Allen Adamson: Seeing the How

Jason S. Bradshaw: What separates the brands we use from the brands we can't live without, isn't a shinier product; it's a smarter how. The way they remove friction from our day, turn that's fine into that's effortless. And make choosing them feel like second nature.

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Jason S. Bradshaw: Hey friends, welcome back to Chats With Jason. I'm your host, Jason S. Bradshaw, and today we're joined by one of the clearest minds in branding on the planet, Allen Adamson.

Allen crystallizes brand stories and turns them into action. As the former chairman of Landor, he's shaped icons like Accenture, FedEx, HBO, Marriott, and the list goes on.

His latest book, Seeing the How flips the script on disruption. Win, not by what you sell, but by how your customers experience it.

Today we'll unpack how to spot and simplify the moments that create unfair advantage. Why branded experiences beat big budget ads and how to design them, and the brand playbook Allen gives founders, CMOs and boards when the market shifts under their feet.

If you're a leader who's tired of adding more features, more funnels, more noise, then this conversation will help you make things easier and growth inevitable.

Allen, welcome to the show.

Allen Adamson: Thanks for inviting me. It's a pleasure to be here. With that sort of intro, I should probably say that's all and end it there on a high note, but thank you.

Jason S. Bradshaw: I know that I just gave the audience a headline of your career achievements and the impact that you have.

Allen Adamson: We have to put it in context because COVID forced lots of companies certainly here in the States, but worldwide to reimagine how they interface with customers. Nothing like a little disruption to force innovation and fresh eyes. I'm still amazed at, how many things changed in that one year that took 10 years without moving. But, small things still catch my eye. I tell the story in the book about how Ace promised - Ace Hardware's a local hardware store - to be a better partner in keeping your house from falling apart. And over time they've been getting better at it. When I have a problem, I used to go in and try to describe to the person, here's what's going on. Now before I go in, I'll send them a video saying, here's the pipe that's leaking. Do you have this part? And can you show me how to use the wrench? And so that is one big area.

Jason S. Bradshaw: It's phenomenal how that experience has evolved and the difference that it's making to the consumer's perception of reality.

Why does it take such major disruption for a business to take off their blinkers and to innovate fast?

You need some disruption 'cause organizations by definition are using mostly rear view mirrors in terms of this works before. Every plan is an annual plan. Looking forward. People are happy... buying it this way, doing it this way until somebody usually a smaller disruptor changes the game.

One of my favorite stories is when you used to buy big appliances in the US, it's a big investment, be it appliance or a car. And there was a publication. It was around forever. It was called Consumer Reports, and they would rate all the washing machines, which was gonna clean better, break faster, make less noise, and, but it was very confusing.

Product reviews were always done. And there was a belief that the more complicated, the more choice, the more information, the better decision but consumers today, they don't wanna read 15 web pages. Some people do, of course, car enthusiasts or washing machines enthusiast. But there's a perfect example. That somebody looked at the market and said, isn't it crazy? It's so complicated to get some professional advice on making a big purchase.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Yeah they absolutely just simplified the experience. Got out of the way of looking smart and actually delivering value.

The other example that you gave was around your vehicle repair experience and how pictures told a thousand words.

Allen Adamson: I was a brand manager for many years... in brand management at Unilever, and they pride themselves on the product. They worshiped the products. This Dove bar, Allen wash your face this side with Dove and this side with Olay, and you'll see, they are so hardwired to having it be all about the product that they don't know how to zoom out. How can somebody spend this much money in a car without knowing about the torque, and the handling, and the braking distance and the acceleration. I just think they are myopically focused and they also have something else going on, which you alluded to, which is they tend to hire people that are like them.

There was an old Seinfeld episode where George Costanza, the character, decides that his life is going to the belly. He's just gonna do the opposite of what his intuition is. And my view is that if people in medicine say, look, this is the way we've done it, what would happen if we did the opposite? And I think they'd be surprised as to how many innovations they would get.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Yeah, I actually remember that episode. Bringing back some good memories. This is a question I all guests on our show.

If a 10-year-old asked you, what's the difference between brand marketing and experience, how would you explain it but just by using what's in their backpack?

Marketing is how people get that story, that book. Promote... have you read it. Try to read it and try to go from it's in the pages to understanding it and believe in it.

And experience is a faster way to do marketing because if people experience something, they learn it faster. They believe it more. We knew that from sampling back in the day, we could spend forever talking about things. But you give somebody... try this. Lemonade tastes great, less filling.

And importantly, social media. Yeah, no one shares did you see this toothpaste says 12% more fluoride? wow! If you came across, a place in the Central Park and somebody said, Hey, let me show you this new toothpaste. Can we brush your teeth for you right in Central Park? And all your friends videotaped yourself getting your teeth brushed. You would share that. And then when you went to Costco or to Target to buy, you said, I like the taste of it, and it's a good story. My friends thought it was really funny. I'm gonna buy it.

I also love how you unpack the and demystified the differences between them all. And I think as people that spend our lives in this space, it is easy to just throw a lot of words at it to make people feel that it's important. But in reality, it is as simple as you described.

I'm wondering was there a specific moment in your career where it clicked for you that improving the how, improving the experience beats adding more features?

Allen Adamson: A couple. The big challenge was that it in a time long ago, in a galaxy far away. If you developed a better mouse trap, you had a better mousetrap for a while.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Yeah, it's also fun when you do look at some of those manuals, like, why is my car not starting? Have you checked to see if you've got the key with you?

Allen Adamson: Yeah.

Jason S. Bradshaw: I'm glad you've wasted a page on that.

Now, I think you could still argue that Apple is somewhat product led, but...

Allen Adamson: Yeah, because of their culture is about the elegance of the product.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Yeah. Google released a teaser ad just in the last 48 hours where they show you generations of Apple iPhones. And the switch in it is if you are sick of unboxing the same product every single year... unbox, the new Google Flip 10 that you can unbox, you can open up twice. They're really playing on the fact that the product itself, the Apple iPhone itself hasn't materially changed in looks and physical feel for five years or so.

Allen Adamson: I think it's driven by a consumer insight that says, when you're using technology, the last thing you want to do is go into a store. And some would say you didn't have the key in the car. Or, here's the on button for your phone. And in that world where people don't wanna be embarrassed, the comfort of saying, I know how to work an iPhone. I know how to do the software update. I don't have to read the instructions. I can call somebody and get somebody live. I can go and speak to a blue shirt who will spend time with me setting up a new computer. Consumers don't wanna feel stupid and having a system that they are confident in doing, which is why, the promise is, they don't have to say it. People... users, know that if you switch from a PC to a Mac, or Mac to a PC, or you switch from Android to iOS, if you're not really technically fluent, you're gonna be, sitting not able to get on the subway because your phone won't automatically, jump to Apple [00:15:00] Pay or you'll be entering a new credit card and have to re-learn how to upload. And they're constantly taking friction out as whatever gets to Apple, but AI will make that across the board. I think it's the soft stuff and experience... that I have a good experience. It ain't broke, don't fix it. The reverse from a consumer point of view that I think keeps them chewing chugging along.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Yeah, it'll certainly be interesting to see how their brand story continues to unfold.

You get the privilege of meeting with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies in the work that you do regularly. If A CEO was to say to you, we just need to add another feature to a product. They're absolutely convinced that the only thing that they have to do to improve their business is to make the soap cleaner, to make the product have a new gadget attached to it. How do you gently flip that thinking in just a few sentences so that they open their mind to your way of thinking, which is about improving the how?

Jason S. Bradshaw: I think there's also another danger zone is when companies do invest in improving the experience. And, they might invest in it over a number of years, five, six years or longer, and they think they've nailed it and so they stop investing in the experience.

I worked with a insurance company. They had the brand line " We're in the business of caring." And they told their people to be very caring on the phone when people called up for their, why am I not getting reimbursed? But they also said you have to do 24 calls an hour to get your quarterly bonus. Even though they tried to be caring, the structure was, we need efficiency. I'm sorry, Allen, you have that problem. Here's our website. Let me send you to that. And if you continue to have trouble, call me back and get in the phone free, and take 20 minutes to get to me again at which time I'll tell you I have no time, and send you back to go without collecting your money.

So it's people changing people.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Yeah, it's interesting that you bring up the airlines because at the end of the day, a 747 or a 737, or Airbus A380, doesn't matter what brands on the outside they all very much have a similar product, physical product, but I'm sure like me, you've sat on a Delta flight, and you've thought this is the best flight ever. And then the next Delta flight or American Airlines for that example, you're like, [00:20:00] why am I flying them?

So, we know that the human to human experience is the best emotional connection that you can deliver through an experience.

How do we create cultures where we do more often than not, get that alignment around all the moving parts that deliver an experience that is worthy of remark or an experience that is worthy of loyalty?

Allen Adamson: It comes down to simple strategy, difficult execution.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Yeah, it makes sense that I've always said the recruitment is one of the most crucial steps to the culture of the organization, because if you get that wrong it's going to have it's flow on effects.

You've mentioned the word friction a lot. If we were to go for a walk together through any business, where would you look first to start identifying friction and what's your approach to addressing it quickly?

Jason S. Bradshaw: Yeah, and having success versus building a multi-year project that by the time it's delivered may not even be right anymore.

Allen Adamson: Yeah, and B2B companies do a ton. When I was running a big agency, they said we're gonna have a better way to manage your expenses. And they gave us a whole platform. People had to scan receipts. It had to change behaviors and it costs a million and another million and it took four years, and so it even broke even with fill out this paper form and we'll send you a check. Pick things that you can get easy wins on.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

Allen Adamson: They've done something for their customer that is at the core of why they do business with you. It's not oh, this has an extra feature on it, or we'll accept 24 hour returns. It's looking at their customer and saying, what would they need to become super loyal? So in a startup a couple years ago when I went to visit my daughter in university, and she was in a sorority house, and I went to the front deck of the house and it was all shipping and receiving. There were Amazon, Target, Sephora. And I spoke to a couple of the kids. I said, how do you return things? And they go well, we don't have a printer. I don't even know where the post office is. We just leave it in our room and, maybe we'll return. And this company saw that. And for people who are heavy shoppers, they started, ReturnQueen and they pick it up for you. They submit it. They tell you that, Amazon hasn't refunded this yet. And there was a man. He's sort of like a shipping and receiving manager. [00:24:00] Before you talk about how easy it is to drop off this box and wait in line, at the drug store.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Wow, talk about creating a new service industry. Identifying that people, some people are too lazy to return their product for free. We'll do it for you.

Allen Adamson: Or you do it for you, or the heavy users, they buy so much in return, that, another thing of COVID, and that was my job during COVID as everything was delivered, I was in the shipping and handling department. I had to return to things and undo the boxes and, we were getting everything dropped off in a box. And it was a full-time job. In addition to trying to keep my business going.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Yeah, we all had a few pivots during that time.

So AI is something we haven't touched on a lot, but the reality is it's here and it's growing. How can AI scale the how but do so in a way that it's not removing the heart from the experience?

Jason S. Bradshaw: Yeah. It's true. Ritz [00:27:00] Carlton is, from an outside perspective, the Ritz Carlton is still providing a bed, a clean room... a hotel experience, but it's those the overlays that they put on it that are delivered by people. I've had the privilege of holding a number of events at Ritz Carlton and, you go through the planning process and what food, and what room and all the rest of it, and yet they still find a way to add a level of personalization that you just simply don't get elsewhere because other properties are focused on the product and not on the experience.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Now I've just a couple of questions before I let you go.

You talked about having hope for Apple and AI's future with Apple. And you gave us this excellent example, although some might be worried about just how much personal data is being ingested. You gave us this example, tomorrow's your mother's birthday. She loved the cupcakes you sent last year. She loved the flowers. Do you want me to organize them again? And I completely get it. Completely understand and agree that's probably a path we're going down. But then I raised the question. Google has the world's most used email platform. Google has a smart ecosystem. It has AI that is arguably better than Apple's because Apple's...

Allen Adamson: ...Apple doesn't have anything yet.

Allen Adamson: What's holding Apple back?

Jason S. Bradshaw: No. What's holding Google back? They've already got all the data. They've already got the tools.

Allen Adamson: I think it's the people that are most likely in my experience to try new things are economically further ahead. And the user base of Apple is much more affluent than any other phone. I think privacy is gonna be key, and if you believe Apple has higher privacy than other, and people are comfortable in the Apple ecosystem. So they're not gonna buy a new phone just to get mom some donuts on her birthday. But if they trust the Apple brand, if they don't muck it up and do what Elon did to Tesla, then I think they have a fair shot. Their audience, their comfort with their products, their confidence and to feed in only the things they do. So I do think the decision to delay the improved Siri, which is terrible because it's, yeah, you have one shot to make a first impression. It's my favorite expression.

Jason S. Bradshaw: So if I'm reading in between the lines, you think Apple's playing it smart by delaying a half-baked update to the existing Siri product.

Allen Adamson: Yeah, there's more brand damage, right? Their expectation for Apple, I think is, I don't have to read instruction. It's gonna work. And it would work for reliably. And then, I trust it. And once you try it and you say, Siri, tell me how to get to Jason's house, and it sends you to Cleveland. You know you're cooked.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Oh yes, absolutely.

Allen, before we wrap up today, I'll get you to complete this sentence for me. If you want customers to love your brand, stop. Blank and start blank. So replace the word blank. If you want customers to love your brand, stop blank and start blank.

Allen Adamson: Stop doing what you did yesterday. And start surprising them with something delightful.

Allen, it's been an absolute pleasure having you on the show.

Allen Adamson: Enjoyed it, enjoyed the conversation. Thank you.

Jason S. Bradshaw: Thanks to Allen for a masterclass on why brands we love don't just sell better, they make life easier.

Your quick challenge is to do a 10 minute friction walk this week. Pick one step in your customer journey. Remove or simplify it, and note the before and after. Small change. Real momentum.

If this episode helped, hit the follow or subscribe buttons. Leave a short review and share it with one leader who needs a nudge towards simpler, smarter experiences.

I'm Jason S. Bradshaw. Transform your experience to transform your business. Thanks for listening to Chats with Jason.