Mary Hirsch wrote, “Humor is a rubber sword – it allows you to make a point without drawing blood.” With pins shaped like swords, Interbrand London cut out jargon, celebrated rapier wit and proved excellent at swordplay.

The Verbal Identity team creates workshops for clients with expertise and passion, but found it had been some time since they’d directed that love of language to building a workshop for themselves. As the Swordplay event took shape, in an anti-silo, breaking down barriers of specialty move, the team opened the invitation to participate to the whole of Interbrand London.

Bringing in favorite pieces of writing from song lyrics to poems and comics to famous quotes, participants shared what resonated with them and the words that get stuck in their heads. Playing with words in words, such as lust in lackluster or rue in accrue, rewriting film dialogue and thinking about how very little changes can have big impact on meaning, the Swordplayers enjoyed the fun of language and felt the power of each word choice we make.

Laura Tarbox, Strategy Consultant, said, “Like a ‘Magic Eye’ of language, the Swordplay workshop gave me a new perspective on life, ideas and language, revealing and bringing into focus the hidden heart of words like a true love that’s been right under your nose all along.” Lesley Stuart-Jones, Client Manager adds, “Insightful and inspiring – fun too!! We should do more sessions like this!”

Looking at paragraphs of business jargon, Sworplayers discussed how challenging jargon makes what could be simple copy to understand and its stark lack of joyous words. Taking sword pens in hand, it was time to stake out the jargon. Rewriting the copy it was clear that a few words could easily replace a paragraph of jargon, serving as a powerful reminder of the traps all writers should avoid.

Cat Totty, Senior Consultant Writer, shared that the conversations sparked interesting questions on a business level. To the question “If clients speak formally, do we need to mirror?” Totty stresses authenticity and advises, “Don’t be a chameleon. Be your professional self.”

Plans are in the works for more innovative Swordplay workshops at Interbrand London, and to explore different practice areas. Sandy Jones, Client Management Intern commented, “I found it was a really creative concept, and very well planned from top to bottom. It was obviously really well prepared, especially when we were presented with words we chose at the end of the session, that was a really good touch.”

“I found it especially beneficial to analyse the ‘jargon’ ridden text examples, and identify what is truly necessary when speaking with clients or other members of staff,” Jones says. “We tend to use 20 words when 10 will do, and changing that attitude would go a long way to making work-related communication more relevant. I think everyone was really open to the concept of the exercise because it was really enjoyable but perhaps most importantly inspiring.”

Joanna Jenkins, Senior Client Director, agrees, “Really got the creative verbal juices flowing. And forces the mind to look at words differently to get the most from them. Great hosts too!” Michael Quirke, Consultant Writer, concludes, “Beautifully simple and, later, even life-affirming – really enjoyed it.”

For the full Swordplay workshop photo album, please visit us on Facebook.

With every new medium comes a new opportunity to express your brand. We know this, but it’s often the case that some mediums are simply overlooked or not considered because they don’t fit the expected mold of brand expression.

Recently, a brand born in and of the digital age reminds us that brands can (and should) truly express their brand voice at every touchpoint. The touchpoint in question? The updates page of the iPhone app store. The brand? Spotify.

After a long-fought battle with the Big 3 (Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Group), and a huge launch in the United States, (they can now boast 6 million paid customers and 24 million active users worldwide) the pressure is on for Spotify to develop and execute on a great brand experience. And while the jury’s still out as to whether they have a lucrative (or even sustainable) business model, they have taken steps to make sure at least their personality is alive in every touchpoint.

Rather than talking about “bug fixes and stability improvement,” Spotify says, “No more pesky crashes when you skip in radio.” They add fun pieces about how their “app is reverse-engineered using alien technology.” Necessary? No. Genuine? Yes. Differentiating? You bet. It’s how and where they their personality it that sets them apart.

Spotify’s also not the first to do it. AT&T didn’t want to push out some generic roaming message, so they tweaked it to be friendly and on voice: “Welcome abroad! To call back to the U.S., dial +1 followed by 10-digit number.” Firefox knew they needed to be Internet Explorer’s hip sibling, so they added some spunk to their error message page: “Well, this is embarrassing.”

As Jez Frampton, Interbrand's Global CEO, says, brands “live, they move, and develop on a day to day basis.” As new mediums and channels are also developed, brands have to think about how they want to utilize them to differentiate, engage with their audience, and tell the world who they are.

Any other brands doing it well? Tell us in the comments here, in our Facebook community, on LinkedIn or on Twitter with #NewBrandSpaces.

Tom Shanahan is Associate Consultant, Verbal Identity, Interbrand New York.

At Interbrand, we think very highly of those that organize around a cause – FEED, water.org, (RED), Heifer International, and others. We applaud corporations that find a voice in support of important causes – GE, Starbucks and others. Then, every once in a while, we are in awe of a situation where the incredible happens, and companies put aside the day-to-day course of competitive business in support of a commitment to a particular issue.

AT&T is a great example of a company that is putting a good cause ahead of day-to-day business practices. AT&T believes that no text is worth dying for and for years has been using its scale to bring attention to the issue.

The facts are clear: people who are texting while driving are 23 times more likely to be in an accident and every year there are more than 100,000 texting-related auto accidents. AT&T has been creating awareness and commitment through advertising, events and, more recently, by securing advocacy from many other brands.

Now, AT&T has inspired its staunchest competitors to get on board with the It Can Wait movement.

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile Unite

Today, AT&T announced that its biggest competitors – Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile – are all joining the movement to save lives.

The US telecom industry is one of the most head-to-head competitive landscapes that exist in marketing. These four companies are locked in a very public, years-long battle to demonstrate their superiority and with billions of dollars spent to lure customers from one carrier to another.

Each of the four companies has supported no texting and driving messaging and activities, but by coming together, the US telecom industry has done something remarkable and unprecedented to change human behavior and put an end to texting and driving. It’s another great milestone for the initiative that AT&T started back in 2010, for the industry as a whole, and, most importantly, for the cause itself.

In addition to these telecom industry leaders, more than 200 organizations have joined the cause including companies like USAA, Walmart, RadioShack, Goodyear, Best Buy; non-profits like The National Organizations for Youth Safety; and government departments like the US Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. Each will bring to life advocacy in ways that are unique and relevant to their core constituents. USAA and AT&T, for example, will bring a texting-while-driving simulator to over 400 local events, including military audiences through a 15-stop tour to military installations, whereas Goodyear will support the message at events overhead on its blimps.

AT&T’s Movement Against Texting & Driving

In 2010, with a significant advertising investment, AT&T launched a series of true story ads showing the last text message that was sent or received before someone’s life was altered, or even ended, because of texting and driving. Timed to impact people’s behavior around New Years Eve 2010, AT&T launched The Last Text, a 10-minute Documentary featuring deeper stories about real people texting and driving has deeply impacted. AT&T achieved its goal, making it available as widely as possible. The Last Text was viewed 100k times on day one, 1M+ views within week three and 3.5M+ to date.

In 2011, AT&T launched AT&T Drive Mode, an app available on Blackberry and Android devices that can turn off texting capability while driving. Most recent versions can do so automatically through GPS technology that detects the vehicle’s movement. More than 300,000 apps have been downloaded to date.

In 2012, AT&T intensified its efforts, calling on all Americans to pledge to never text and drive. AT&T launched www.itcanwait.com to aggregate content about the issue, and to feature an online pledge that people can sign.

AT&T also declared September 19, 2012 No Text on Board Pledge Day. With more than 70 local events, 27 states running don’t-text-and-drive messages on their LED highway signs and a national event in DC with AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson, FCC Commissioner Julius Genachowski and US Sec. of Transportation Ray LaHood, the day dramatically amplified the message.

Going into the pledge day, only 200,000 pledges were logged and within days after 9/19/12, AT&T obtained more than 1 million pledges. To date, there are more than 1.4 million pledges. September 19, 2013 will be another day of action for advocates to rally awareness and commitment, in addition to year-round activities.

AT&T recognized that it was beginning to have a real impact on this important issue. Research results demonstrated greater awareness about the danger of texting and driving and peoples’ intent to change behavior.

Instead of declaring victory, AT&T decided it was just getting started, and that with the help and support of others, it could accomplish so much more. Heading into 2013, AT&T began to seek the support of other organizations to become advocates of the cause. To date, hundreds of corporations and non-profits have become advocates and are in discussions about offering varying levels of support – from evangelizing among their employees, to being a public endorser of AT&T’s efforts, to putting significant investment behind incremental efforts – all in support of the It Can Wait movement.

How You Can Join AT&T to Save Lives

Anyone can become an advocate for this movement. This first, most important, step is to make a personal commitment to not text and drive. At www.itcanwait.com you, your family and your friends can take the pledge.

Also, any organization – corporate, community, government, non-profit – has a range of options to get involved. At the most basic level, they can evangelize the cause among employees. AT&T has also made it easy for organizations to take a stand among external audiences with easy-to-replicate messaging and communications templates.

AT&T is also inviting organizations to champion the movement in a big way with a financial commitment and a customized communication effort. All of the details on how to get involved can be found at www.att.com/itcanwait.

No matter what you choose to do after reading this, please don’t text and drive.

Kevin Perlmutter is a Senior Director of Brand Strategy in Interbrand’s New York office, and Interbrand’s global telecom sector leader.

Across Europe people are counting down to the start of summer. It’s time to shake off winter doldrums, get out and have some fun.

Huge sports events and concert tours kick off. This season’s concert lineup promises to be huge with big names like The Rolling Stones, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Pink, Beyonce and One Direction headlining world tours. In sports, this summer brings the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final in London, arguably the biggest football event in the world, and the World Masters Games in Torino, Italy.

Best Global Brand Coca-Cola, consistently earning the number one spot on Interbrand's annual report, is kicking off a number of concerts and sporting events this summer. Starting May 16 in Manchester, UK, Relentless kicks off a series of house parties across England, co-hosted and co-curated with local musicians, featuring live performances and popular DJs. Delphic headlines the first show also showcasing Bipolar Sunshine and Egyptian Hip Hop.

May 24 – May 25 in Köln, Germany, O’Neill Wake the Line launches. Transforming the Köln Stadium into a wakeboard course, top riders from around the world will compete for prize money and prestige while concerts and after parties feature groups like Die Orsons and Flo Mega and popular DJs.

The house parties and unique sports events align with the brand's image as part of a young, active lifestyle. The brand successfully appeals to Millennials with a high-energy website featuring films on extreme sports, athletes and footage of various Relentless festivals. The films have garnered thousands of views on YouTube and the brand engages its fans on Twitter and Facebook as well.

The brand’s summer events not only offer it an opportunity to create memorable branded experiences for consumers, it's a chance for Relentless to reconnect with loyal consumers after this winter’s new packaging design release was met with customer complaints. In the post-digital world brands get feedback real-time and in this case, countless comments of dislike and protest in its social media communities.

In February Relentless revamped its packaging with an emphasis on a much clearer color-coding of the varieties. In the course of the redesign, however, they dropped an important functional benefit: the re-sealable top of the can.

The new packaging color palette differentiated itself from those of competitors like Red Bull and Monster, but with that move Relentless lost some of its visual punch and some felt the design was "a bit too light" for an energy drink. One critic I spoke with noted, "it feels like switching from AC/DC to Coldplay while keeping the lyrics."

Loyal fans were most upset to see the re-sealable can part become history. One fan went so far as to write a 450-word Relentless love-story, ending in a break-up with the brand posted on its Facebook page.

While Relentless has had success connecting with fans in social media, its handling of the backlash didn't help matters with answers that seemed copy and paste instead of authentic, organic conversations. The brand's approach seemed to fuel the complaints.

Alexander Murray, a strategy director for Interbrand Tokyo comments regarding the potential for social media "disasters" for brands and strategies to avoid them, "With many social media ‘disasters’ a fast, decisive response can help reduce any risk of long-term damage to the brand. However, this can be one of the hardest things to achieve. 'Company culture' ('the way we do things around here') is critically important. It allows people to respond quickly and instinctively to unpredictable situations."

"It is a cliché," Murray adds, "but the time to take action is before you have a problem. People need to know what the right thing to do is, before they are faced with a situation where they have to make a decision. Managing a brand in the new social world is less about dictating rules and more about empowering people."

Nora Geiss, a director and digital strategist for Interbrand New York's Verbal Identity department adds, "Social media 'disasters' almost always represent an opportunity just as much as they represent potential for damage. The difference between an opportunity and a path to damage depends on how well the brand is listening to the conversation around their efforts, how responsive they are in the immediate term, and how strategically they approach evolving their response in a meaningful way over the long term."

"Ultimately it still comes down to transparency and genuine interest in the concerns of your audience," Geiss says. "A good rule of thumb: If your customer is standing in front of you in person sharing the same concerns that they share over social media, what would you do? How would you respond? What promises would you make to address their concerns? And how would you keep the conversation going?"

Relentless now has the opportunity to tap into the energy of its summer lineup and position itself as a BandC rather than a B2C. Now is the time to build a social media strategy going forward to build on and grow from consumer feedback in a positive and genuine way. As Patrick Stal, MD of Interbrand Amsterdam says, "With social media missteps, consumers understand that brands are human, make mistakes and are usually willing to move on with the brand if there’s genuine communication going forward."

Christoph Meyer-Roscher is part of Interbrand Hamburg's Design Team.

A unique challenge to music festival organisers is creating a brand the young demographic generally views as cool and exclusive. The South African music festival Oppikoppi has unveiled a concept that will not only combat inconveniently long lines, but also establish the Oppikoppi experience as enjoyable and unique.

Oppikoppi organisers plan to allow its concert goers to order beer via their smartphones. The beer is then delivered via drones which drop the beers into the crowd of concert goers. Although currently manually controlled, the drones will eventually deliver beer based on the consumers’ GPS location.

The video demonstrating the beer drone has generated great interest since its publication on YouTube. The Oppikoppi festival has enjoyed an increase in brand awareness internationally, with its relatively simple drone demonstration racking up over 82 000 views and numerous mentions by the international press.

Of course, ensuring that a beer can being dropped by a drone at altitude into a large crowd accurately and safely may prove challenging. However if these challenges can be overcome, drone delivery has the potential to increase brand value by providing the associating brands in question with innovation and the ever elusive “cool factor.”

In the end, beer drones may prove to be impractical. However Oppikoppi has already won in the brand game by captivating its audience and positioning itself as the edgy and definitive authority on cool.

Nick Awbrey is a Consultant for InterbrandSampson.