Data Governance Matters

Nine months is probably the perfect amount of time for creating a baby, it’s way too long for even a semi-regular poster like myself to go between blog entries. I’ve been busy, Gwen has been understanding, but returning from this year’s Data Governance Conference in San Francisco and realizing my last post was about last year’s conference made me realize it was way past time for an entry…

There was quite a bit of buzz at this year’s Data Governance Conference in San Francisco regarding branding and marketing Data Governance programs. Attendees bantered back and forth regarding techniques to use.

Would you like to know where I start when I’m trying to ‘sell’ an idea? First, I distill my thoughts into a one-line description of what I’m trying to accomplish (I call it a ‘hook.) Then, I create a logo.

A logo is a powerful, often overlooked tool. A logo, coupled with your ‘hook,’ not only reinforces your objectives with each viewing, but, as advertisers have long known, a well designed logo can imbue a product with associated feelings of ‘trust,’ legitimacy,’ ‘acceptance,’ ‘quality’, and ‘like-ability.’ And, it never hurts to be liked…

Consider the influence of what might have been the most sociologically significant logo of the modern era. Although the Peace Symbol was originally designed in 1958 and used by the British nuclear disarmament movement, the true power of the Peace Symbol began to manifest itself in the 60s when the anti-Vietnam movement adopted it as its symbol. Everyone, hippies, buzz-cut veterans, rock stars and A-list Hollywood actors began wearing them, often as much as a fashion statement as a political one.

It was this ubiquitous presence as much as anything else which tremendously magnified the visibility and influence of the anti-war movement far beyond the numbers of activist members. The rest of the country perceived every magazine photograph of a Peace Symbol-clad veteran or movie star as an endorsement of the peace movement. A-list celebrities wearing a Peace Symbol during television appearances because it was ‘groovy’ became de-facto supporters. Peace became ‘cool.’

Maybe you can make your governance initiative ‘cool’ or ‘groovy’ as well. Tap into the inherent power of visual representation. Repeat your program’s objectives with every view of your logo, and reinforce acceptance of your initiative’s importance and legitimacy with every repetition. You probably won’t define a decade, you may never get a movie star or even a C-level executive pinning your logo on a suit collar, but…

You just might help move your Enterprise into a better place.

Kumbaya (and peace…)
Darwin