Putting a face to the name

How important are the people behind the brands?

Everyone knows the big names behind Virgin, Apple and News International but do they contribute to the way people feel about their brand? Rupert Murdoch certainly has seen how his actions can affect his business.  

Brands are always fighting to become more human and customers are always after that personal touch. After all, everyone wants to be wanted.

Richard Branson, to some people, is seen as a big figure head in the business world. Rated as the UK’s 4^th richest citizen in Forbes’ 2011 list of billionaires, it’s clear to see he’s doing something right. And it’s not just his business ventures and accomplishments that people aspire to – he’s a real person. He’s a family man - this was clear to see when his holiday home was destroyed.

But he’s also not afraid of adventure. He launched his first business at just 16, and now heads up a multinational conglomerate with over 400 companies worldwide.

A brand needs to be likable, interesting and human for it to make an impression on a large scale. Maybe Branson has all those qualities and that’s what’s been behind Virgin’s billions.

But some house-hold brands, that are just as well-loved, if not more, hide their CEOs from the limelight.

Mulberry, a quintessentially British brand, started out producing fishing bags and jackets, inspired by the country pursuits of hunting and shooting. It was only after the brand grew throughout the UK and internationally that the iconic Bayswater was born.

But have you ever seen Mr Mulberry – or Roger Saul as he is officially known? No. Even after he left in 2002, the faces behind the brand have never really entered the limelight.

For the company that was started with £500 Saul was given for his 21^st, it hasn’t always been an easy ride. A brand that is now known for quality and luxury was once seen as ‘stuck in the countryside’.

After nearly sinking in the 90s, the company went through an extreme image overhaul. Rather than shoving the brand’s backers into the limelight, strategists chose to celebrate the famous faces of those who have inspired collections – Alexa Chung & Lana Del Ray. These ladies have revitalised the brand, lending it a cool-factor that has contributed to its cult status.

There’s no doubt that placing a face behind, or at least beside a brand, adds value. But does it need to be the founder? Of course an individual who has started a successful business from scratch will always be a source of intrigue. However, without a little charisma, without that… je ne sais quoi, their connection with the brand has very little commercial value. If this is the case, it would be far more worthwhile bringing Brandgelina into the mix.

By Stephanie Rock

What does your coffee say about you?

This week, hot beverage politics hit the headlines, as news emerged that Ed Miliband plays the role of coffee boy in the opposition offices.

David Cameron chose Prime Ministers Questions as a fitting time to divulge this information, clearly hoping to suggest that Ed Miliband isn’t ‘butch’ enough to take on the top dog position of PM.

In the same week Ed Balls shrugged off claims that that he split a cappuccino over a colleague’s papers. Don’t be mistaken for thinking that Mr Balls was embarrassed at defacing government work though.  On the contrary, he was upset at the accusation that he drinks a sissy cappuccino, when his preferred choice is a double espresso with an extra shot of hot water.

Discussion of the inappropriate timing of David Cameron’s comments, and the implicit suggestion in both Balls’ and Cameron’s statements that you need to be ‘butch’ (manly) to succeed in politics, could go on for hours. Nevertheless, the incidents also relate to another controversial topic: What foods/ drinks give a good business impression?

After all, agree with Balls/Cameron or not, you can see their simple logic: Strong coffee= strong personality. Recognising this however can open the door to a whole range of anxieties. Does displaying a weakness for chocolate immediately pigeonhole you as sweet? Does choosing Chinese over Indian make you a boardroom pushover, unable to handle the heat?

A quick browse of the Internet unearths a wealth of similar food/office questions and insecurities. One forum I came across was completely dedicated to what you could and couldn’t eat in business meetings, offering numerous scenarios dependent on what those around you were eating and what time of day it was.

Another particularly entertaining article from The Guardian discussed the rise of the breakfast meeting and the issues of tucking into a full English whilst others reach for a low-fat soya fruit pot whilst downing a wheatgrass shot.

Nevertheless, by far the most sensible piece of advice, and one which I will forever follow, came from Karen Brady who tells women not to shun the canapés at dinner parties, ‘because you can see the pained expression on their faces.’ Karen is right, people may disapprove of fatty but no one likes a killjoy.

At the end of the day, people may judge others on what they eat. However, I hope I am not alone in thinking that to judge an individual’s business credentials based on their choice of coffee is utterly ridiculous. Ed Balls can drink a skinny frappuccino with whipped cream and a caramel shot for all I care, as long as he does his job. 

By Polly Robinson