RENO, Nev. — Branding expert Bruce Turkel ended and started his keynote presentation July 13 the same way. He pulled his harmonica from his pocket and played a tune.
The National Speaker Association Hall of Fame member and former ad agency executive as well as creative expert began his keynote at STN EXPO West by comparing composers Johann Sebastian Bach and blues musician Sonny Boy Williamson. Although their styles, backgrounds and eras were dramatically different, both created music using the same seven notes.
He connected that idea to student transportation, explaining that school districts, contractors and suppliers often use similar buses, technologies, spreadsheets and operational tools. Those tools are necessary, but they are not what make the organizations memorable.
“The people who are successful are not the people who know how to use the tools, but they are people who create value from the tools,” said Turkel, who is also a best-selling author, adding that successful operations know how to communicate their value by understanding what resonates with current as well as prospective customers.
Much like musicians distinguish and express themselves through the way they arrange notes in a key, transportation organizations stand out through the value and emotion they create. Turkel encouraged attendees to move beyond statistics about fleet size, routes and years of service and instead communicate the peace of mind, opportunity and confidence they provide to students, families and communities.
He related a story of a conference organizer asking him how long he and his wife had been married. Instead of providing a numeral value, he answered with the phrase “not long enough.” In that moment, he added value to his marriage and created value for the conference organizer and her husband. Instead of quoting a number or a fact, he verbalized the importance of his relationship with his wife.
“The facts don’t matter,” he said. “Feelings are what matters.”
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Using pre-conference survey results from STN EXPO West conference attendees, he grouped individuals into what he called the five tribes: Protectors, problem-solvers, invisible heroes, culture builders and quiet professionals.
Protectors are driven by student safety, trust, compassion and the responsibility they feel toward children and parents. Problem solvers take pride in finding solutions despite limited resources, staffing challenges and other operational constraints. Invisible heroes work behind the scenes to ensure transportation systems function, often without recognition from the public. Culture builders view their organizations, employees and communities as families and emphasize purpose, relationships and belonging. Quiet professionals value reliability, consistency and calm execution, finding satisfaction in making sure the job is done correctly every day.
Turkel explained that these groups may approach their work differently, but all are motivated by the people they serve. Understanding which tribe best reflects an individual or organization can help transportation leaders communicate their purpose more clearly to employees, parents and community stakeholders.
You Had It in You All Along
Like Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz,” who always had it in her the power to go home to Kansas, Turkel said transportation professionals already know what they do and why it matters. The challenge, he said, isn’t discovering your value. It’s communicating it. He said it’s not about becoming something different but letting one’s authentic purpose shine through in how they present themselves to the world.
At the conclusion of the presentation, Turkel distributed harmonicas to attendees. He taught the audience a simple sequence of notes before revealing that they were playing along with the famous Beatles’ song, “I Should Have Known Better.” The exercise revealed to the attendees that they did not need years of musical training to create something recognizable and meaningful. They simply needed clear direction, confidence and a willingness to participate.
The harmonica served as a metaphor for leadership and branding. Transportation professionals already have the necessary tools, experience and purpose. Their challenge is to arrange those elements in a way that resonates with the people they serve, he said.
Turkel concluded that good organizations make people feel good, while great organizations make people feel good about themselves. Like a memorable song, the strongest transportation brands are not defined only by their technical performance but by the feelings they create and the lives they influence.
