, adjust. And you know, at that point, maybe only a degree or two. And then I have a bigger annual check in just to make sure that you are, in fact, on track.
00:28:22:24 - 00:28:54:08
Tan Wilson
Yeah. So I think one of the things that really kind of will apply to both organization shows is just kind of getting out of your head. I think having a fresh perspective, having another, you know, viewpoint on where you are, where you want to be, to see if they are aligned, I think is great regardless of whether or not, you know, you're new or, you know, you've got an established brand, I know I elicit those opinions all the time.
00:28:54:08 - 00:29:18:18
Tan Wilson
I'm always like, Hey, am I missing the mark by staying true to my brand? And I think our company is now in our 4.0 part of our brand. And so it's, you know, it's ever evolving. You're trying to stay ahead of the trends, you're trying to stay true to what you are, but still kind of showing that, you know, the growth and staying relevant are it's a challenge.
00:29:18:18 - 00:29:45:17
Tan Wilson
But I definitely agree with eliciting, you know, external insights on. So. All right. So quickly here as we wrap up a little bit and I'm going to ask you a few questions, single word responses. I have yet to get single word responses, which is fine. No one ever follows instructions, but that's okay. That's what happens when you have interesting people on your show over.
00:29:45:17 - 00:29:49:06
Kris Brinker
Really want me to answer anything in a single word ever?
00:29:49:09 - 00:30:09:16
Tan Wilson
No. The only time I ever answer in a single word is when I'm very upset. So if I am at a loss for words, everyone should clear the row. So I agree with you on that one. But first, first question, what's your go to book for branding sites?
00:30:09:18 - 00:30:42:19
Kris Brinker
I often look at books as Biblio therapy. So again, again, back to the therapy, I'm not sure I have an all encompassing go to book, but I am currently rereading what's called Building a Story brand. It's very one title, Building a story brand. Clarify higher, clarify your message so customers will listen. Those by Donald Miller. You know, I think the most critical ingredient that goes into branding really is clarifying your messaging.
00:30:42:19 - 00:30:47:05
Kris Brinker
And that's a that's a really that's a really good book I resonate with.
00:30:47:07 - 00:31:11:10
Tan Wilson
Yeah. Well, fortunately for Mr. Miller, I may never pick up that book because the title's too long to hold my attention. I don't have the patience, unfortunately, to sit down and read books unless it's very small. But I guess it's because I sit and read hundreds of pages of solicitations every day. So I've had myself words by the end of the day that.
00:31:11:12 - 00:31:19:24
Tan Wilson
Yes, yes. So what is a brand that resonates with you the most and why?
00:31:19:27 - 00:31:43:09
Kris Brinker
Well, so that is a bit of a tough one. And just I guess if I had to pick on that then to make sure that everybody's heard of it, I guess I would go with Costco. And the way I see their their brand is really it's all about customer experience and and the quality of their products and and being a great value.
00:31:43:09 - 00:31:52:18
Kris Brinker
But happy customers is sort of the number one most important thing. And that just really resonates with me. So one word answer Costco.
00:31:52:20 - 00:32:12:15
Tan Wilson
Yeah. Now I agree with that. Costco is like a twice a week visit for me. And you're right, if Costco endorses it and wants to buy it in as big of a bulk as they do, you know they're going to be able to move it. And so why would they buy a horrible product every once in a while?
00:32:12:16 - 00:32:35:25
Tan Wilson
Don't get me wrong, there's been a couple of misses with Costco, but that's just, you know, move by flavor to it. You know, maybe it wasn't my thing, Right. But they really do. They really do know their customers. And I don't know if people know this, but the Costco, I think I've hit every class doing like the D.C. metro area, which is where I'm an expat from.
00:32:35:28 - 00:32:56:07
Tan Wilson
And every one of them is different. And I didn't realize this, but the one in Sterling in particular is very focused, and that's their flagship where they will try new products. And so if you ever want to try, you know, like new ones, that's that's the one to go to otherwise.
00:32:56:09 - 00:32:57:12
Kris Brinker
Is the one I shop at.
00:32:57:12 - 00:33:13:27
Tan Wilson
So that's there you are going you are going to the right one. I'm Sam. Yes you are. So last question here. So what is the best or one of the best logos you've ever seen besides yours and mine? Of course.
00:33:13:29 - 00:33:46:19
Kris Brinker
Of course, of course. So that one's actually a little easier because I have I repeat this over and over again. Not every time I see the logo, but I hate to go with one of the big ones, but I am going to say Amazon. And of course that deserves an explanation. I think they've incorporated so many key factors in one very simple logo and if you look at the way it's set up, you've got the the A, the Z, the arrow.
00:33:46:21 - 00:34:10:27
Kris Brinker
So it's kind of like the the fact that you can purchase anything from A to Z, It will they can ship from point A to point Z, and that path actually creates the little smile. So I just think it's clever, it's incredibly simple and, and it's also incredibly legible with a lot, which a lot of people miss that point when they're creating a logo.
00:34:10:29 - 00:34:12:21
Kris Brinker
There's legibility.
00:34:12:23 - 00:34:31:04
Tan Wilson
Yeah. No a great and I love Amazon and especially at certain times of year and now that I live in the Woodlands, there's a huge distribution center here. I can get things within hours. So that's kind of tough when you're raising a 13 year old and having to teach them patience when it's like, Well, what do you mean?
00:34:31:04 - 00:34:52:15
Tan Wilson
I have to wait till Monday to get something? But for me, being a Gen-X kid, I would go with like McDonald's, grow up on it, know it, recognize it, look forward to seeing it. So yeah, even to this day, at my age, I'm like, I still look for it. It's like old habits die hard.
00:34:52:15 - 00:35:02:01
Kris Brinker
So if people want to if people want to do a little research, they really actually have an amazing brand story. So that that that's kind of one that is fun to read about.
00:35:02:03 - 00:35:31:18
Tan Wilson
They really do. Yeah. So today's the session has shed light on the essence of stakeholder engagement, the importance of a well thought out strategy and the power of authenticity and branding. And so some a key takeaways from our discussion are authenticity, which is essential for genuine and brand engagement, strategic balance, effective communications with relatable content and public perception, which is key to smart branding, a positioning.
00:35:31:18 - 00:36:03:12
Tan Wilson
So I want to thank you, Chris, so much for your invaluable insights today. I always enjoy speaking with you. You're a great person. You're highly sought after expert of this industry. And to our listeners, we encourage you to connect with us and explore the depths of branding a little bit further. And remember, too, that during the hustle, take a moment to kind of, like she says, have some self-care, be it tai chi, yoga meditation, or a well-deserved vacation or a break.
00:36:03:15 - 00:36:09:27
Tan Wilson
Chris It's Really been fun having you and we look forward to having you back again in the future, if you'll have us.
00:36:09:29 - 00:36:36:04
Kris Brinker
if you will have me, I would love that very much. This has been great. It's really it's a great experience. We talk about experience. So yeah, and honestly, there's so many misperceive options about what branding really is. And there are a lot of misperceptions in general in the world. So we do have quite a bit to think about not just branding.
00:36:36:07 - 00:37:04:23
Kris Brinker
We work with both B2B and B2C companies and you know, we understand that there are difference differences in their marketing strategies and also the best practices that are needed. They they do tend to there are some some similarities, but there are some really key differences that you have to. Keep in mind and, you know, we have loads of resources on our website articles, we have checklists, we have guides, we have webinar recordings, hoping we get a good recording.
00:37:04:23 - 00:37:41:19
Kris Brinker
And I'll put this one up on our Learning Labs library as well. And you know, for that people can go to Ocean Five Strategies US dot com that's ocean singular the number five strategies plural and if you have a need for some tai chi you can also find me on just breathe tai chi and do your point Taichi yoga qigong, you know whatever you wind up resonating with it is it is really important to do some self-care, especially especially this time of year.
00:37:41:21 - 00:37:53:07
Tan Wilson
Exactly. Well, that's a wrap, folks. So keep sharing, sipping and strategizing. And remember, the secret ingredient is a genuine connection and a glass of bourbon infused with a generous splash of fluids.