Now, I never thought I would write one post – let alone now two- about everyone’s favorite, furry creature, Elmo. Read the first one on what Elmo can teach us about marketing here.
This post is a little different. And, you are probably wondering why I have a photo of a guy in Elmo costume being arrested in this post. But stick with me for a bit.
This photo of “Elmo” being arrested by NYPD officers in Times Square was probably seen around the country last week. Now, that has all the makings of a crazy, weird news story. I mean Elmo is supposed to be this furry, loveable little creature that kids watch on TV and even idolize. In Times Square, there are literally like 8 of these “Elmos” running around, along with dozens of their character friends — Cookie Monster, Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse and Big Bird — trying to collect tips from naive tourists. (Don’t believe me, walk down 42nd Street from 6th Avenue to Broadway on a weekend afternoon, and you are guaranteed to see a half dozen of them).
This makes the news story of the guy in the “Elmo” costume being arrested earlier this week for screaming anti-semitic and racist rants in Times Square even more baffling. It’s not just who are the people in the character costumes hugging your family and friends, but I can take this to a much larger context- Who are the people beyond your brand?
Hopefully, the people running your brand are NOT anti-semitic and racist Elmos or other deranged lunatics. If that’s the case, you have much bigger problems. And, it’s best if you stop reading this post now.
But, that begs the question. Are you adequately portraying not only what your brand stands for, but also the people beyond your brand? For instance, great brands exemplify these three traits.
1. Be authentic
All companies – from solo operations to 50,000 people corporations- are run by people. People drive businesses. Being human should be encouraged. And yes, there should be standard procedures and policies to keep a professional operation going. But, if the protocols go overboard, you risk the company becoming robotic. There’s nothing authentic (and dare I say likeable) about working with robots, who are reading and working entirely from scripts.
2. Be likeable.
This brings me to my next point. Being likeable. One of the best pieces of wisdom I ever received was that people do business with people who they like. It doesn’t mean you need to be BFFs with everybody, but it does mean you should treat everyone with the respect and dignity they deserve. Oh yeah, listening (and not just talking over people) helps to. Plain and simple.
3. Be transparent.
This may be the hardest thing to master. It’s all about mastering open and honest communication both internally and externally. Yet, you also can’t divulge “too much of the secret sauce” that makes your brand successful (A.k.a. not giving away everything for free).
