DISTINCTLY

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Bettering Brand Performance

Welcome to Distinctly, Number One. This and future issues will be a

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portable intelligent read for busy business people on the go. The goal?
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To deliver brand ideas, insights and inspiration. Enjoy.

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Lessons from
   the champions
Feature
St John met up with Mark Elliott, High
Performance Director of Bike NZ and coach of
double Olympian triathlete Bevan Docherty,
and asked what businesses can learn from high
performance coaches.
Mark Elliott with Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre
Q: Define high performance in your role?
A: It’s about focusing on the process to reach your Q: What are the vital ingredients to high
goals. With Bevan, we didn’t focus on winning performance you witnessed in Beijing?
a medal. We focused on the process to be in a A: I think it’s all about belief. An underlying
position to get that medal. We did self-analysis on commitment or belief to the process – that what
his strengths and weaknesses to lead him to high we’re doing is right. Without this belief no one
performance on the day. In Beijing, we knew if he gets anywhere. Another ingredient is honesty to
was on the shoulder of the lead pack off the bike, the people around you and to yourself. If you’re
he was in contention - fortunately he was! not honest with yourself you can’t address your
For Bike NZ, in a team sense, we focus on the weaknesses. The other is recovery. You need time to
ability to repeat a performance on any given day. recover so you can repeat your performances.
This is achieved by building people who strive to
Lesson for business #2: Be honest about
be world-class. We look at getting the basics right
to ensure we get consistency of performance.
your weaknesses and address them.

Lesson for business #1: Commit to the Q: What are the barriers to high performance?
process of reaching your business goals. A: The biggest barrier we experience is distraction
– so we try to minimise them.
W

• Marketing through a downturn: how to weather the storm

hat

• Branding right first time: save yourself from the re-brand roundabout
’s

• A name says it all: tips on effective naming

in
side

• Win dinner with Distinct!

 contin
ued
Distractions come in all forms. They are performance
inhibitors and create self-doubt. After Hayden
[Roulston] won silver in the individual pursuit, we
made sure he got his post-race recovery before
and after his media commitments. This meant he
was in good shape to perform for the team pursuit
the very next day. The other barrier is the athlete
lacking professional ownership of their lifestyle,
nutrition, training commitment and recovery. If an
athlete doesn’t take professional ownership, no
coach can help that athlete perform at their best.
Lesson for business #3: Take professional
ownership for your performance and
avoid distractions which prevent you from
reaching your goals.
Q: Who defined high performance at the Olympics?
A: I’d like to think our men’s pursuit team.
We’ve been working with the same cyclists for four
years, so it wasn’t so much the riders who changed,
more the team around them. For the team to
perform they needed a support team that was
able to perform. It’s what we call the ‘team around
the team’. Before Beijing, we went to Bordeaux
and replicated Beijing conditions. This meant we
fronted up in China prepared for all circumstances
and confident we could go faster. We knew we’d
have to repeat world-class performances three
times before the finals so having that confidence
was vital.
I also think that the Great Britain team
demonstrated high performance through the
depth and width of their track results. I’d still like
to know how they achieved this and what we could
learn from them!
Lesson for business #4: Prepare and plan
ahead, in detail, for different challenges.
Q: What strategies do you use to coach and
sustain high performance?
A: We always ask whether what we’re doing is
going to lead to performance. You have to keep
asking that question! It’s also about people. With
the pursuit team, it’s about 24 people, not just 4.
The bike mechanic, physio, nutritionist, coach and
other support crew are all focused on the best
performance on the day.
Lesson for business #5: Always ask if
what you’re doing is helping you reach
your objectives.
Q: What could businesses learn from high
performance coaches and athletes?
A: Focus on priorities and target resources at
individuals who have the ability to grow and
develop. You have to look after and invest in
people. Create the right environment for them to
excel and maximise their potential and you’ll get
the payback.
 bike set up or changeover that gains .001 of a
second could be the difference between podium
or not. A lot of small improvements combined can
add to bigger, more significant gains. And focus
on your most important resource – your people.
You’ll get the best out of them by continually
Lesson for business #6: Identify your communicating the goal and getting their buy-in.
top performers and create the optimum
environment for them to excel. Lesson for business #9: Focus on
continual improvement, clear
Q: How could New Zealand sport and business communication and your people.
achieve a higher, sustained level of performance?
>D
A: Commit to and believe in the process – we’re
all signed up to this strategy and we’re all going
to work together to execute it to the best of our
abilities. People often forget it’s people who
deliver the plan, not the other way around. I also
think it’s about using our point of difference as a
nation more.
Lesson for business #7: People deliver
plans, not the plan itself.
Q: Does competition bring out people’s
personal best?
A: Sometimes yes and sometimes no. But that’s
the thing about competition. It raises everyone’s
game and ensures no one gets complacent. It also
means you can benchmark your performance.
You know where you sit.
Lesson for business #8: Identify, understand
and anticipate your competition.
Q: What’s your advice to businesses who want to
continually perform at their best?
A: Focus on continual improvements, however
small. With us, any efficiency gained in pedal stroke,

Get your
branding right
first time
E
ver wondered why some brands keep on the
re-brand roundabout? (mentioning no names
mr Telco). Perhaps it’s because they’re not
getting their branding efforts right the first time
round. While that might be good news for the
agency that’s doing the latest and greatest re-brand
work, it’s probably not so good for your customers.
‘Absolutely Positively Wellington’ as a brand
has shown longevity and appealed to domestic
tourists, businesses and Wellingtonians. It’s shown
resilience while Auckland continues to struggle with
its own identity (anyone remember Auckland A?).
And who could forget hamiltron - City of the Future.
‘100% Pure’ has also demonstrated longevity with
a strong brand positioning that has served our
tourism industry well even though our clean green
image is coming under increasing scrutiny.
so how do you get branding right the first
time? here are some pointers to a happy and long
brand life:
1. Choose the right team and get the right advice.
surround yourself by the best brand brains your
budget can handle and don’t take shortcuts.
The investment will be worth it.
2. Base your brand on real consumer insights.
how can you help them solve their problems?
What are they telling you they need? how can you
offer them something different?
3. Make it relevant. It’s about them, not you.
If your brand isn’t relevant to your customers, it
won’t be effective because they won’t engage.
And, if they’re not engaged, they won’t do
anything. Who cares if it’s your 10th anniversary?
4. Be different. Are you adding to or breaking
away from the clutter? having the best price,
range or number of outlets ain’t going to cut it.
These are hygiene factors that just add to the
noise and shouting isn’t going to help
(although the local radio and Tv sales
guys will love you for it).
5. Make them feel like they own the
brand. It’s not what you think you are,
it’s what they think you are. If your
customers feel like they own your
brand, much like Cafe L’Affare, Deluxe or
matterhorn, then you’ve just enlisted
one of the most powerful brand
forces on earth – your very
own brand salesforce,
spreading the good news
with marketing’s best
currency – word of mouth.
6. Make it truthful. Today’s
consumers are increasingly
sophisticated and marketing
literate (read: they ain’t stupid).
They’re worn out by trumped–up
spin and the constant veneer of
slick marketing campaigns.
They yearn for authenticity (take note
NZru of recent renewed interest in the
ranfurly shield). The rise in back to basics
like gardening, book clubs, organic foods
and farmers markets are all evidence of this.
 Dinner on
Distinct
Distinct wants to know what your business
wants. What do you need when it comes to
branding? What have been pain points in
the past? What could Distinct offer you that
you’re not currently getting? Has anyone
ever discussed payments by results?
Tell us, in three or fewer sentences, what
you’d like to chew over with St John
Toyota, Mainland and ASB have all
and dinner’s on Distinct.
demonstrated the power of brand longevity.
Mega brands like Volvo (safety), Disney competition@distinct.co.nz
(magic) or Apple (change the world) don’t
go changing their brands often either.
Rather than spending money recreating
themselves with the arrival of an excitable
new manager, they focus on
enriching and improving who they Hall of
Fame, Hall
are in the minds of their consumers.
They have chosen a well-loved and
proven brand position that works and

of Shame
they’ve stuck to it. Admirable in these times
of constant change.
If you go chopping and changing
what you stand for, how can you
expect your customers, or your
people, to remember who you
are, let alone what makes you
Greatness
different? Constant changes to your brand causes Green Party
confusion. Think how you felt the last time your
Great billboards that focus on the emotions
local supermarket changed its layout. Same
rather than the candidate. Gets my vote.
goes for Ghuznee Street’s two way system.
Humans are emotional beings and NZ Breast Cancer Foundation
most like familiarity and consistency For enlisting a powerful army of supporters.
in the products and services they buy. Nice work, take note non-profits.
They want to know what they’re getting.
If people know what they’re going to
get, they’re more likely to warm to you, Lame
remember you and choose you next time
Wellington Combined Taxis
they get their wallet out.
So perhaps it does pay to get your A white Prius is hardly first cab off
branding right first time. the rank.

>D
Marketing
through
  a downturn
H
ere we are in testing times with businesses
conceding that markets are tough, wallets
are tight and things are bleak. So what’s
their first reaction? Cut the marketing budget.
Perhaps the real reason businesses cut their
marketing budgets is because those efforts,
especially traditional advertising, have never been
able to truly prove their effectiveness – in good
times or bad. Why would you pull the pin on
marketing efforts that were delivering you value in
the form of leads or sales? You wouldn’t. If those
marketing activities weren’t delivering a return on
investment, you’d be right to cull them as they
represent wasted dollars. And if your persuasive
agency or media provider tells you to up the
budget, don’t. Shouting louder and spending
more of your hard earned dollars on something
that wasn’t working before isn’t going to get you a
different result now. Instead, ask them how they’re
going to deliver you the results you really need.
Opportunities are everywhere and many
present themselves when economic
conditions get tough. You just have to
make these opportunities, rather than
wait for them. Customers, even in tough
times, still have problems. Whether it’s how
to make the weekly shop stretch further,
how to make the family car fuel efficient
or how they can get on top of their
power bill, these problems represent a
compelling value equation.
Take the weekly food bill.
Make more of your own meals
instead of take-aways, save
money, lose weight and have
a healthier family. Hurting at the
pump? Save money, protect your
second largest asset from shock
repair bills and help the environment by
getting your vehicle regularly serviced. Help your
customers solve their specific problems and they
will reward you.
Like a lot in life, it comes down to mindset.
During tough times, do you:
a. accept the downturn and ride it out?
b. hunker down and hope it will go away?
c. seize the opportunity to examine your business
and see where you can better your performance?
Rather than view economic conditions as an
issue, look at them as an opportunity to improve
and better your business. It can be painful to take
a deep, hard look but you’ll be in better
shape for it. How can you service and
anticipate your customers’ needs
better? What are they and your
frontline staff telling you? How can
you make your customers your very
own sales team? When did you last
recognise the importance of your
high value customers (assuming you
know who they are)? Who could you
partner up with to create more leads or
customers? Who are your star performers
and are you looking after them? Are
your marketing efforts hitting their
objectives? If not, why not? By asking
these questions, and others, you’ll get
improvements and efficiencies.
Change isn’t a bad thing. It creates
opportunities. Take the circus industry.
Increasing show costs, new forms of entertainment,
star acts, declining audiences and the attention
of animal rights groups saw the circus business

in decline. Then along came a company called
Cirque du Soleil who changed the game. It didn’t
compete head on or discount. It evolved the circus
concept into something more theatrical and more
entertaining. An experience people paid more to
see. Cirque du Soleil has successfully reinvented
circus as we know it and is now a multi-million
dollar business with five shows in Las Vegas and
seven shows touring the globe.
Change is a business necessity that you should
commit to, to ensure you remain competitive and
relevant. Change is required because markets,
trends and customers don’t stand still. They
continually and quickly change. If you don’t
embrace this change, your business could slowly
wither and die with the death roll characterised by
heavy discounting because it’s the only tool you’ve
got left.
A commitment to business change and
improvement is your insurance policy to better
and more profitable business performance.
Examining and improving your business in tougher
times means you will be in a better position to get
a jump on when things pick up. It’s about upping
your game as the game gets continually upped.
Front foot or back foot? You decide.
I’ll leave you with a Charles Swindoll quote:
“I am convinced that life is 10%
what happens to me and 90% how I
respond to it.”
So how will you respond in these testing times?
>D
A name
   says it all
M
any mum and dads will agonise over the
name of their children so why shouldn’t
it be the same for business? How did
you land on your business name? Did you use
your surname or did you take the opportunity
to reinforce your brand? Many businesses fail to
recognise that their choice of name is as important
as a logo or website. A name will often be the
first thing customers see or hear. They will make a
split decision, there and then, whether to take you
seriously or not. Call it moment of truth.
Your name should be one of the strongest parts
of your brand armoury. It should stir and excite the
emotions and conjure up positive feelings. Nige
or Nigella? Vince or Valentino? Kev or Keanu? You
get the idea.
Here are some basic pointers when thinking
about naming:
• be different or you’re just helping the
category, not yourself.
• be brave. Google or Ask Jeeves?
• don’t be generic. City Dentists or Gentle
Dental Centre?
• think phonetics. What does it sound like?
Does it drop off the tongue easily?
• don’t be too descriptive or benefit-led. This
can often lead to bland, indifferent names.
• the more lateral, the better. What does
Caterpillar have to do with construction?
Amazon – jungle or books?
• use verbs or ‘doing’ words. They’re stronger
because they are action - orientated.
• see how the name translates in different
languages, you’ll be surprised.
• try not to use your own name. It’s about what
you do, not who you are. So park the ego
unless your name is Hilton, Pitt or Trump.
Contenders for best brand name ? Scrabble,
Google, Hoover, Apple, Nike, Lego, Red Bull, Sting,
Chanel and Swatch. All well known and trusted.
Each elicits its own feelings and associations.
 Think about how naming decisions sets the Feedback, comments or suggestions:
precedent for product extensions. If you’re going feedback@distinct.co.nz
to extend your product line later on, how about
future proofing it? Virgin does this well. All its

About
businesses reinforce, rather than dilute, the parent
brand. Make sure names work collectively as a
family to reinforce the core brand too. Apple do it

Distinct
text book style with iPod, iMac, iPhone and iBook.
Prize for worst brand names ever ?
Probe (nice thoughts Ford)
Monday (Price WaterHouse Coopers disastrous St John founded Distinct after seeing a need for
yet legendary naming mistake – how can you businesses, regardless of size, to be able to access
possibly re-define Monday?) more affordable, pragmatic and accountable
brand expertise.
When you’re thinking about your name also
think about your positioning statement or strapline.
St John has over 14 years experience working for
The same principles apply. Stand for something
leading corporates and agencies here and in
and use the opportunity to communicate and
the United Kingdom including roles at McCann
reinforce the benefit of your brand.
Erickson, Young & Rubicam, Westpac and
Happy naming! Contact Energy.

>D

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used
when we created them.”  
Albert Einstein

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