Brand Autopsy

The Biology of Branding

Al & Laura Reis’ latest marketing book, The Origin of Brands, is a deeper dive into a conversation about how divergence trumps convergence in the development of brands. This time, Al & Laura approach divergence from the angle of biology.

A pdf summary of The Origin of Brands can be found here.

Some of what they say will no doubt stir debate between brand creationists and brand evolutionists. Don't believe me? Just read the excerpts below.

********** EXCERPT ONE **********

What has happened in nature is also happening in the world of products and services. Every category will eventually diverge and become two or more categories, creating endless opportunities to build new brands.

The interplay of evolution and divergence provides a model for understanding both the Universe and the universe of brands.

Evolution has received all the publicity, but evolution alone cannot account for the millions of diverse and unusual species that inhabit the Earth. If it weren’t for the force of divergence, evolution by itself would have created a world populated by millions of single-cell prokaryotes the size of dinosaurs.

So, too, it is in the world of brands. Brands evolve to become stronger and more dominant. But it’s divergence that generates the conditions that allow the introduction of new categories and new brands.

Comparing branding with biology might seem far-fetched, but we could think of no other analogy that so clearly and simply explains the branding process.

!! RANT Reading Re-Imagine - PART TWO

Thanks Michelle, Marc, and Todd for your thoughts on how to tackle Re-imagine. From your perspective, I was able to gain a new perspective on Re-imagine. That new perspective being ...

Re-imagine is not a book you read. It is a book you use.

As Todd pointed out, Re-imagine is a book to use by asking yourself what marketing/business problem(s) you are facing and then seeing what Tom Peters has to say.

Problem is … the book is not indexed for problem/solution usability.

Re-imagine would be better used if it was indexed like the recently published Unstuck is indexed.

Unstuck, written by Keith Yamashita and Sandra Spataro, is a book designed to help teams and individuals overcome obstacles and make change happen today, not tomorrow. Unstuck is truly a book to be used and not necessarily read.

To encourage its usage, the authors have indexed Unstuck in a way to make it easy to jump from problem to solution. At the beginning (pg. 47) and at the end (beginning on pg. 162), are indexes that outline the problems and then the relevant solutions are listed by page number. Ingenious. Powerful.

Maybe someone out there in the business blog world is up to the task of indexing Re-imagine in the same way. Any volunteers? Bueller? Bueller?

DO NOT BEND?

I think I fell for a marketing ploy.

I received a piece of mail from Sports Illustrated today. It was a standard business sized envelope, clearly marked with the Sports Illustrated logo and all. I already knew it was going to be some sort of pitch offering me a professional discounted rate to subscribe to SI. (I get 'em all the time).

The envelope was marked DO NOT BEND.

“Hmmm,” I wondered, “Do not bend? Interesting.” This instruction to the US Postal Service alerts the carrier to handle this envelope gingerly because it has something sensitive inside.

The contents?

a) standard form letter with my discounted offer
b) a return envelope

Nothing else.

No photos or other materials that would require an envelope to stay not bent.

I wasn't interested in the offer in the first place, but the DO NOT BEND did cause me to OPEN the envelope.

I think that they thought I'd think there were pictures of swimsuit models in my envelope.

Maybe there should have been?

! RANT Reading Re-Imagine

I am frustrated. Not pissed off … BUT FRUSTRATED.

I am not able to conquer Tom Peter’s tome … Re-imagine. I’ve been a voracious reader of business books for years now … and … have conquered them all.

All … EXCEPT … Re-imagine.

Am I not worthy? Do I need to buy the audio CD?

If I do buy the audio CD, will he follow the ellipses appropriately and how loud will he SCREAM the words in ALL CAPS?

To say Re-imagine is chock-full of delicious strategic sound-bites ... thought-provoking discussion ... and great business advice is an UNDERSTATEMENT of magnanimous proportions ... I want to learn all this book has to offer ... BUT HOW?

SERIOUSLY ... I NEED your HELP!

If you have read Re-imagine, please offer up how you tackled this bad boy … cuz I need help … BIG-TIME.

Thank you for helping this poor marketing sap.

High-Tech versus High-Touch

Take a few moments and listen to NPR’s Bob Edwards talking with Fast Company’s Charles Fishman about his recent article “The Toll of a New Machine.” (Fascinating stuff.)

In the article and in the radio interview, Charles examines how automated self-service kiosks are increasing efficiency, productivity, and the customer’s experience at McDonald’s, Continental Airlines, and Northwest Airlines.

This troubles me … greatly.

I cannot argue with the extraordinary results these kiosks are having at 48 McDonald’s pilot locations. Sales volume has increased by 20% and the average ticket has increased by 33% from $3.00 per transaction to $4.00 per transaction. As sales have increased, so has the store staff. Every McDonald’s involved in the kiosk pilot program has hired two or three additional employees in order to keep up with rising consumer demand.

Again, this troubles me … greatly.

I am troubled because automated self-service kiosks are one more way that commoditization is seeping into the retail buying experience. While every kiosk experience will be different, I fear kiosks, of this kind, will level the playing field for retailers and drive the human equation out of the retail experience.

But wait … commoditization has already changed the game at airlines, fast food restaurants, and grocery stores. Players in these industries have lost practically all their pricing power already because customers do not perceive differences between most airlines, fast food restaurants, and grocery stores. Installing kiosks will help to differentiate these companies from one another … that is until the novelty wears off and kiosks become standard practice at every airline, fast food spot, and grocer.

Okay … I am not so troubled anymore.

After all, there will still be businesses that focus on high-touch human interactions and not on high-tech kiosk transactions. These businesses will continue to appeal to consumers willing to trade up for a more meaningful one-on-one experience.

I’m 100% fine now. No need for the marketing paramedics. Nothing out of the ordinary going on here. You can all go home now.

But before you go, one more thing. While I've enjoyed getting my airline boarding pass faster through kiosks, I’ve also endured the painful process of being stuck behind befuddled passengers who are clueless as to how to use a touch-screen display. Let’s hope the consumer adoption curve for adapting to self-service kiosks ramps up quickly so we never have to get stuck behind the befuddled and clueless again.

To Guru or Not To Guru?

Workforce Management has published a very interesting “Business Guru Guide” that includes the guru's speaking fee as well as their schtick. According to the chart, Tom Peters gets $65K per speaking gig, Jim Collins gets $45K, and Gary Hamel gets $50K.

Be sure to check out their feature article, Guru Nation, as it sheds light on the business guru industry. Below are a few enticing snippets…

There are only about 25, maybe 50 management gurus in the world. They are the heavyweight thinkers that mold the business ideas of the day," says James Hoopes, a professor of business at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. "Today, senior executives are confused and looking for answers, and business gurus promise, though they don’t always deliver, a recipe for success."

Companies are willing to shell out huge sums for their employees to listen to the anointed experts without ever really considering the return on their investment. Do organizations that sponsor business gurus, such as Pfizer, Sprint, Wells Fargo and the U.S. Navy, ever really expect to put all these ideas into action?

Too often, managers and line employees have thoroughly tuned out the relentless droning of the CEO--who takes on the role of a nagging mom or dad. Ultimately, it’s cheaper to bring in a celebrity who can wow employees than to fork over several hundred thousand dollars for motivational events such as lavish off-site meetings and retreats

If enticed … click here for the Guru Nation article.

Thanks to the 800CEOREAD blog for the heads up.

The Three Fallacies

A friend of mine has had enough with the public relations agency he works for. He has tired of seeing the churning of employees, the unwillingness of the agency president to try new approaches, and the decaying of the agency’s name.

As we were chatting, I blurted out, “It looks like your agency is suffering from The Three Fallacies – Complacency, Conservatism, and Conceit.”

The agency in question has long been a dominant and admired PR firm but has recently fallen victim to The Three Fallacies.

When complacency took hold in the agency, it ate way at their vigor to grow and their desire to make a difference. My friend tells me that his PR firm’s staff has a yearly turnover rate of 100%. He goes on to say that his boss, the president, has told him she will never hire another inexperienced, but eager, junior professional again because she doesn’t have the time nor the patience to train them. In other words, the agency president has become complacent and that complacency now permeates throughout the firm.

My friend goes on to say that his boss is tied to the tether of yesteryear, that the agency is stuck doing business the way it has always done it. This conservatism has resulted in missed business opportunities as the agency prefers to rely on past successes and not strive for new successes. Prospective clients must sense this conservatism as the agency hasn’t signed up a new client in some time.

Finally, an attitude of conceit has blinded the president into believing her agency is still the best. This agency was the best … years ago. But today, they are getting lapped by upstarts with more drive, more passion, and a more humble approach.

It’s no wonder my friend has decided to leave the agency and become one of those upstarts who will succeed because of having drive, passion, and humbleness.

The Case for Higher Prices

By way of Business Pundit ... I read a blog entry from Mitch, of the The Windows Manager blog, concerning Netflix and their plans to raise prices.

According to the letter Netflix sent Mitch alerting him of their plans, Netflix hasn’t raised prices in nearly four years. Netflix justifies their 10% price increase by stating they have added more than 20 distribution centers and expanded by their inventory.

Raising prices is difficult, but it is necessary and it is better to steadily raise prices regularly than waiting years to raise prices. Its easier for customers to take slight, incremental price increases year-over-year rather than get hit by one large price increase after years of paying the same price.

Back in May 2000, Norm Brodsky, entrepreneur and columnist for Inc. Magazine, wrote a great piece on The Case for Higher Prices.

"Faced with such resistance, a lot of businesspeople are tempted to forgo price increases altogether, or at least put them off for as long as possible. If you do either one, however, you're making a big mistake. Granted, you may not feel the pain for a while. If your sales are going up, you'll probably be able to take home the same amount of money from one year to the next. As a result, you may not see the risks you're taking. In the short term, you'll think you're doing fine.

But, in fact, two things will be happening. First, your profit margins will be shrinking. Why? Because your costs will be going up. Even in Greenspan's America, certain costs always rise. It's what I call "creeping expenses." Some types of expenses have a life of their own. If you don't watch them like a hawk, they go up all by themselves. They may even go up if you do keep an eye on them.

In most small businesses, for example, you can count on payroll increases every year. You can expect regular hikes in insurance rates as well, and I'm not talking just about health insurance. The costs of utilities and supplies also have a tendency to rise over time. OK, some things are cheaper these days -- basic phone service, for example -- and computers let people work more efficiently than before. Nevertheless, your average costs per dollar of sales are going to rise from year to year. They may rise only 2% annually, but compound the increases over 5 or 10 years and eventually you won't be earning a profit anymore -- unless, of course, you raise prices."

For the entire arcticle, click here.

Worthy Reads and Worthless Reads

I’ve been on a business book reading binge of late … some worthy and some worthless. Worthy Reads are those that either: (a) help me generate new ideas ; (b) increase my intellection by giving me a new perspective on a business topic ; (c) maximize my current understanding of a business topic. Worthless Reads are those that do none of the above.

Taking the lead from the Viral Marketing Blog, I’m rating twelve recent reads on a five-point scale based upon the following three categories:

IDEATION – generates new ideas
INTELLECTION – gives me a new perspective on a business topic
MAXIMIZE – maximizes my current understanding of a business topic

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I received sheets of personalized address labels today with a packet inviting me to donate to the Disabled American Veterans. I think they are a worthwhile organization, and I may make a donation.

I want to make a comment. Not about the tactic of sending me a free gift, and now I may feel obligated to donate. (Actually, I can't recall the actual term for this tactic, if someone knows what that type of solicitation is, please post a comment - Thanks.)

But about this... the packet included a post card sized color photo of a gentleman named Jim who is wheelchair bound due to injuries sustained while fighting in Vietnam.

On the back of the photo is the nice message below.

While it's made to look like this is a hand written note potentially addressed just to me - I know better. They send out too many of these mailers to make it practical to have people hand write each piece. So, they have to "fake" it a little and mass-produce a message.

However, in "faking" this message, why did they also fake the fact it's hand written? It's a "handwritten style" computer typeface.

Couldn't they have had someone hand write an original message and make copies of that? That would have been much more genuine.

The only reason I can think of for using a computer font is if they change the message for different mailers depending on the audience...

While this won't deter me from donating, these are the details that make companies who are trying to be small and personal look big and machine-like.

All About the Benjamins

I’m reading Free Prize Inside in preparation for Seth Godin’s junket stop at Brand Autopsy on the upcoming Business Blog Book Tour #3.

Near the end of the book, Seth gives guidance on where to find “free prize” ideas. This is where I read about a BRILLIANTLY SIMPLE idea.

SETH WRITES:
"I got a nice note from a banker in Texas. She had a limited budget, and she wanted to promote the fact that the bank had more ATMs in the community than the competition. My idea? Without telling anyone, start putting a few $100 bills in the $20 bill storage bin of the ATMs. Not too many, just a few, at random."

Brilliantly simple, eh? But the banker never implemented the brilliantly simple idea because she failed at championing the idea within the bank.

More ruminations on Free Prize Inside to come on Tuesday, May 4 when the BBBT#3 stops at Brand Autopsy.

Viagra Falls

Viagra helps men who suffer from E.D., Erectile Dysfunction, but it looks like Viagra suffers from M.D. ... as in Marketing Dysfunction.

Today I learned Viagra is introducing a loyalty program where after six prescriptions are filled, the seventh prescription is free. Pfizer is calling this program the Value Card and is hoping this tactic will arrest their declining market share that rivals Levitra and Cialis have been aggressively capturing.

Janice Lipsky, U.S. Viagra Marketing Director, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal saying, “This is like a frequent-flier program, where we are building a relationship with our patients for the long term.”

This sounds like a desperate attempt by Viagra to stay competitive.

Viagra, launched in 1998, was the first-mover and first-prover in this category. However, Viagra has not been quick to respond to scientific advancements in erectile dysfunction drugs. It takes Viagra anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to work but Levitra improves upon that by working in 16 minutes. And Cialis improves upon Levitra by being able to last up to 36 hours.

The Viagra loyalty program is not about building a long-term relationship with their patients as their marketing director says. Instead, this is clearly a scheme by Pfizer to milk what is left of the Viagra brand.

I sure hope that the Pfizer R&D department is working on Viagra 2.0 because if they aren’t, Viagra will continue to lose market share to better, more effective options from Levitra and Cialis. And no loyalty program - no matter how clever - can be expected to solve, in a sustainable way, for the shortcomings of a poor product.

Back to that Viagra frequent-flier program comment from their marketing director … will Mile-High Club members get special perks?

Wine and Apples - not the perfect pairing

I've been an Apple Macintosh evangelist since 1991 and have been using Apple computers since 1985 (Apple IIc). Last August I purchased my latest machine - a PowerBook G4 with a 15" screen. What a beaut!

Last week, a half-of-glass of a nice chilled regional white wine was accidentally spilled onto the keyboard and into the machine. This caused my screen to flicker, the internal components to hiss and the laptop to shut down and stay down.

Grin, and Bare It

The Lusty Lady, with blinking tracer lights and blacked out windows, is a nudie club (a peep show to be exact) located in downtown Seattle. It sits right across the street from the Seattle Art Museum. (For some, all of the culture they could possibly need, or want, is conveniently located within one block.)

What does this have to do with marketing, you ask?

Well, the Lusty Lady has a double-sided marquee that features punny headlines intended to pique your interest as to what's inside. The topical slogans change every 7 to 10 days, often re-working current blockbuster movie titles, holidays, or local events. Between the two sides of the marquee, they usually deliver at least one slogan a month that is more remarkable than most mega-million dollar advertising campaigns.

For example, the headline for the anniversary of the Pilgrim and Native American feast at Plymouth Rock was... "Happy Spanksgiving." The release of a recent blockbuster trilogy inspired the headline... "Lord of the Schwings." The St. Patrick's Day slogan? "Erin Go Braghless"

John and I, being marketers who enjoy crafting puns, have thought of hundreds of headlines for the Lusty Lady (most of which may not be appropriate for a family blog). But the REAL "Free Prize Inside" (as Seth Godin would put it) is that, it is rumored, if you submit a headline and they use it on the marquee - you'll receive a free pink Lusty Lady t-shirt.

While the Lusty Lady may not need more "exposure," I'll try to share the cleverest headlines right here on Brand Autopsy.

"Spring Flashin' Show" - April 4, 2004

Marketing that is finger-pointing bad

Kentucky Fried Chicken is adrift in the abyss of wayward marketing messages. They seem to believe that good marketing is marketing that makes up a story and doesn’t tell the story.

Last fall, KFC made up a story and marketed that a bucket of fried chicken is “health food” because it is low in carbs and high in protein. Before that, they “funkified” the iconic Colonel by turning him into an animated hip-hop buffoon in an attempt to make their comfort food offerings more appealing to a younger audience.

KFC’s next big idea is to offer the runner-up of The Apprentice a one week gig as their Chief Sales Officer to help launch “one of the biggest new product launches in the company's history -- KFC's Oven Roasted chicken product line.”

Huh? KFC is about to embark on one of their biggest new product launches in the company’s history and the only thing compelling about the new product is that either Bill Rancic or Kwame Jackson will hawk it via publicity stunts and a television commercial.

Obviously, there is nothing special or unique about KFC’s new Oven Roasted chicken. Why else would they resort to making up a story and not telling the story of why their new Oven Roasted chicken is the biggest product launch in the company’s history?

However, Gregg Dedrick, KFC’s President and Chief Concept Officer, seems downright giddy about this marketing stunt. He is quoted in the NY Post as saying, "We're thrilled about the prospect of teaming one of today's newest and most talented, young executives with a well-respected, American brand like KFC.”

I think Gregg Dedrick and Scott Bergren, KFC’s Executive Vice-President for Marketing and Food Innovation, need some schooling on when to use a “celebrity” spokesperson.

For that schooling, I suggest Gregg and Scott read Sergio Zyman’s The End of Advertising as We Know It. In the book, Sergio expertly articulates when a company/brand should use a celebrity endorser.

“If your brand doesn't already conjure up the images and associations you want consumers to get when they think of your brand, you’ll then need to borrow those qualities from someone or something that already has them.”

What attributes does Bill Rancic or Kwame Jackson have that KFC needs to borrow to successfully launch their Oven Roasted chicken product?

If the only thing special about KFC’s Oven Roasted chicken is a loose association with The Apprentice … then I argue that KFC shouldn’t launch such an unremarkable product.

Doughnuts are the Core, Coffee is the Opportunity

Krispy Kreme has essentially perfected the doughnut making process by focusing on being operationally efficient. They are dogmatic about the quality of their doughnuts from their proprietary flour recipe to their automated doughnut-making machines. Their whole company has been focused on the discipline of delivering a better doughnut. And that focus has resulted in Krispy Kreme being rewarded financially on both Wall Street and “Main Street." Investors and customers alike are enamored with the Krispy Kreme “experience.”

A recent Chicago Tribune article, referenced below in Paul’s post , details how Krispy Kreme is expanding their coffee offerings in hopes of driving sales and lessening their reliance on doughnuts bringing in all the dough. In short time, Krispy Kreme has doubled their coffee sales by improving the quality of their brewed coffee and offering more variety in brewed coffee flavor profiles.

But now Krispy Kreme wants more … they are attempting to further increase coffee sales by expanding into serving espresso drinks and ice-blended coffee drinks.

Doing so will rattle the operationally efficient system that Krispy Kreme has perfected. Mass producing doughnuts is one thing, mass customizing espresso drinks is something else entirely.

Krispy Kreme relies on a machine to mass produce doughnuts.

Krispy Kreme will need to rely on an employee to mass customize espresso drinks.

This is a radical shift in employee behavior for a company that has been designed to produce doughnuts in mass and not to prepare individual doughnuts to an individual consumer’s taste.

To mass customize espresso drinks and ice-blended coffee drinks, Krispy Kreme will need to train individual store employees to expertly and efficiently handcraft these drinks one at a time. Sure, Krispy Kreme can install automated espresso machines to extract the espresso and to steam the milk. But the Krispy Kreme employee will still have to prepare individual drinks to individual consumer orders. (Take it from a former Starbucks barista, it ain’t that easy.)

A seemingly easier path, and one closer to the Krispy Kreme’s core competency, would be for Krispy Kreme to develop a process by which they could mass customize doughnuts to individual orders. Think about how remarkable it would be if you could walk up to a Krispy Kreme counter and order a one-of-kind doughnut prepared to meet your tastes exactly.

At Krispy Kreme, doughnuts will always be the core and coffee will always be the opportunity.

Only time will tell if the coffee opportunity distracts Krispy Kreme to the degree that it erodes their core and ultimately hampers the Krispy Kreme experience.

Russell Simmons, cell phone consultant, speaks...

“The purpose of a phone is a phone. Phones don’t work that well.”
Russell Simmons, Def Jam records co-founder and Motorola consultant, telling wireless execs to perfect voice-call quality before adding features. (source: Business Week, 4/5/04, pg. 5)

Give’m hell Russell!

My cell phone, which doubles as my home phone, doesn’t work that well. The coverage cuts in and out all the time. I find it frustrating (and so must the folks on the listening end). Yet, I put up with it because having one phone simplifies my life.

All these features that cell phone makers are adding to their phones befuddles me. I don’t understand why consumers want (or need for that matter) a mediocre camera, a mediocre game system, a mediocre internet browser, or a mediocre PDA with a mediocre phone. It’s like these cell phone manufacturers are trying to dazzle you with all these rich Corinthian leather-like features so that you will ignore the poor sound quality and the choppy cell reception.

I’d much prefer a cell phone that focuses on delivering the best, the clearest, and the most consistent service possible. Is that too much to ask?

Dunkin' Coffee?

A friend of mine sent me a link from an article in yesterday’s (Wed. Apr. 7) Chicago Tribune entitled Company perk; Can a roasting expert from Chicago give Krispy Kreme a coffee buzz?" (registration required) The focus of the story was about Krispy Kreme taking efforts to increase the quality of their coffee - potentially to compete with Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts.

Starbucks has often defined it’s purpose by saying…

"We are in the people business serving coffee." (Vs. - We are in the coffee business serving people.)

This perspective has allowed Starbucks to focus on the customer need vs. a limited perspective of simply and only coffee. It has allowed experiments like Café Starbucks - a full restaurant concept. (Now defunct). Or the new Starbucks/Hear Music Coffeehouse in Santa Monica where you can hand-craft and burn your own CD in-store with even more options than a barista has in hand-crafting a latte!

The article points out that globally, Dunkin’ is known more for its coffee. (In the states, growing up on the east coast, I’ve always known them as a doughnut place, with coffee). Dunkin’ has 5,600 locations worldwide to Krispy Kreme’s 394. In fact, John Gilbert, Dunkin' vice president of marketing, was quoted as saying…

"We are primarily a coffee business that sells doughnuts. Krispy Kreme is primarily a bulk doughnut business, selling doughnuts by the dozens."

From a brand perspective, this got me thinking…

I’ll bet Dunkin’ wishes it could sell doughnuts in bulk by the dozens. Is that a weakness of Krispy? Or a threat to Dunkin’?

Shouldn’t Dunkin’ Donuts have a similar approach to their business as Starbucks and others have? That they’re not in the coffee OR doughnut business, but in the business of serving their customers?

Tastes the Same (if you close your eyes)

So I sent an e-mail to my fellow Brand Autopsy coroner, johnmoore. As you may know he works for Whole Foods Market.

I guess my BrandAutopsy e-mail address is not recognized by the Whole Foods server as a ‘legit’ e-mail because their e-mail filter, to alert John that he may have received a junk e-mail message, added the words POSSIBLE SPAM to the subject of my message.

I thought, "Wow, if any company in the world would be good at identifying ‘possible spam’ it would have to be Whole Foods!" Their website says it best:

"We [Whole Foods Market] strive to offer the highest quality, least processed, most flavorful and naturally preserved foods." (I’m note sure SPAM fits any of those parameters!)

However, I see an opportunity... I suggested to John that his I.T. folks at Whole Foods change the message from POSSIBLE SPAM to something more fitting for their brand, like: POSSIBLE SOY VEGAN SPREAD.

By the way, check out the SPAM website… The folks at Hormel are smart - they have a pretty good sense of humor about their infamous canned meat.

Don't Break the Bind that Bounds

A public service message from Brand Autopsy

Ah! I just received a package from Amazon.com. Opening my brand new book for the first time reminded me of grade school when our school librarian taught us how to properly break in a new book. I was too young to remember exactly how to do it… And I knew breaking in a book had something to do with not ruining the spine – but that was all I remembered.

Using Google, I found this helpful article in the "Preservation Corner" of the Winter 1999 ASDAL Action on-line newsletter. (That's the Association of Seventh-day Adventst Librarians).

A gentleman named Randy Butler wrote the below piece on how and why to properly break in a book. Enjoy!

PRESERVATION CORNER

By Randy Butler

How to "break-in" a new book! Sound incongruous? How often do we in our libraries, or at home, properly prepare books for use? More often than not we simply open a new book somewhere in the middle and fold back the two halves so that the book will lay flat on a table or our laps. Wrong!! The result is a damaged or broken binding.

There is a proper way to open books for the first time and prepare them for use or circulation. First, hold the book vertically or upright, spine down, on a flat surface. Second, hold the text block in one hand while allowing the front and back covers to slowly fall or settle to the table (or counter surface). Next, take 20-30 pages from the front of the book and lay them down, gently run the tips of your fingers (you can also use the edge of the palm of your hand) along the gutter (fold/crease line); repeat with the same number of pages from the back of the book all the while holding the remaining text block in a vertical position with your free hand. Finally, repeat this process with an equal number of pages each time, first one end and then the other, until the entire text block has been folded back into two even halves. The book is now ready for use.

This simple technique can add years of life to any title. It can be used with either sewn or double-fan adhesive bindings, albeit adhesive bindings are more easily damaged. Be sure to use only light pressure evenly applied while sliding your hand down the gutter of each group of pages. When using this technique with sewn bindings, try to avoid folding back an entire signature (a group or unit of folded and sewn pages that together with other signatures form a text block) at one time. Rather, fold somewhere within the signature in order to place less stress on the thread.

This technique is a good quality control test for either a publisher, or a re-binding contractor. Whether purchasing books for the first time or the hundredth, check the quality of the contractor or publisher's binding by using the above-described technique. If a binding cannot stand up to this simple test, the product should be rejected and returned.

Preservation of books can be as simple as explained above. Of course, you would never want to use this folding method on rare materials.

Randy Butler is Library Director at Southwestern Adventist University, Keene, Texas and current president of ASDAL.

After all this hullabaloo … did I donate?

Yes. I made a donation* to my local public radio station, KUT-FM.

Why the ASTERISK?
Because my donation is contingent upon 100% of it going to fund KUT-FM’s Sonic ID Project. The Sonic ID Project is an audio portrait of life in Austin, TX. KUT-FM is recording people in the Austin community, some ordinary and some extraordinary, telling their stories of what makes living in Austin unique. To learn more about KUT-FM's Sonic ID Project, click here.

But really, why did I ultimately decide to donate?
It wasn’t due to the uncreative and unrelenting on-air groveling that I endured. Instead, it was more a matter wanting to financially support local community radio in the face of the Clear Channel Godzilla-like commoditization and consolidation that is occurring in the radio landscape. MRKinLA said it best in a reply to an earlier blog:

“(public radio) listeners in general, but especially those who may be fence-sitting potential subscribers, are a smart bunch. They know in an era of Clear Channel and other media consolidation, their options for intelligent radio are dwindling.”

I want to continue having the option of listening to intelligent radio. After all ... It’s not radio. It’s NPR.

Duncan Lively's lively comments

In a response to an earlier blog, Duncan Lively, "ex-pubradio denizen," gave his insider's perspective of how management at some Public Radio stations approach on-air fundraising.

If you like your opinions hot, spicy, and lively ... then, Duncan Lively has a few words for you.

Unfortunately, many public radio organizations are controlled by superannuated or downright dim decision-makers who cling to a fading structure of subsidy and a sense of entitlement. These folks often willfully -- even spitefully -- ignore the ‘pledge progressives’ and their demonstrable successes.

Of the five executives I worked for during my 11 years in public radio, only one truly understood and acted upon the maxim: 'good programming is good fundraising, good fundraising is good programming.' The others viewed 'pledge' either as a chore to be endured, or an opportunity to bludgeon non-givers into submission. These same executives failed to understand that the listener most likely had an 'off' button at his or her disposal.

John Moore – self-appointed Public Radio Program Director

I’m appointing myself as Program Director for KWAK-FM, a fictitious public radio station broadcasting in the blogosphere.

My first act as KWAK-FM Program Director is to liven up the pledge drive.

Since today is April Fools Day, KWAK-FM will spoof commercial radio by changing the tone of KWAK-FM into that of a commercial radio station. We will incessantly refer to KWAK-FM as the “All New. All Hits. KWAK-FM.”

During all local breaks from NPR programming, KWAK-FM on-air news and local mentions will be delivered by our new lead anchor, Jammin’ Jay Michaels. JJM will add excitement to the All New, All Hits, KWAK-FM by delivering the local news in an overly enthusiastic and utterly irritating manner under a bed of throbbing dance music. And, Jammin’ Jay Michaels will engage in sexually-suggestive flirtatious dialogue with Suzie Raspberry, our new traffic and weather update talent.

To incentify first-time subscribers, Morey Livingston from Morey’s Auto-Tint Superstore will give one lucky first-time subscriber a free auto-tint, free cellular phone, and a free “Pimp My Ride” car makeover.

Satirically accentuating the uniqueness of public radio is a sure-fire way to clearly demonstrate the dramatic difference between commercial radio and public radio. So much so that … listeners may be more apt to donate. Dig?

Lighten up Public Radio and have fun with your pledge drives!

Mourning Edition with Bob Edwards

Brooke Gladstone, from On The Media, conducted a great interview with Bob Edwards about NPR's decision to drop him from his Morning Edition hosting duties. Bob also muses on the early days of Morning Edition. Click here to stream the interview.

Or click here to read the transcript.

Approach Fundraising like Programming

Chris Bannon made a brilliant comment in a reply to an earlier blog by saying, “I'm not sure that, as an "industry," we've really recognized how much more we could be doing to make fundraising sound like programming.” (Chris is Co-Executive Producer of PRI’s weekly radio features magazine, The Next Big Thing.)

I couldn’t agree more Chris. Public radio stations should approach fundraising like they do programming and create compelling pledge pitches that are clever, savvy, and authentic.

Approach fundraising like programming! That’s it.

Clarifying the Relationship between NPR and Public Radio

There seems to be some confusion from Brand Autopsy readers that NPR is Public Radio and Public Radio is NPR. That is not the case.

National Public Radio (NPR) is merely a content provider to Public Radio stations. NPR does not own nor program local Public Radio stations. NPR merely offers/sells their programming (Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation, and numerous other programs) to Public Radio stations across the country.

Funding for the creation of NPR programming is provided by charitable foundations, businesses (through financial underwriting contributions), and a small amount from the US Government.

Public Radio stations do not have to program their stations with NPR programming or programming from other content providers like Public Radio International (PRI). Programs from NPR and PRI cost money and some Public Radio stations do not have the dollars to obtain programs from these sources. Many Community Radio stations, which can also be called Public Radio stations, generally do not have the funds to purchase the programming from NPR or PRI and thus, these stations will focus on music programming or local community talk formats

Public Radio stations (and Community Radio Stations) engage in pledge drives to cover their operational costs (broadcasting equipment and salaries), to purchase programming from sources like NPR or PRI, and to cover any other costs related to broadcasting programs on-air.

Public Radio stations are free to program their stations in way they can afford to. It just so happens NPR is the leading brand in producing the highest-quality and most consistent programming that Public Radio stations find ways to afford the fees associated with obtaining NPR programs.