Kranz On Copy: Insights and answers on copywriting and writing copy

You can't.

You can create images, write messages, craft missions, and position yourself out the whazoo, but you cannot build a brand.

Only customers can build a brand. A brand is a perception, and the only perception that counts is the one in the mind of the customer -- not in the marketer's fevered imagination.

In a reply to my previous post on Marines and branding, Mark Merenda reasoned that there's little significant difference between a Marine and a soldier (though I know plenty of military men who'd argue otherwise), so the perceived difference must be attributable to better branding.

I don't deny that the Marines have a great brand. But what interests me is the "how they got there" -- how the brand got built. Was it through smart brand thinking -- or something else?

Consider the Marines. They didn't institute a boot camp four times as long as the Army's to build brand. They didn't establish their "first line of attack" combat ethos to build brand. They didn't assume many of the military's most dangerous tactical challenges to build brand.

They did (and do) these things because that's their purpose, their character. The Marine "brand" we esteem now emerged, over time, as a consequence of their actions. Actions that were determined, in turn, by the quality of their character.

Consider, too, the brands that are frequently hailed as great American icons: Coca Cola, Harley Davidson, McDonalds. They didn't start out by hanging shingles that said, "We're an American ideal. Consume us, consume our heritage." They attained their iconic status over time, after being consistently true to their purposes generation after generation.

True, much of their success can be attributed to quality and persistence. Some can be linked to shrewd business practices. But in the final analysis, a good chunk of their success is beyond the reach of planning and rests in the hands of providence, of sheer good fortune: Their brands "stuck" where others sank into obscurity.

A brand is to a business what reputation is to character. With every action we take, and with every word that passes our lips, we're responsible for our character -- it is what we make it to be. Reputation dwells in the perceptions of others. Certainly character and reputation move in relation to one another, but it's a complex dance and reputation is a capricious dance partner.

That's why most branding efforts are entirely misguided; they attempt to control what they cannot -- reputation -- while failing to address the substance of what they can control -- their products, services and business practices. Too often, branding wizards fail to dazzle consumers while blinding businesses with their own spells.

In recent years, the brands that have succeeded most are the ones that delivered best. eBay is a hit, not becuase of any ad, logo or tag, but because it superbly executes a brilliant idea -- an international yardsale, an economic republic of everyman. Starbucks took off because it offers a premium coffee to an audience willing to pay more for it (and has a roll-out strategy that brings the two together). Microsoft? Gates made the right moves where others, including seasoned pros like IBM and brilliant contemporaries like Apple, were tangle-footed, committing themselves to computers instead of operating systems.

In the end, I don't deny that great brands exist. I just question the plausiblity of "great branding."

Build a great business. Then maybe, just maybe, a great brand will come.

Last week, I heard an interesting report on the radio about military recruiting statistics: While the Army struggles to find new soldiers, the Marines are doing a fine job attracting candidates.

The reporter asked a "branding expert" why this was so. The expert replied, naturally, that it's because the Marines, "have a better brand."

Marines as brand. I couldn't help but hear echoes of another specious brand incursion: Remember when the Federal Government hired an advertising expert to "sell" the "American brand" in Afghanistan? What an extraordinary message to send to a people who respect tradition and enduring values -- that America isn't about democracy, freedom or representation; it's about the brand: America, The Brand. Did anyone else feel queasy about this?

I digress -- this is about the Marines. Attributing their success to brand is both trite and misleading. The deeper, more truthful response is that the Marines are more successful recruiters because being a Marine means something. To be a Marine is to be tough. To be among a select few. To be willing to arrive at the battle first and leave last.

This is about something much more than their tagline -- The Few, The Proud, The Brave. It's about a grueling 16 week boot camp in tropical conditions and a legacy born, not in the plush offices of brand consultants, but on the shores of Tripoli and Iwo Jima, in the jungles of Guadalcanal and Vietnam. The Marines have earned their reputation through almost unthinkable sacrifice. You cannot "brand" that kind of reputation with positioning statements and clever ads.

To compete, the Army doesn't need a new brand, per se. It needs a to create a soldier in as distinctive a way as the Marines create Marines. I don't know whether that distinction is built on "training," "patriotism," or something else, but I'm convinced that it has to be deeply imbedded in the real, day to day lives of real soldiers.

If it's built on brand visions, and nothing else, Americans will quickly see the effort for what it is -- bullshit -- and ignore it.

Create a soldier. Then the recruits -- and "the brand" -- will follow.

A quick suggestion:

When you ask a writer to rewrite a previously completed project, such as an old brochure or posted Web pages, give the writer new content to work with: new ideas, insights, proof points -- or at least a fresh perspective.

Otherwise, your writer must base the rewritten copy on . . . the old copy. And nothing else. At best, all the writer can do is recycle the old words or ideas, or remix the same ingredients.

End result? You're just re-tossing the same word salad. If you want a fresh meal, gather fresh ingredients.

The front page of today's Boston Globe features an article on the resurgence of direct mail, The offer's in the mail, by Jenn Abelson. She credits the substantial rise in mail to the effects of can-spam legislation and the Do Not Call registry.

While I don't dispute their influence, I suspect that an important third factor is in play as well: tangibility. In an age of bits and bytes, there's something inherently satisfying about ink and paper, about a message that's literally substantial, as opposed to virtual.

In my experience, I find that e-mail (for example) is a poor medium for introducing oneself to new prospects. If they don't know who you are, they hit "delete" and move on. Sure, direct mail response rates often struggle in the low single digits, but dollar for dollar, the mail package remains a powerful way to make that crucial first impression. In ink. On paper. In the customer's hands.

(By the way, I love e-mail as a way to sustain contact with customers you already have or prospects already familiar with you.)

Now an amusing story, culled once again from my trip to NYC last weekend to participate in the BookExpo America event. On Sunday, two hours before the Expo was to shut its doors, I was making my way towards the exit loaded with three bags of free books. As I made my way, I spied the American Girls booth and remembered that I couldn't return home to my girls empty handed. Could I score a goodie here?

There were three women at the otherwise empty booth. I raved about the American Girls dolls and their affiliated publications, the books and magazines that complement the dolls' stories. I told them, truthfully, that my daughters love the American Girls.

"How many do you have?" one woman asked.

I paused, putting my finger thoughtfully to my chin. "Let's see," I said aloud, counting in my mind the number of full-sized American Girls, the Bitty Baby, the Girls of Many Lands...

The women turned to each other in surprise, then looked at me in alarm. "You don't know how many you have?" one asked.

"Well," I said defensively. "There are so many!"

They laughed. "Typical man!" one said. "Doesn't even know how many kids he has."

"Kids?" I said. "I thought you meant dolls." I told them I had two daughters -- as far as I knew. They seemed relieved, then impressed when I was able to tell them exactly how many American Girls dolls resided in my home as well.

My customers want something new. Instead of just asking me to write marketing and PR materials for them, they're now asking me to teach them how to write these materials -- web pages, blogs, articles, press releases, among other things -- themselves.

This makes sense to me. For starters, my customers' agencies don't really want to bother with deep content, so they're not much help. But more importantly, the best content comes from the inside -- from the people most knowledgeable about the products/services and closest to the customers.

You asked for it, you got it: I'm now offering comprehensive one-day writing training seminars delivered directly to your door. Called the Corporate Content Writing Seminar, my hands-on, intensive writing program teaches you and your marketing colleagues how to find, package, express and deliver quality content that attracts prospects and secures customer loyalty.

You'll find more information on my website. But here a few of the cool details:

* You don't have to ship your staff all over the country. I bring the writing seminar on-site and in-house.

* Every participant gets a 3-ring binder packed with guides, tips, worksheets and step-by-step instructions, so the learning keeps on coming long after the one-day seminar is over.

* When you schedule a seminar, I'll send you a brief questionnaire asking for insights into your company, your industry, your market. With your responses in hand, I'll adjust the seminar content and examples to your needs.

Questions, comments or suggestions? I'd love to hear them. Drop me a line.

I've returned to my office after a whirlwind 2-day tour of BookExpo America in NYC.

A few observations:

* No single title stood out as this year's Big Book. Instead, I saw numerous DaVinci Code wannabes -- ancient clues that lead to heavy mysteries. (I've peppered Kranz on Copy with secret messages -- decipher them, and you may find the Golden Key to the Temple of Gullibility.)

* Book lovers (myself included) are like vultures. By 2:00 pm on Sunday, attendees moved into scavenger mode, seeking books the exhibitors were none too eager to pack up again. With their exceptionally beautiful books, Taschen was swarmed with greedy readers; unfortunately, Taschen wasn't willing to surrender their titles and our carrion instincts were outmatched by their eagle eyes.

* Everyone and everything seemed to be represented at the show, from the major houses with giant pavilions to self-published authors tabled at the fringes. I saw hundreds of stunning, provocative books I'd love to own. I met dozens of witty, interesting persons. I walked my feet raw trolling from booth to booth.

* Sure, sex sells. The real interesting thing is the range of sex or sex-related titles proffered, everything from cheesy girly calenders to exquisite art book erotica featuring photos of the most beautiful women imaginable doing things I'd never imagined. (No, they weren't giving those books away either.)

* Naxos, a record label famed for its inexpensive yet high-quality classical music recordings, also offers audio books, including a 22-CD reading of Joyce's Ulysses. (Nope, didn't get one of those. Rats.)

* Even Las Vegas has something intelligent to offer. From Glitter Gulch comes Parmenides Publishing, specializing in English translations of ancient Greek philosophy and literature. This fall, they're offering an audio CD of Homer's Odyssey read by translator, Stanley Lombardo. I read the opening two pages of his translation and fell in love. I bet the CD is going to be killer.

* The Expo offered a packaging area where, for a $25 fee on top of UPS shipping charges, you could box and ship your booty (as in pirate booty, not the booty you shake) back home. Great idea, even with the $25 surcharge. But the lines were insanely long. Next time out, I hope the Expo doubles or triples the number of people working the shipping room.

* I know the BookExpo is intended for wholesale book buyers and publishers, but it's a real eye-opener for any book lover. If you have a chance to attend, do. There's no better way to meet book people or drool over the latest books.

I'm writing live from the Book-Byte booth at BookExpo American in NYC. Follow the link: They've put together a brilliant online book promo program complete with a video feed, contact info, event, bio, etc -- a comprehensive book PR program in a box (er, on the Web). Very smart.

Last night, I had an amazing meal at Wildflower at the corner of Bleecker and Macdougal in the Village. My hostess (and restaurant co-owner) Raquel Wolf was as sweet and helpful and hospitable as it's possible to be -- a welcome welcome after a long day at the Expo. My cheese and charcuterie appetizer was absolutely killer (as was the excellent selection of wine) and the entree represented my first attack on ostrich. Superb! They just opened last October; they offer outdoor cafe seating; and they represent a delicious alternative to the usual tourist-trap fair common in the area. Please visit and tell them I sent you.

The Expo floor is much slower today, but the hardy souls who remain are much more eager to chat -- and give away books. I look forward to the conversational and literary riches to come.

I hit the BookExpo floor again after lunch. As promised, I found a Catholic book publisher, Loyola Press. Instead of sending out the usual PR flacks, Loyola staffed the booth with their creative director, Adam Moroschan -- from what I saw and heard, both a great talent and a great guy.

Their big news is Loyola Classics, a reprint series of American Catholic classics, many of which have been long out of print. I managed to pick Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? by John R. Powers.

As you know, many advertising writers and designers dream of more lofty creative efforts. Well, a bunch of ad folk in NYC got off their collective butts and formed Contemporary Press, an independant publishing house specializing in edgy urban work, what publisher and author Jay Brida calls "pop punk pulp." The covers look great and I look forward to lifting the hoods.

Big news for comics fans: M Press is releasing a new biography, Will Eisner: A Spirited Life. It's by Bob Andelman and is scheduled for release in September.

My big score of the afternoon is The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Comic-Book Icons and Hollywood Heroes edited by Gina Misiroglu. She signed my copy (bless her) and says her favorite superhero is the Silver Surfer. She notes that her book is the first to assemble ALL the big heros together, regardless of copyright owner. Also, she notes that she's as interested in the heroes' cultural/social impact as she is in their assorted powers.

More tomorrow...

I'm writing from the press office at BookExpo America, Javits Center, in NYC. I'm tired (I left Massachusetts at 5:30 a.m., which may not be early to some, but is definitely early for a writer) and I'm hungry (nothing but a ham/egg/cheese on a bagel from DD this morning -- in Massachusetts), but I'm exhilerated as well.

The Expo is stranger and more exciting than I had anticipated. Within minutes, no seconds, of my arrival, I was swamped by hawkers. One guy handed me a pin with a promise: Find the matching number (they're all numbered) and you and your doppelganger get a cool $100 cash. Can't argue with that.

I could argue with the next hawker, a young woman promoting, How to Control Men. I tried to explain to her that offering women a book on controlling men seems quite unnecessary, kind of like teaching fish to swim or dogs to bark. She laughed (she gets points for that), yet insisted the book is useful. (Men: Watch out. "They" are honing their skills.)

I stopped at the J. Wiley megaplex to meet my taskmasters, who seemed quite nice. No, they didn't display my book. Yes, it's already in the backlist catalog. While conversing with Melisa Duffy, a Dummies marketing exec, we were interrupted by a heated and importunate older gentleman who aggressively insisted on extracting the name of an editor to whom he could pitch his book. She politely (and with more patience than I can muster -- she's from Indiannapolis after all) explained that the Dummies series doesn't accept proposals over the transom; all titles are shopped through agents.

(Irony alert: The proposal for Writing Copy for Dummies had indeed been pulled from the slush pile -- glad I didn't know the rules. Melisa has asked that I remain silent on this issue on pain of death.)

Next step -- the booth for Llewellyn Publications. I had no business being there -- I was attracted by the titles on Wicca, witchcraft, the occult, etc. I made a poor joke about being cursed if I failed to buy one of their books. With a very straight face and an unwavering gaze that made me uncomfortable, the sales rep informed me that Llewellyn doesn't curse people. "Besides," he said, "all curses come back to you times three. Good or bad." No points for this guy.

While under his spell, I met the author of Vampires: The Occult Truth. At six foot, eight inches or so, with long black hair, Konstantinos cuts an imposing figure. And he's a singer in rock band -- goth, of course -- called Bell, Book and Candle. For all the fire and brimstone, he was actually quite nice. His take on the appeal of vampires? "They represent sexual power, immortality -- all the things goths strive for in life." Amen.

Now I'm on the lookout for a Catholic book publisher -- just in case the Llewellyn guy put the zap on my head. While on the subject of religion, here's an interesting, and true, juxtaposition: Two booths side-by-side at the back of the hall -- Micah Publishing featuring "Books Interpreting Modern Jewry" and The American University in Cairo Press, the latter of which was unattended as I passed by.

So far, my favorite conversation took place at the Merriam-Webster booth. With so many dictionaries flaunting (is that the right word?) the Webster name, which is the real deal, the true descendant of Noah Webster? For the record, it's Merriam-Webster. Look for the blue bulls-eye logo as your assurance of authenticity.

It turns out the gentleman who gave me the scoop is none other than John Morse, president and publisher of the company and a former lexicographer himself. Yes, he is distantly related to Samuel Morse. In an instance of the uncanny that might impress the people at Llewellyn, Samuel once painted a portrait of Noah Webster. And now (insert spooky music) one of his descendants is president of the publishing house the carries the Webster name.

John and I share an enthusiasm for contranyms, words that embrace two contradictory meanings such as "cleave" and "sanction." Of the words he defined for Merriam-Webster, John's favorite is "litany." Can't blame him; it's a beautiful word with the appealing perfume of medieval incense within a great and silent cathedral. I hope I have the privilege of visiting the Merriam-Webster offices in Springfield, MA some day.

Marilyn Herbert of Book Club in a Box asked for a plug and why not? She creates and distributes discussion kits, for assigned titles, to book clubs across the country. Sounds like a smart complement to any book tour/PR campaign.

One last book before I break for lunch: At the booth for American Pie, a book translation outfit, I happened to spot a Russian book with a picture of Adolph Hitler on the cover. Josephine Bacon noticed my curiousity and gave me the story: Newly de-classified files from Russia offer a completely new picture on Hitler's death. According to this book (I forgot to capture the title), Hitler's hands shook so much he couldn't shoot himself; he asked an orderly to do the job for him. The orderly's account was allegedly recorded by the Soviets and subsequently documented in one of Stalin's personal secret files.

You heard it here first...

Today, the "largest book publishing event in the U.S.," BookExpo America, throws open its doors at the Javits Center in NYC.

I won't be there today because tonight, I will sit in a sweltering, airless auditorium to see my daughters' dance recital. (Think of it as two minutes of bless -- watching my kids' turns on stage, wrapped with two hours of misery -- watching everyone else's kids on stage.)

But first thing tomorrow morning, at the wee hour of 5:00, I will hit the road and brave the long, dark nothing-good-on-the-radio gully known as Connecticut ("The Horizontal New Jersey") for the BookExpo in New York.

From the Expo, I will post regular blog contributions from the floor: what's there, who's where. Please look for my posts Saturday and Sunday.

Write me if you intend to be there yourself and would like to say hello.