You’re at a party and you see a hot girl. You approach her and say “I’m good in bed”. That’s Direct Marketing.

You’re at a party with a group of mates and you see a hot girl. One of your mates approaches her and says “That guy over there is really good in bed”. That’s Advertising.

You’re at a party and you see a hot girl. You ask for her phone number. The following day you call her and tell her “I’m good in bed”. That’s Telemarketing .

You’re at a party and you see a hot girl. You recognize her, you approach her and refresh her memory by telling her “Do you remember how good I am in bed?” That’s Customer Relationship Management.

You’re at a party and you see a hot girl. You get up, fix your tie, pour her a drink, open the door for her, pick up her bag when it falls and tell her “I’m good in bed”. That’s PR.

You’re at a party and you see a hot girl. She approaches you and says “I hear you’re great in bed”. That’s BRANDING.

Trust is the new currency in our shaky economy. The way forward is called “branding”, and it’s about building a future that is dripping in respect, honesty, and “yes, we do give a damn” empathy.

Used together these seven pieces of code create a system of belief that attracts brand communities and public appeal for products and services, personalities, political and social movements, even civic communities. Is your brand a candidate for a little Primal Branding?

Richard does not successfully defend his Battle Of BIG Thinking title with this talk in March 2011. Oh well …

[click to pic below to view the video ]

Interbrand just released their Best Global Brands 2010 Report. Here are some of my highlights:

Coca-Cola still # 1, UP 2% on 2009.  It seems to me that positivity, fun and freedom will always be the strongest things a brand can stand for.

IBM at #2, still ahead of Microsoft, Google and Intel. Testament to an amazing change of paradigm and offering from ‘products’ to ‘services’.

Google at #4, a whopping 35% UP from where they were in 2009. This makes them the 2nd fastest growing brand in the world, as well as being [arguably] the most innovative company.

Nokia are #8, DOWN 3 positions and 15%. iPhone’s eating their lunch. [click on the chart to see what a shrinking share of the pie looks like]

Toyota at #11, DOWN 3 places and 16%. The consequence of their USA recalls, which I know has badly damaged their brand reputation among young Americans.

Apple at #17, three places and a massive 36% UP on 2009. This past year we got to see the new iPad and iPhone4. Apple is the fastest growing brand in the world.

J.P. Morgan at #29, UP eight places and 29%. J.P. Morgan is one of a small handful of financial services brand that has emerged from the economic crisis with its brand not only intact, but also improved.

Shell at #81, UP eleven positions and 24%. Their gain seems to have been BP’s loss. Shell appears far more committed to sustainable development than BP according to the report. BP meanwhile has fallen off the TOP 100 list for the first time in 10 years.

Harley Davidson at #98, DOWN 25 places and 24%. Why? They’re losing their core loyalists. What’s really pissing them off is the fact that their new CEO doesn’t even ride a Harley: a point which seems to have taken the social media and trade press spotlight for months.

Fascinating stuff.

And so we are forced back to one of the fundamental principals of branding. Brand strategy must be based on the truth; the truth of who you are, what you do, and how you do it. And for that lie, BP is now paying a heavy price.

Fifteen people speak for 15 minutes at The Battle of Big Thinking. The audience [250 people] votes for the top 5 category winners, and then for the overall winner. Richard was the overall winner at the inaugural Australian Big Thinking battle held in Sydney in March 2010. Enjoy

[click on either image to view the video]