Branded with Sheepish Transparency

David Kahn, President Basketball Operations, Timberwolves

In the past two years, we’ve steadily witnessed brands from all categories trying to flip a switch in their customer-facing organizational philosophy as a way to jump on the trend of transparency. Moving from ‘What they don’t know won’t hurt them’, to ‘It seems like they’re going to find out, anyway, so let’s tell them something to make them happy’, to finally, ‘We surrender, here is everything we know, please still like us’. While the latter is still on the upswing, as customers and brand loyalists, we should be proud. Like Jake Bauer in an interrogation room, we have collectively broken down some corporate giants. We can thank ourselves and, of course, the Internet, technology, social media, and the constant exchange of information online for giving us the power to stand up and scream, ‘We’re not going to take it anymore!’ Even if we’re actually sitting instead of standing, and texting instead of screaming. Regardless, the Corporate World has responded with everything from Nutritional labels on food, to openly run company forums and, in some cases, full-blown web sites that are dedicated to listening and implementing customer ideas (thank you, mystarbucksidea.com). We have even been more open and transparent with each other, through our Tweets, Yelp reviews, Flickr pictures, and the latest to join the party, Geo-tracking apps like Foursquare and Facebook Places.

The trend of transparency is not going away. And, I believe, it will lead to a more competitive corporate environment that will result in better innovations, more sustainability and a stronger economy.

That being said, can someone take brand transparency too far, and possibly use it as an excuse to not succeed? Let’s say that a popular local brand or sports team tells you that the product they’re selling you this year is going to flat-out suck, and if you want to engage in a different, better product, you’re going to have to pay big to get it or watch it. This would make you angry, right? Question management, your loyalty, and the money you’ve spent with this brand over the years?

This is life as a Minnesota TimerberWolves fan.

The team sheepishly took out a full-page ad in Monday’s Star Tribune sports section, featuring a long open letter to fans that acknowledged the negatives, pointed to the positives, and spelt out plan for improvement. Included in the letter are these words: "So will we challenge for the NBA championship this year? Not likely."

Read the full ‘long-winded’ ad here.

As the AP reports, Chief marketing officer Ted Johnson said that it was part of the team's attempt to establish a new relationship with fans, and bring some transparency to how it operates.

It goes to show in a world of increasing transparency between brand and customer, somethings are still better left unsaid. ~ p