dispatches from the new world of work

Cool Friend: John Moore

John Moore's résumé includes eight years as Retail Marketing Manager at Starbucks Coffee and a few more as Director of National Marketing at Whole Foods Market. Now, he runs the Brand Autopsy marketing consultancy and writes the popular blog of the same name. He's also written a book, Tribal Knowledge: Business Wisdom Brewed from the Grounds of Starbucks Corporate Culture, which we discuss with him in his Cool Friend interview. Here's a sample of what he has to say:

We talk so much about building a brand, creating this company that exudes so much personality. But in reality, all the most endearing brands that we know are really good businesses at heart.

We're glad to add John Moore to our list of Cool Friends.

Cathy Mosca posted this on 09/13/06.

Comments

He also has a manifesto you can download from Change This.

http://www.changethis.com/26.02.TribalKnowledge

Good stuff! Thanks!

Posted by ann michael at September 13, 2006 5:49 PM

thanks, ann.

Posted by Erik Hansen at September 13, 2006 8:00 PM

"90% Starbucks' margin" quoted in the Interview - AMAZING - & Starbucks is just starting in Chindia!

Posted by sean at September 14, 2006 11:36 AM

Brand Autopsy is one of the first blogs I ever visited. Great ideas there.

My definition of "brand" goes back to the ancient meaning: what is burned upon something as a permanent imprint showing owner.

A "brand" or mental imprint, is burned into a customer's consciousness as the person uses the product to solve a problem, meet a need, or enhance a life in some way.

Your "brand" is NEVER what you hype or claim it is in commercials and advertising. Your brand is ALWAYS what is burned into the mind of the consumer as they use the product.

Either your product works well and satisfies, or it doesn't. That's all a brand really is. No amount of hysterical promotions will alter this reality.

Which is why all products must have User Observation Testing ala Jakob Nielsen, prior to shipping out all these horrid "beta" versions.

Posted by steven e. streight aka vaspers the grate at September 16, 2006 1:05 PM