If a brand had a party, what kind would it be?

Brands are iconic. And in media brands are everything. From the NBC peacock to the sounds on NPR and the content you would expect to find on the pages of the New York Times. Brands allow consumers to know what to expect and where to get it.

The USA Today is known for a variety of brand images and publisher and president,
Craig Moon stopped by the new Business Building on the Monroe Park campus at Virginia Commonwealth University to provide his unique perspective.

Moon, the Charles G. Thalhimer Family Executive-in-Residence at the VCU School of Business, addressed an audience of about 50 on his background (which is not in journalism), how he rose through the ranks to his current position as president of USA Today, and where he see his company heading in the future.

Moon was cool, calm and a presence in the room. He delivered his presentation on a level that was comprehensible for business majors and non-business majors alike.

The focus was on the staying power of newspapers in the media business even as they look to diversify their interests. Moon provided statistics that indicated readership of their paper increased during the past few years. He offered an analogy to help other brands determine their audience:

-If a brand had a party, what kind would it be?

Moon used this question to determine, of their competitors, who catered to what audience

During the remainder of the hour Moon showed how USA Today was taking its brand and moving toward other endeavors. International, Internet, and cross market opportunities are all ways that Moon sees USA Today gaining readers and notoriety.

His presentation was entertaining and insightful and showed, in some respects, how media outlets can survive in a rapidly changing marketplace and where they can expect to go in the future. USA Today hopes their dynamic business model will continue to work for years to come.

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