 Branding Personality
For Rocco Castellano Attitude is Everything
by Ran Mullins, CEO, Metaphor Studio
Every brand community is dominated by one or more over-the-top personalities. For Rocco Castellano over-the-top is his everyday language. As an internationally known and controversial fitness expert with a career spanning over 22 years, this East Coast Italian has an opinion on everything. This guy can raise your heartrate just by sitting next to you. His booming voice fills a room regardless of the size (The first time he visited our 4,000 sq. ft. studio the artists and programmers were jittery for days following.) and I haven't even mentioned what comes out of that mouth when he opens it.
With a name like Rocco you just know he was bred on the streets of New York with attitude dripping from his veins. He loves controversy, embraces confrontation, and he's even developed new uses for the word F*CK. (Believe me, Colin Farrell has nothing on this guy.) You can ask him about anything and he'll respond with an answer that is filled with attitude. I have typically dismissed this type of character as arrogant, obnoxious, and likely not worth my time. The funny thing is that once I started listening to him I've been intrigued ever since.
Another intriguing point about Rocco is that he seems to surround himself with beautiful people. One has to wonder if he has had an effect on their lifestyle and their attitudes. Whether he is training celebrities, contestants for Miss USA or just posing for photos at an upscale social event, Castellano is always in good company. Although he is much more than simply a Trainer-to-the-Stars, Rocco has worked with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, John F. Kennedy, Jr., Spike Lee, and the artist William Wegman to name a few.
Many celebrity personalities develop monster-sized personal brands that have multiple brand extensions, think: Oprah, Martha Stewart, Arnold Schwarzenegger, JLo, Britney, etc. The mass audience loves them and they are impossible to ignore...unless you live in a cave. Regardless of which avenue they choose to explore their fans seem to gladly follow along and help to widen their brand community into additional networks. Branding Personality is so much larger than simply creating a single product or product line. It requires us to recognize the power of influence that a single individual can have on our culture. With the help of the right team these celebrities become mega-stars and guide decisions that range from consumer purchases and fashion, to attitudes, social mores and politics.
Back to Rocco. Rocco's logic is difficult to argue with (unless you just love to argue) and his passion is relentless. If you allow yourself to listen to him and watch the fire in his eyes, then you'll be immediately drawn into his world without even realizing it. Although you may disagree with him, he is impossible to ignore. You just gotta love the guy. He ultimately demands attention and now America is waking up to Rocco Castellano. This fall Rocco will begin offering wake-up calls that are infused with his over-the-top personality and commanding voice.
In addition to "Wake-Up Calls" Rocco has written a report entitled "Fat People Are Stupid" being published on October 1st and Rocco's new book is launching in the first quarter of 2005. You will soon find that this personality is unstoppable. After spending the last ten years as a radio personality and columnist he has decided to put his fitness discipline to work in a new lifestyle success kit that will launch in conjunction with his book.
At Metaphor Studio we recognized Rocco's natural charm and charisma immediately. In addition, we also realized that his strengths were well-suited for a career far beyond fitness. He was a perfect candidate for our Community Experience Development process. We start with CULTIVATE and that requires us to look at the brand holistically in order to identify roles within the community. The development of the Brand Community Mantra helps us to measure our effectiveness as we begin the strategy and to implement the branded creative offerings that follow.
With Rocco Castellano it was particularly important to identify his reach prior to any implementation. His boundless energy was an asset, as well as a liability and certainly required thoughtful strategy and consistent management. Upon initiating the complete Brand Audit we identified a position that was "Confronting Truth for Lifestyle Transformations." This position addressed a delivery that defied the traditional limitations of a fitness expert.
The Brand Community Mantra session proved to be the most valuable exercise (as is often the case). We identified an essence that is "Passionate," a character that is "Liberating," and an identity that is pure "Entertainment." Passionate Liberating Entertainment has been the measurement device for the creative content. Rocco is at once hilariously funny and deadpan serious. Regardless of your take on him you are engaged and you are bound to come away with some nugget of information that you hadn't really given much thought to prior to your interaction with him.
After identifying the parent brand of askROCCO Media and then developing the brick and mortar system for ROCCO's Urban Workout Headquarters in Tribeca, New York we were able to quickly coordinate a companion collateral system. Based upon the content for the forthcoming report and book we identified a product that was perfect for his persona. The "Wake-Up Call." When you hear his voice you will understand why. The tagline "Attitude is Everything" was developed to be inspirational and confrontational at the same time. Rocco's frustration with America's laziness makes him the perfect Attitude Adjustor for people who want to look and feel better about themselves. It all begins and ends with their attitude. Without the right attitude they will never practice the necessary discipline required to reach their goals.
We have proclaimed Rocco as the illegitimate lovechild of Richard Simmons and Anthony Robbins and Tony Soprano. As a well-rounded ultra alpha male personality he is like a "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" on massive steroids and testosterone. As a Lifestyle Coach he provides guidance for individuals in all areas of their everyday world. Whether it is fitness, food, travel, fashion, or personal grooming he has a tip for you. He has performed amazing makeovers for a wide range of individuals across America and he'll soon be coming for you.
[-CeD-]
To learn more about ROCCO Castellano and get rid of your gut visit askROCCO.com
ABOUT THE ARTICLE:
You can read additional CeD articles in the executive white paper "Community Experience Development™: Empowering Sharing, Participation and Fellowship Among a Body Politic" by Ran Mullins
BusinessWeek features a story on Metaphor Studio entitled Giving New Meaning to "Branding." In the article Smart Marketing columnist Karen E. Klein and Chicago marketing executive Meg Goodman interview Metaphor Studio CEO Ran Mullins. Much of the content of the article refers to the Community Experience Development™ (CeD) executive white paper. Read More>>>
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ran Mullins is the founder and CEO of Metaphor Studio. He is a consultant and advisor on branding and Web site strategy integration to corporations and community organizations. In addition to being an artist and entrepreneur, he is a resident, business owner, and community advocate in Cincinnati's historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.
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CeD, Q2 2004, Volume 2, Issue 2
Past Issues:
2004
Q1 2004 - CHANGE!
Q2 2004 - Branding Personality
2003
Q1 2003 - Cultivate
Q2 2003 - Fascinate
Q3 2003 - Illuminate
Q4 2003 - Celebrate
CeD is a quarterly publication designed to provide insights into Metaphor Studio's
Community Experience Development™ process of consulting. Metaphor Studio is an advertising and technology agency in Cincinnati's historic Over-the-Rhine providing branding, interactive, and advertising strategy.
About CeD:
Community Experience Development™ (CeD) is a business philosophy that focuses on the proprietary consulting strategy of Metaphor Studio, LLC, utilizing Internet methods for revolutionizing brand communities. CeD includes cultivating, fascinating, and illuminating the target audience through personalized and non-personalized membership communities. The core CeD principles involve leveraging intellectual properties to position each community creator as the leader and expert in their given community. Achievement of CeD objectives results in the evolution of the brand community as the destination point for the given topic both online and offline. Download the complete executive whitepaper.
About Metaphor Studio:
Metaphor Studio is an advertising and technology agency providing Branding, Interactive, and Advertising Strategy since 1997. At Metaphor Studio we are experts in identity and interactive experience management. Specializing in Community Experience Development by providing strategies for sharing, participation and fellowship among brand communities. We define and develop communities that empower epic change by Cultivating members and clients through expert targeting, Fascinating the target audience through highly sophisticated and high-quality touch and using Illumination to assure lasting results by teaching community members about new and forthcoming offerings. Communities that understand your industry, your business or research goals, and can ultimately enhance your ability to effectively dominate your industry. Learn more at MetaphorStudio.com |
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