Brand Aid for Haiti

I can’t imagine watching helplessly as my own daughter struggled for survival, pinned down by some steel bar, unable to escape the rubble of a major earthquake. I also can’t imagine hearing her cries, knowing I could do little to help. The very thought is unbearable.

I came across this story on CNN. And, sadly, the story ended tragically. Though freed from the wreckage, this poor girl didn’t make it. Doctors couldn’t save her, devastating her family and all those involved in the rescue effort.

So many heart wrenching, tragic stories are coming out of what was already one of the poorest countries in the world.

While devastating and horrific, these are the stories that inspire us to act, to do what we can to help.

Individuals act. Communities pull together. Organizations get into motion.

Businesses and brands also offer support in various forms.

Consider brand aid for Haiti. Here’s a rundown based on what I can find on the Web of how the world’s top brands are responding to the tragedy. This list is limited to the world’s top 10 brands, based on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands ranking of 2009.

1. Coca-Cola: The Coca-Cola Foundation has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross as well as water and other beverages for immediate on-the-ground relief efforts.

2. IBM: I have not come across any public announcement from Big Blue. However, the technology giant does provide support to the U.S. State Department’s Center for International Disaster Information, which plays a major role in disaster relief and recovery efforts.

3. Microsoft: Initial commitment of $1.25 million, including cash and in-kind contributions. The company is matching employee donations. Microsoft is helping to drive awareness and donations for relief efforts through MSN and Bing. In addition, the company is working through NetHope, a group made up of some of the world’s largest humanitarian relief organizations, which focuses on ensuring that these organizations are prepared to react quickly and effectively to work together during an emergency.

4. GE: Has pledged $2.5 million to support relief and recovery efforts and is running a corporate matching contribution program. GE says it’s working with its partners to assess response efforts and determine next steps to help restore infrastructure and services to the impacted areas.

5. Nokia: Unknown.

6. McDonald’s: Contributing $500,000 and matching donations from Arcos Dorados, the company that operates nearly 1,700 McDonald’s restaurants in Latin America. Total estimated contribution: about $1 million. Funds will go through the International Federation of the Red Cross. The team in Latin America is running a grassroots program that’s expected to generate an additional $500,000.

7. Google: $1 million to the relief and recovery efforts. Google also has a link on its homepage to information, resources and ways everyone can help.

8. Toyota: Has pledged $500,000 in donations to be divided equally among the American Red Cross, Save the Children, and Doctors Without Borders. The auto company is matching any employee contributions to those organizations.

9. Intel: The computer chip giant has made no public announcement as far as I know, but Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation, notes on the company’s corporate social responsibility blog that over 700 employees made donations to relief efforts within the first 24 hours of the catastrophe. The Intel Foundation has committed to match employee donations and contribute an additional $250,000. Intel, like Microsoft, is also supporting relief and recovery efforts through NetHope.

10. Disney: $100,000 in humanitarian aid to earthquake victims through the Red Cross International Fund.

As I gathered this information, I couldn’t help but wonder about the motivations behind brand aid. I began to question whether these brands are acting out of concern for the larger social interest, or out of self-interest.

At the end of the day though, my feeling is that little value lies in casting aspersions on the intentions behind brand aid. Haitians need all the help the rest of the world can offer.

And even if brands are acting partially out of concern for how their response to a major human calamity is perceived by consumers and other stakeholders, isn’t that a good thing? Don’t we want to them to feel that they’re accountable for their response?

I think we want a world in which companies/brands put people truly at the center. We want a world in which companies/brands embrace new imperatives beyond profits.

We understand the need for businesses to make sense economically, but the price of entry includes social and environmental responsibility. The price of entry includes acting in ways that fit and reflect consumers’ values.

Consider what McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner had to say when announcing support for Haiti: “While we don’t have McDonald’s restaurants in Haiti, our contribution reflects our commitment to people all over the world.”

Well said.

Windows 7 Breathing New Life into Microsoft Brand

Today is Windows 7 day, the launch of Microsoft’s latest iteration of its core operating system.

The early reviews ahead of today were glowing, and today’s feeds from various sources across the Web are following suit. People like Windows 7. Imagine that!

I suspect you’re thinking the same thing I am: Microsoft desperately needed this boost! And yes, I mean desperately.

We all remember quite well the Windows Vista debacle. We all remember the hype around its launch. But things didn’t go as planned. As it turned out, Vista had more bugs than a 100-acre ant farm. The system was so poorly received even Intel refused to install it on its machines.

Disappointed users held nothing back in their criticism of the system, which quickly elevated into a nightmare for Microsoft and substantial damage to its brand.

In sum, Microsoft couldn’t deliver on its promise with Vista. And it paid the price.

“Over the past three years, I can’t think of a product—except maybe Windows Me—that has damaged Microsoft in the way that Vista has; since Vista’s launch, Microsoft’s reputation has really taken a major hit,” said Charles King, an analyst with Pund-IT Research, in an interview with eWEEK. See the full article.

But today, with the launch of Windows 7, Microsoft may have made the 180-degree turn. Yes, Microsoft has other products. But the operating system is inextricably linked to its reputation. And with the positive buzz we’re seeing so far, the near future for Microsoft looks brighter for the first time.

Based on early returns, it seems Microsoft has been able, despite obstacles, to persevere. They appear to be on the road to brand redemption, in a sense. And they didn’t do it with a US$300 million advertising campaign with Jerry Seinfeld; they did it with what appears to be a terrific product. Imagine that!

Microsoft’s Positioning vs. Apple: Brand Champ or Chump?

Some of you may already be aware of the latest mini drama between rivals Apple and Microsoft.

The controversy stems from Microsoft’s “Laptop Hunters” ads, which seek to drive home a single idea: that a PC is cheaper than a Mac.

A PC Costs Less… Duh!
I already knew that… I think most of us knew that!

The “laptop hunters” campaign is one in which Microsoft gives consumers $1,000 to buy a laptop. With Macs starting at well over $1,000, the result is predictable: they buy a PC every time and even have some cash left over.

Ads Get Under Apple’s Skin?
Microsoft believes the ads are having an impact. So much so, in fact, that the company’s chief operating officer seemed to wet his pants with joy upon learning that Apple’s legal eagles had asked Microsoft to stop running the spots. He was so happy about the development that he shared it publicly as evidence the campaign is working.

Oh no, COO!
But there’s more to the story. Seems as if Apple simply asked Microsoft to stop running spots that had not been changed to reflect accurate pricing on Mac Books.

To me, Apple’s request is fair and reasonable. The wrong information is misleading and Microsoft should amend the spots before running them. Apple, from what I can decipher, did not ask its rival to terminate the overall campaign.

Sounds like over exuberance on the part of Microsoft’s COO. Certainly divulging Apple’s request without a full understanding of the facts is a chump move.

Microsoft’s Best-Price Rut
That Microsoft’s COO would embrace this story speaks to the depth of the company’s troubled position vs. Apple.

I can’t say it any better than John Dvorak in his piece in The Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch: “Microsoft is stuck in the best-price rut.” See his full commentary.

As he rightly points out, Microsoft’s only focus is the low price of Windows-based computers over Mac Books. Price is the only benefit, the only differentiator. Microsoft doesn’t highlight any of the Mac Books’ limitations or downsides.

Meanwhile, Dvorak notes: “Apple has no qualms about blasting the vulnerability of the PC to viruses and other weaknesses.”

His advice to Microsoft: “… add some real personality and stick it to Apple with some genuine commentary about the flaws nobody talks about. The public can see the ‘best price’ part of the equation for themselves.”

I agree wholeheartedly with Dvorak. Microsoft’s best-price emphasis is largely ineffective in competing with Apple.

That’s because consumers who would be in the market for a Mac Book aren’t focused on price; they’re focused on value and quality. And that’s exactly what Apple addresses in its “I’m a Mac and I’m a PC” spots.

Anyone who is only interested in the lowest cost will never buy a Mac Book. Most of us understand that quality costs more. In a battle of the brands, I’d rather be in the quality/value spot, each and every time.

Microsoft Earns Brand Chump Title
To me, Microsoft has earned the brand chump designation. Their “Laptop Hunters” campaign is flawed, and their excitement over Apple’s request that inaccurate ads be pulled is misguided.

Agree or Disagree? Sound Off
Do you agree? Should Microsoft wear the Brand Chump hat or do you see something I don’t?

Brand Champ or Chump: Can Microsoft’s Opening Ads Help Bing Become King?

This week’s Brand Champ or Chump considers Microsoft’s ad campaign for its new search engine, Bing.

In these spots, Microsoft suggests we’re all suffering from a serious affliction, Search Overload Syndrome… and get this: we don’t even know it.

Our problem, says Microsoft: overload from irrelevant Web search results. We’re simply too overwhelmed with data from useless search results.

The ads strive to drive the point home by personifying search as if it were a person. When looking for something as simple as a new place to do breakfast, search (the person) almost robotically starts issuing senseless factoids that one might typically run into on a search results page.

After highlighting the syndrome, the spots close with the following: “Find the cure at Bing.com. It’s not just a search engine; it’s the first-ever decision engine, from Microsoft.”

Put differently, Bing will help you cut through the clutter and get the information you need to make smarter, more informed decisions.

I have to admit. I didn’t realize I was suffering from any search engine affliction. Google is just a part of my life. It’s a daily habit. But, I found myself asking, what if I my searches could in fact be easier, faster and better?

And with that in mind, I’m going to run against the grain of criticism that I’ve seen on the Bing ads and call them a Brand Champ.

When you’re going up against the category leader, the undisputed leader with almost 65 percent market share, the one that’s part of people’s daily habits, you’ve got to get people thinking. You’ve got to get them questioning.

The Bing ads, at least this first wave, do not dig into the new search engine’s features. And that’s by design, I think. Microsoft just wants to plant a simple idea: that a better way to search just might be out there.

The spots aren’t blow-your-mind sensational, but they do just enough to plant a seed of curiosity. And that’s what Microsoft is going for at this stage. The spots do the job.

The tough part will be translating the curiosity and consideration into converts. Promising to make Web searches better… well, that’s a big promise. If Bing can’t deliver… if it can’t differentiate, habits will stay the same.

I don’t think Bing is going to erode Google’s market share overnight. Habits are hard to break and Google simply is search right now.

That said, Microsoft appears ready to make a fight out of it and put their money where their mouth is… and they just might make a meaningful dent as time goes on.

You can see the Bing ads here.

Take a look and then let me know if you think these spots for the new Bing search engine are:

1. A brand champ?
2. A brand chump?
3. Somewhere in between?

You decide.

Oh, and I have to mention Microsoft’s use of the word Bing as a verb: Bing & decide. 

Brandverbing at its finest, isn’t it? (see my post on brandverbing). Of course, with Google part of our daily lexicon, you can be sure Microsoft weighed name candidates with similar potential.