From trendwatching.com, an interesting prediction for 2012: Consumers will gravitate to brand that "behave more humanly, including showing their flaws." In other words, brand that are Flawsome:
... in 2012 consumers won't expect brands to be flawless; they will even embrace brands that are FLAWSOME, and at large (or at least somewhat) human. Brands that are honest about their flaws, that show some empathy, generosity, humility, flexibility, maturity, humor and dare we say it, some character and humanity.
That sounds like the way a great nonprofit brand should be.
How many nonprofits allow that in their brand guidelines? How many are so busy extolling their wonderfulness they can't act human?
And how "flawsome" they are may determine how well Susan G. Komen for the Cure comes through its current troubles.
Jeff Brooks, creative director at 
But it seems to me there's a difference between brands showing their human side including their flaws and being totally disingenuous. Whether real or perceived that's what is being said about Komen. To use a business example, its like Dove advertising in Playboy and celebrating their Flawsome-ness. I don't think it works.
Posted by: Chuck English | 10 February 2012 at 09:33
A good example of "Hey, we're human. Oops, sorry." would be the Red Cross' posting a tweet from the company account accidentally, instead of an employee's personal account.
They owned up to it and apologized (and deleted it).
http://bit.ly/ymJmaJ
It wasn't business-like, but it wasn't deceitful, obscene or offensive, either. Most people responded with, "No harm, no foul." Some even donated in response.
(They also didn't wait half a week to do something about it.)
Valerie Lambert
Bilou Enterprises
http://Bilou.info
Posted by: Valerie Lambert | 14 February 2012 at 18:20