Brand Everlasting

As we approach Christmas, and soon the Epiphany (the Christian celebration commemorating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in the Christ Child), we explore the brand that is Christianity. Controversial, enduring, inspiring, and even misappropriated—Christianity is the faith in the life, teachings and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And for more than two millennia, this brand has persisted in its evolution and command of brand loyalty.

At the core of the Christian brand is Christ himself, Jesus of Nazareth and Son of God. Christians profess their faith that Jesus was born of a virgin, died for the forgiveness of human sin, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven to later return for judgment day. Those are strong attributes—meaningful to the faithful then and now. And while being born of a virgin is not unique in the history of religious faiths, it provided Jesus with divine DNA from God the Father.

Strengthening this divine heritage is his very name, underscoring the mission for which prophecy says he was sent. Jesus is basically translated to mean "Yahweh rescues."  And according to the Gospels of both Luke and Matthew in the New Testament, the angel Gabriel tells Mary and Joseph to name their child Jesus. The reason given was "because he will save his people from their sins." Right from the start this lends a redemptive attribute to Christ. Of course the title of Christ translates from Greek to mean "the anointed" and also used to translate the Hebrew term for "Messiah" into Greek. Combined that set Jesus up to be the Anointed one to deliver salvation.

Jesus has a well-documented life in the New Testament. Christians obviously put a great deal of trust into the text and it is within these chronicles of Christ's life, and the very Genesis of Christianity, that so much of the brand is found. Healing, miracles, firm resistance against human temptations, as well as the Crucifixion and Resurrection are hallmarks of Jesus' divine brand. But the more subtle of Christ's deeds seem to be those that have the most impact.

Jesus calls to Zacchaeus

Just in the company he kept, Jesus didn't associate himself with the upper crust of society. Indeed, his affiliations with those of lesser status and questionable reputation made him a target.

One example is the account of Zacchaeus from the Gospel of Luke. Simply put, Zacchaeus was a tax collector in Jericho—hated by everybody and in particular by other Jews who saw him as a traitor for working with Rome. On the day Jesus passed through town, he arrived early along the path Jesus would take, climbing a sycamore tree. Zacchaeus was a short man and would have difficulty seeing over the crowds. As Jesus passed, he looked up into the tree and called out to Zacchaeus by name and told him to come down. Jesus then announced he would visit his house, sending the crowd into shock that Jesus would associate himself such a low sort.

But so moved by the gift of Jesus' undeserved love and acceptance, Zacchaeus publicly repented and vowed to make restitution for them. This is chief among the attributes of Christ—forgiveness and embracing those who are not evil but outcast.  That's an unusual attitude for the time—one might argue even for today.

Adding to the desirability of forgiveness is the idea of an afterlife. Not all religions have a bright future for our souls. In some we are reincarnated, doomed to relive this life until we miraculously figure out how to behave in order to move on. In others there are several levels of Heaven or Hell—sounds more corporate than ethereal. And still others believe there is nothing beyond this life at all. So a Kingdom of Heaven can really resonate if you ain't tickled with the status quo.

But the deeds of Christ, including his Resurrection, were only the beginning of the Christian brand. Although let's face it, Resurrection is major since that means death can be defeated, further reinforcing that afterlife thing. Still, Christ's life was the foundation—the rock on which the church was built. From there it spread across the ancient western and near eastern worlds like the original social media.

Emperor Constantine c 302 AD

There are two specific people deserving the lion's share of credit for Christianity's facebook-like success—Constantine and Charlemagne. Nothing can pull an underground movement out from the shadows like state endorsement. Constantine was an early 4th Century Roman emperor who was responsible for exactly that. Before his rein, Christians were a persecuted lot. After all Jesus was crucified for sedition, real or not. And most of the ancient Mediterranean was pagan, whereas Christianity required reneging on many naughty but potentially fun elements of paganism. Maybe that's why Constantine waited a very long time before being baptized.

On the other side of the condemnation coin was Judaism itself—Jews didn't care for Christians because most didn't hold that Jesus was the Messiah, not to mention the fact that Christ's teaching seemingly went against the Jewish mainstream current. Add to that the whole idea that gentiles were welcome in the new faith. In other words Jesus went outside the tribe and Jews didn't appreciate it.

Roman shield with Chi Rho

Anyway, just before a battle Constantine had a vision of the Christian symbol, Chi Rho, which convinced him the Christian God was on his side. His resulting victory in what was thought a hopeless battle inspired Constantine to lift the persecutions of Christians. And he would spend an enormous effort for the remainder of his rein in supporting and spreading the faith.

Skip about 500 years to the end of the Dark Ages and we get Charlemagne. He was a conquering emperor—he was French, so go figure. Known then as Charles I, Charlemagne managed to unite much of Europe. In doing so, and as a good Medieval Christian (a somewhat disreputable time for the faith), he forced the Christianization of the Saxons, the Danes, and the Slavs, while banning their native paganism under threat of painful death. Charlemagne integrated all these people into his empire, while simultaneously integrating select pagan traditions into Christianity. This had the effect of easing brand acceptance by utilizing certain advantageous elements to further spread the faith.

Gold bust of Charlemagne

It is during the span of time between Constantine and Charlemagne that the cross really becomes the standard for Christianity—a reminder of Christ's sacrifice and Resurrection. By this time the Catholic Church established itself as the dominant authority on everything from western politics and society to science and medicine. The cross was on everything you could affix it to, draw it on, weave it into, or incorporate into its very making. Biblically speaking, the cross spread like locusts.

Christ is an everlasting brand. Even if you set aside the divinity of Jesus and look at him with a strict historical perspective, it is accepted fact that he existed. Jesus was a Rabbi … a teacher. And Roman records confirm that Pontius Pilate crucified him for sedition against the Empire. His impact is no less than profound. Jesus is even recognized by other faiths as being at the very least a prophet. These include Judaism, Islam, and the Bahá'í faiths. It may be an oxymoron, but Jesus was a conqueror whose weapon was ... forgiveness.

Therefore, submitted for your approval...

1. Determine the most appropriate brand-positioning attribute.

Forgiveness and compassion are the leads here. In his life, Jesus was noted for consorting with social rejects—the unwashed, the tax collector, and those of questionable reputation. He professed not a God who favored the rich and powerful, but a Father who loved all His children and promised a place especially for the meek and the poor.

2. Devise a distinctive way to articulate the brand position and develop a brand personality customers can use to introduce the brand.

He died for our sins ... enough said.

3. Establish graphic standards.

Early Christianity used more than a couple of symbols. Emperor Constantine saw a vision of the Chi Rho (the first two letters of Christ in Greek). which inspired him to take up God's standard and spread the church across the known world. The fish is a popular sign even today. But very early on it was code among a persecuted people. Eventually, Christianity settled on the cross as reminder to the faithful of Christ's sacrifice for all sins, and a death from which Jesus rose. This remains the most common Christian symbol today.

4. Implement internal branding programs to reward employees for behaving in ways that are consistent with the brand personality.

This is where things get sticky in Christianity. Early Christianity was more "advential" in that they truly believed the risen Jesus would return any moment. Plus there were the persecutions. So early Christians endured and sacrificed—walking paths not wholly dissimilar to Christ's. 

Then there is the less pleasant period of the Church when it becomes less about the divine and more about the corruption of power—the heretic trials, inquisitions, Crusades, and the suppression of knowledge. The reward for good behavior, as prescribed by church authority, was that you wouldn't be skinned alive, boiled, flogged, or some such unpleasant treatment. If so, then you were being purified for Heaven. You're welcome!

However, the real incentive for living a life in the footsteps of Jesus are in his root message: 

Heaven awaits those who follow in Christ's footsteps.

Stated another way: "The way to the Father is through me."

5. Consistently and uniquely execute the branding program.

Christ was most certainly consistent in his behavior. And his message for following the brand was direct and simple: 

Love one another as I have loved you.

(Originally posted during January 2012, with re-posts in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016)

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The Annual Return of that Hot Brand from the North Pole!

Santa Claus is back! Otherwise known as Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or just plain "Santa." Ole boss Claus has skillfully evolved and sustained his personal brand for more than two millennia—perhaps even longer. That plump, white-bearded toy broker is soon to don his red coat with white collar and cuffs in preparation for another yuletide run around the globe. His reindeer, with thick winter fur, are well fed and restless—ready to help Santa do his thing. The sleigh is polished up and nearly loaded with goodies for all (all that are good, that is). 

But if Santa is so good at covert gift giving ops, then how do we really know what he looks like? After all, he never lets out press photos. Well, there's a myth still lurking around that our image of Boss Claus, like the one to the right, was created by Coca Cola back in the early 1930s. False. Not true. No way. Nah. But it is a true statement that Coca Cola advertising of the era helped popularize this look and feel. So the cola company was a very helpful promoter, just not the creator. Nineteenth century cartoonist Thomas Nast gets the credit for capturing Santa's modern conceptual appearance.

To the Scrooges out there about to pop off an email sharing their opinion on Santa ... don't. This is strictly about brand. And whatever one believes about Santa Claus, one has to admit to two undeniable value propositions ... good cheer and an inspiration to pull a little bit of magic out of ourselves.

Moving on.

What you may not know is that much of Santa's brand attributes are Gallic, Scandinavian and Byzantine. The earliest Clausian characteristics are traced back to the Norse and Germanic god, Odin. Yep, Thor's daddy. During the pagan Yule, or Yuletide, which was the Germanic winter holiday, Odin was believed to lead a hunting party through the skies. Very old Icelandic poems described him riding an eight-legged horse that leapt a very long way—not unlike our modern Santa's reindeer. Some traditions have children leaving their boots next to the fireplace and filled with carrots or straw for Odin's horse. Here's where the direct corollary comes in—albeit a bit quid pro quo. For their kindness to his horse, apparently Odin rewarded those children by replacing the food with gifts or treats.

This is possibly the proto-tradition of hanging of stockings by the chimney in homes. And would you believe this still survives in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands?

Sinterklaas

To zero back in to the Gallic traditions, Sinterklaas, or Saint Nicholas, originally did the gift drop around a celebration of his feast in early December. That was up until the 1500s or 1600s when it aligned more with Christmas Eve. Sinterklaas also marks the introduction of a book that contains notes on all children and whether they've been naughty or nice. And the nice ones received the yummy shtuff like chocolate or spice nuts. Along with this new brand experience we get Saint Nicholas riding a horse over rooftops at night, delivering gifts down the chimney to all those good children. This, too, is where the naughty are threatened, but instead of coal and ashes the misbehaved feared being tied up and whipped.

Part of the realignment for Sinterklaas was also due to Protestants believing the true gift giver should be the Christ Child, or Christkindl, and the date for giving gifts changed to the celebration of his coming birth on Christmas Eve.

Not to overlook the Byzantine division of the Claus brand architecture, who some say hugely influenced attributes of Sinterklaas, was Saint Nicholas of Myra. He dates back to the 4th century. Saint Nick was a bishop in what is now Turkey, and widely known for his generosity to the poor. Even today he is revered and characterized by his canonical robes.

Enter the early 19th and 20th centuries where Santa's brand awareness really snowballs. Clement Clarke Moore's 1822 poem, Twas the night before Christmas, lit up Santa's brand like a Christmas tree, defining much of the modern attributes for Santa Claus. Not long after, it is revealed he lives at the North Pole and helped by an army of magical elves with a herd of flying reindeer. By 1934 there is a pop culture blizzard, including the introduction of the well-known song, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town". Santa thus become an icon. Everybody knows him and that he's makin' his list and checking it twice—all to find out who's naughty or nice.

Therefore, submitted for your approval (and yours, Santa)...

1. Determine the most appropriate brand-positioning attribute.

Santa Claus works all year long without complaint to make sure that good boys and girls are given a gift. Santa looks out to see who is naughty and nice. Okay, so you might be a touch mischievous—he still leaves a gift. And on that special night, once a year, he makes good on his promise of spreading Christmas cheer.

2. Devise a distinctive way to articulate the brand position and develop a brand personality that customers can use to introduce the brand.

He is jolly ole Saint Nick—always cheerful, happy and generous, asking nothing in return (well, except for a nibble of some cookies and a sip of milk). 

 Jolly ole Saint Nick 

 His mantra: Ho Ho Ho ... Merry Christmas!

 3. Establish graphic standards.

A red arctic suit, white beard, a smile on red cheeks with a twinkle in his eye ... what more does he need. 

4. Implement internal branding programs to reward employees for behaving in ways that are consistent with the brand personality.

The naughty or nice list is the single greatest management tool ever devised.

"You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm tellin' you why ... Santa Claus is comin' to town..." 

5. Consistently and uniquely execute the branding program.

Throughout his brand building process, Santa has consistently been attentive to children, returning each year with the promise of a gift, be it a toy, a treat, or perhaps a wish come true. He is never less than expected, and sometimes more. He lives the ChristKindl spirit of giving of himself without reward or repayment.

NOTE: Click here to send letters to Santa via email, and here for the official NORAD Santa tracking network.

An Infamous Brand.

The burning hulk of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.

“A day that will live in infamy…” Such words were spoken by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to describe the Sunday, December 7th bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. To this day, the event stands as a universal symbol of treachery and deceit. It is the singular icon of America’s entry into World War II, instantly recognizable and, for Americans, instantly evoking emotion. For many Japanese, it is a graphic reminder of past shames during a war of shames. But if the element of surprise is such a core tenant of military strategy, then what makes Pearl Harbor any more tragic than other attacks?

Well, a little background and context:

First, Pearl Harbor is itself is a lagoon of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. By 1941, Hawaii was a US territory in the Pacific, and host to one of the nation’s military outpost—a big one. President Roosevelt moved a massive chunk of the US Navy Pacific Fleet from San Diego to Pearl Harbor as a bristly warning for the Japanese to stop their conquest efforts throughout the Pacific islands and Asia. It was an act that only added to deteriorating relations between the US and Japan. The result was the now infamous surprise attack.

The attack itself was planned months ahead of the event with Japanese pilots rehearsing every detail of the raid. And this is key—preparations were in full swing while still in negotiations with the US. Indeed, six Japanese aircraft carriers and support craft secretly steamed for Hawaii a week and half before the attack. At about 7:48 am local time, waves of nearly four hundred planes descended on Pearl Harbor, dropping bombs and torpedoes, as well as strafing vehicles, aircraft and personnel on the ground. Because it was a Sunday, the American forces were literally caught sleeping.

Japanese scale model of Pearl Harbor used to plan Dec 7.

Although the primary targets of the planned attack were not in port, the US aircraft carriers, the 90-minute aerial assault inflicted heavy damages to the Pacific Fleet at anchor. This included four ships sunk, 15 vessels heavily damaged, along with 188 destroyed aircraft and another 159 damaged. Of those killed in the attack, 2,403 were American, not including 68 civilians. More than 1,100 were wounded.

By contrast, Imperial Japanese losses were a fraction of those suffered by the US. Four midget submarines were sunk with one captured. Only 29 Japanese aircraft were destroyed. Japanese killed in action during the attack totaled 64.

December 7th was a blow, to be sure. And while a fine stroke from a military perspective, Pearl Harbor did not have the decisive impact Japan hoped. The US did not sue for peace, nor was there irreparable damage sustained to most vessels. And for the most part, the Pearl Harbor facilities were left largely untouched.

Certainly the human toll, damages and havoc wrought by the attack is one attribute of the event. Witnesses and survivors know the horror of the experience—and horrific it was to those trapped in capsized ships, strafed in the water, or in and near explosions. Burning oil, mangled ships and planes, along with human carnage everywhere leaves an indelible image. The other, however, the one that stung most—and for some never permitted forgiveness—was the treachery of Japan's conduct. So awful in the whole event was the fact that it took place while Japanese diplomats were negotiating with the US government. No declaration of war, no formal diplomatic warning—nada. It was an intentional dupe into the possibility for peace. Part of the cause was from the time it took Japanese diplomats to decipher messages from Tokyo, and then to retype them for a meeting scheduled with the US Secretary of State Cordell Hull. The final part of a 14-part message was delivered more than hour late and read as follows:

Thus, the earnest hope of the Japanese Government to adjust Japanese-American relations and to preserve and promote the peace of the Pacific through cooperation with the American Government has finally been lost. 

The Japanese Government regrets to have to notify hereby the American Government that in view of the attitude of the American Government it cannot but consider that it is impossible to reach an agreement through further negotiations.

Despite transcription issues, the original intent was to time a hint of war only mere minutes before the attack. Japan, it turns out, never really wanted peace. Secretary Hull admonished the Japanese diplomats and dismissed them from his office. They would be taken to a nearby hotel and held until war’s end. But before the day was out, and within hours of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan also invaded the Philippine Islands, that itself had tragic and horrendous consequences for American and British forces there. However, it compounded the already unthinkable and wicked idea that Japan had attacked during negotiations to keep the peace.

Adding to our collective cringe at the thought of events during the attack at Pearl Harbor, is the fact that it is a living memory. This is not an incident with impact softened by centuries. Many of its victims are still alive today and can recount their experiences. While much of the wreckage at Pearl Harbor was removed, repaired or even left cloaked by water, the Arizona Memorial marks one of the greater tragedies of the attack—nearly an entire crew lost with the ship, accounting for almost half of all the deaths suffered during the attack. The US Navy continually pays homage to the fallen of the Arizona. Its decaying hulk is marked and protected. It is hallowed ground. And crowds come to view it every day. She represents what is considered an unprovoked attack at a time when deceptions of peace were used to mask murderous intent, marking a day that will live in infamy. 

An aerial view of the Arizona Memorial.