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FAST
FORWARD
YEARS OF COST OVERRUNS,
critical performance errors and
global public ridicule have left the Defense Department’s F-35
fighter jet program struggling to gain altitude. To encourage
partner governments, and its own military, to proceed with
acquisitions, Defense officials are sending the F-35 Joint Strike
Fighter on a promotional tour, hoping to improve the program’s
public image.
The move is reminiscent of a record label sending a troubled
pop star on the road to promote a mediocre album, in the faint
hope that the label might recoup some of its investment. And
whether it will work—spurring greater faith and more purchases
of the jet—remains to be seen.
Rebranding after a failure can be successful, if the right
steps are taken. Successful rebranding doesn’t stop at a new
name, a new logo or even new leadership. A rebrand must be
bolstered by new goals, new messaging and a new company cul-
ture. Companies whose rebranding strategies brought them out
of a slump include Harley-Davidson, Target, Old Spice and
Apple.
Keep these thoughts in mind if you or a client are ready to
rebrand your products or services.
Rebrand today, for tomorrow.
Companies who are ready to
rebrand need to think about what the brand will represent in
the future, not just in the present. Incorporating a vision for the
future ensures longevity for the rebrand.
Meet your audience on their turf.
Take advantage
of media channels frequented by your brand’s
target audience. Are they Twitter
users? Instagram junkies?
Take your new brand to
them by engaging with
them everywhere you
can, telling your story
in the language of
the audience.
Build momentum slowly.
Start with small changes that bolster
and reinforce the complete evolution. Each step in the rebrand
should logically lead to the next, and all steps should work like
puzzle pieces to create a seamless end product—think logo
shapes, colors, fonts and taglines.
Running
On Empty
BRANDABLE
Tied To Your Cell Phone?
Cut Loose With
These Four Tips
TECH TALK
CELL PHONES HAVE
BECOME
an appendage
for the modern business
professional. Innumerable
tools and apps, along with
the accessibility granted by
wireless technology, make
reaching for and using
smartphones a reflex.
Learning to spend less time
on your device can be as
simple as being more con-
scious of how, and why, you
use it.
1
Reduce your noti-
fications.
Turn off
all notifications
except for those that require a response and those that indicate someone
(a human, not an organization or app service) is trying to reach you. It’s
okay not to know every time someone likes your photo on Instagram or
that a radio app has launched a new lineup.
2
Wake yourself up the old-fashioned way.
Use an alarm clock
instead of your phone’s alarm feature, and you’re less likely to be
scrolling through tweets as soon as the buzzer sounds. If you can
get away with it, charge your phone in another room entirely.
3
Move eye-catching apps off your home screen.
Just like
candy in a jar, out of sight means out of mind––or at least less
likely to trigger mindless snacking. In this case, you’re not
prone to popping open Candy Crush when all you meant to do was
check your calendar.
4
Open functional apps from the control center.
Rather than
unlocking your phone to use the camera, clock or calculator
(which exposes you to those pesky non-functional apps like
Pinterest), swipe up the control center. Not only will your phone switch
back to the lock screen immediately after you close one of the apps, but
accessing them from the control center is faster.
MAY 2016 •
PPB
• 57