Only a few months ago it was cold and gray, and big-platform media events like the Oscars were the primary source of broad excitement and analysis for marketing types.
Now it’s summer, and beautiful outside. Yes, we are in the last stages of the World Cup, and advertisers hope we’ll watch till the final champions are crowned. But moving beyond soccer, summer is a perfect time to focus on sun, surf (if you’re lucky enough to be near the water)—and the printed page via Kindle, iPad or an old-fashioned bound-paper book. Tis the season to kick back and reflect a bit, even in the midst of a busy schedule.
This summer I will be reading and blogging about two books: “The Open Brand” by Kelly Mooney & Nita Rollins, as well as “Integrity” by Dr. Henry Cloud. This past week was an opportunity to read the first few chapters of each as a way of introduction.
Come join me as I journey through these books. Let’s talk about issues tied to marketing and leadership, looking through (and contrasting) the lenses of each. To keep current, here is a suggested reading schedule. While both books could be read more quickly, the following is a more leisurely (and perhaps more thoughtful) trip through each:
| Integrity | The Open Brand | |
| Introduction | Chapters 1-3 | Chapters 1-2 |
| Week of June 28 | Ch. 4-6 | Ch. 3 |
| Week of July 5 | Ch. 7-8 | Ch. 4-6 |
| Week of July 12 | Ch. 9 | Ch. 7-9 |
| Week of July 19 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 10-12 |
| Week of July 26 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 13-15 |
| Week of August 2 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 16-17 |
| Week of August 9 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 18 |
This coming week: kicking off in earnest here with both books. I will typically blog a few days after each week’s assignment listed above, to allow readers (and myself) a chance to process and ponder on the material.
Meanwhile, if you’ve already begun your reading, do you see linkages between the two books? How, or for whom, might they be related?
Think, Feel, Say, Do 
Integrity by Dr. Henry Cloud discusses foundational principles of effective leadership focused on results and relationships. An aspiring leader or current leader may struggle with leading (and living) to their maximum capacity without being aware of the six traits of character integrity and how they can be applied to their current leadership style.
The Open Brand by Kelly Mooney and Dr. Nita Rollins discusses a specific business strategy that corresponds with the trend in consumer buying behavior.
It takes a leader who is interested in doing an ongoing self analysis (and acting on it) to be receptive, responsive, and successful at understanding and implementing changes in business and marketing strategy.
Ultimately, both books describe the value and correlation (interdependence) between results and relationships (with consumers and team members) and the importance of balance, being flexible and willing to make adjustments.
I agree with Kendra’s post. In addition, both books focus on a critical need to not only have a thorough understanding of your audience (target consumer, industry, team, etc.), but also have an emotional connection. An emotional connection means having a conscience about how you approach your business. Are you truly thinking about the needs of your audience and how it will produce a healthy return in the end? Are you aware of the changing environment around you? If so, what are you doing to ensure that your actions and messages are true to the purpose, vision, and/or mission of your business?
The emergence and domination of social media in the lives of consumers have uncovered an inherent need to feel connected to people on another level. This concept was apparent in The Open Brand. Integrity discusses how successful leaders take their business to another level by instilling a deep sense of character in the way they conduct business. I appreciate this concept because when I think about integrity in business, I automatically think about being nice and trustworthy. However, Dr. Henry Cloud builds upon that foundation to include having a concrete grasp of reality and being able to address, understand, and deal with challenges that may arise in business and in life.
Ah ha moments:
The Open Brand – “These peer-to-peer digital communications have begun to upstage brands as the gateway to coveted membership in communities – however abstract or ephemeral.”
Integrity – “…would they [colleagues] say their experience with us has left them better off for having ‘moved through their lives,’ or would they say that it has left them worse off? Did they consider it a blessing that they were associated with you, or a curse?”
Kendra, well written!
In addition, one of the linkages I’ve noticed so far between “integrity” and “the OPEN brand” is that they both suggest success involves “the ability to meet the demands of reality” (excerpt from “integrity”, page 24).
According to “integrity,” three essential qualities of successful people are (i) knowing your job/craft very well, (ii) building alliances with people that can propel you, and (iii) having the right character for success. The main focus of “integrity” is character, which has to meet various demands of reality such as interpersonal.
The OPEN brand’s premise is that consumer behavior requires On-demand Personal Engaging Networked (O.P.E.N) brands that require innovative communication methods. “Businesses that ignore consumer-opened branding do so at their own peril. It is an unstoppable movement aknowledged by no less that A.G. Lafley, CEO of P&G” page 24. This premise relies heavily on the internet as one of these methods. “The internet is a platform that integrates all customer touchpoints, elevating the entire customer experience. Forrester Research predicts that over $1 trillion in offline sales will be web-influenced by 2012” page 39. The O.P.E.N brand is a demand of reality that has to be met in order for consumer goods companies to sustain success.
Kendra, well written!
In addition, one of the linkages I’ve noticed so far between “integrity” and “the OPEN brand” is that they both suggest success involves “the ability to meet the demands of reality” (excerpt from “integrity”, page 24).
According to “integrity,” three essential qualities of successful people are (i) knowing your job/craft very well, (ii) building alliances with people that can propel you, and (iii) having the right character for success. The main focus of “integrity” is character, which has to meet various demands of reality such as interpersonal.
The OPEN brand’s premise is that consumer behavior requires On-demand Personal Engaging Networked (O.P.E.N) brands that require innovative communication methods. “Businesses that ignore consumer-opened branding do so at their own peril. It is an unstoppable movement acknowledged by no less that A.G. Lafley, CEO of P&G” page 24. This premise relies heavily on the internet as one of these methods. “The internet is a platform that integrates all customer touchpoints, elevating the entire customer experience. Forrester Research predicts that over $1 trillion in offline sales will be web-influenced by 2012” page 39. The O.P.E.N brand is a demand of reality that has to be met in order for consumer goods companies to sustain success.
The OPEN brand:
P&G and Unilever understand consumers need brands that are On-demand Personal Engaging Networked–O.P.E.N.–using the internet.
P&G created beinggirl.com to discuss various issues on adolescence (including puberty), and the website is sponsored by Always & Tampax. P&G also retails online via its pgestore.com; testing and meeting the demands of online shoppers.
Unilever created campaignforrealbeauty.com to empower women and the website is sponsored by Dove.
It’s odd, but I find both books to be very similar thus far–both books focus on the idea of external perception, and how perception affects both brands & individuals, alike. Also, I realized that while both books center on external influences, both authors also emphasize the importance of a brand or individual’s “core,” i.e. no amount of positive external perception can make up for a strategy that damages a brand equity or ignores personal morals & beliefs.
Like the rest of you, I’ve found a strong connection so far between these two books. Dr. Cloud’s emphasis in “Integrity” on gaining support within an organization based on desire vs. compliance holds a direct correlation to the “The Open Brand.”
“Brand” tells us that in the days of “push” marketing, brands dumped their messages on the masses largely without their input in much the same way that the CEO in Dr. Cloud’s example (p. 47) announced his plan for the company. While either of these cases may create a following based on compliance, both authors promote the ideas of participatory decision making or at the very least perceived participatory decision making. Do I follow because I “have to” or because I “want to?”
Additionally, Dr. Cloud encourages the importance of simple empathy and just understanding another person’s situation as a means of gaining trust. By opening our approach to brands and merely listening in ways we never had easy access to before (social media), we can create a similar “trust” with consumers to the brand. These of course, become our most valuable customers. If James Cameron were discussing this, he’d probably reference something like “I See You” to drive the point home but I’ll spare you the theatrics!
My favorite part of Integrity is the concept of “the wake;” what we leave behind. I’ve always believed that an individual’s character is of uptmost importance, and that there is no award, job title, or individual recognition that can replace the impression we leave with an individual (either positive or negative).
Each of you provided great points. I enjoyed reading what you took out of the books.
As Dr. Cloud built upon the meaning of character throughout the book, I couldn’t help but do a check on myself and think, have I done this or do I do this, will I face this, etc. As much as I felt like he described what the perfect leader embodies, he acknowledges that we all have weaknesses but the most successful people focus on their strengths. He referenced Bill Gates who reorganized his business so he would focus on his strengths. Dr. Cloud mentioned we should not ignore our weaknesses but there are some things we have to accept about ourselves. I found that to be really interesting because I think at times, a person can really be at a standstill if he allows his weaknesses to handicap him.
The other point I really enjoyed that Dr. Cloud made toward the end of the book was the “drive factor” and how his friend had a drive to learn and achieve new talents. He was not settled with mastering one thing but wanted to grow in many things whether it was leaving his high paying job in the entertainment industry to go into a real estate business or learn how to golf later in life, his drive to succeed and learn many things and not just “maintain” was a valuable part and trait of his character.
As mentioned in earlier posts, both books focused on the importance of values (individually and for a company) as well as listening to the people who contribute to the growth of the business whether it is the employees and/or customers. It is very interesting to see how the customers have come to truly define and drive a brand as discussed in the OPEN Brand book. I sometimes have trouble accepting how many outlets there are for consumer input and I do think there is something to be said about too much information-sharing and the possibility of losing control of your story. At the same time, I think it is incredibly important to realize how meaningful the “tipping point” or word of mouth can be for a brand – it shows how important brand integrity is and how it is not just about a logo but an overall brand identity, mission, values, etc. Dr. Cloud provided the example of Johnson and Johnson and how in 1982 the company had to take their lead product off the shelves due to health risks – rather than ignoring the concerns, the company leaders recognized the importance of brand integrity and stuck to their values. In today’s society, a brand can quickly deteriorate if the mission and values are not upheld. Consumers will not put up with it and word will spread as the OPEN Brand explains.
Well, I know they mentioned we will discuss these books more during orientation so I look forward to meeting you and discussing them further!
Hi Prof Mitchell,
Thanks for generating discussion! Can alumni hear your thoughts too? I’m also reading The OPEN Brand and would love to hear your perspective as well as the students’.
Carrie