| |
| |
|
Branding Information |
|
|
|
Brand Lo-o-o-o-o-ve...
So... how have you been building your brand lately? Now, I'm writing this in my best Barry White voice... "How'syour Brand Lo-o-o-o-o-ve, baby?" It may sound obvious, but increase Brand Love by branding better. Branding your business better will help you increase awareness,attractiveness, and affection of your prospects (so they becomecustomers), current customers (some people call them clients),and employees (yup, they need to be sold on you, too). "Huh? I've heard of brand awareness, and brand attractiveness Iunderstand, but affection? Brand Love? Is this guy smokingbanana peels?" OK, I admit, that term may be hard to take-- at first. But,haven't you expressed to someone that you love something? "Ilove that soda." "I love their pizza." "I love that store." See? You've been enamored with a brand before. And there's avery good chance you still are. So are other people. Why would you say you "love" soda, pizza, or a store? Because animportant nerve of yours has been hit. Some might call it "theSweet Spot." And it may not be all that obvious what that SweetSpot is. A soda tastes best to you over all others by iteself. Or it maygo better with certain types of food you enjoy. Perhaps yourfavorite pizza place makes the best tasting pizza. Maybe youenjoy the surroundings and atmosphere as much as the food. When you think about your favorite shop, maybe you think theyalways have just what you really want. Maybe you get treatedlike royalty. Or you feel good you can afford what they have, orbecause you can get a lot without spending much. Thankfully, somebody has probably said, "I love that..." aboutyour business. If they haven't, you probably haven't been openvery long-- or will be open for much longer. Think of the lastreferral that came in. They probably did so because someone hadhigh praise for you. Now... the trick is to find out what was so praiseworthy, andeffectively comunicate it to similar prospects. How to do it? Just ask for feedback. Talk to your clients/customers about their experiences. Usually,they will have good things to say. Or at least they may buffetsome less-than-glowing reviews with some good stuff. Speaking of"less than glowing," when asking for feedback, be prepared for"warts and all." In fact, ask for it. When it's really bad, you'll hear it right away. But when thereare minor slip-ups, or things your business may NOT be doing,those can easily fall through the cracks. Always stress you wantcandid, HONEST answers. If you're not willing to search out the"bad stuff," it will only get worse, and small problems can growexponentially. Or somebody realizes how you're underserving the market andtakes advantage before you do. So, ask your clients questions casually. Or even print up 100 orso quick response cards with three to five questions. With onlya couple of well-worded questions and space for their ownadditional thoughts, you may not only get good feedback, youmight gain insight about your market, operation, or clientelethat takes business to the next level. Watch for more from me on this topic. John is a freelance commercial writer based in Omaha, Nebraska.He publishes a free monthly e-zine focusing on branding,advertising, and marketing from his websitehttp://www.brandedbetter.com. Speaking with both agency and in-houseexperience, he knows the most valuable asset of a business isits brand.
MORE RESOURCES:
VirTra Systems Launches New Branding Initiative and Redesigned Website - MarketWatch (press release)
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Boston Web Design Branding - Brand Identity Guru A branding company's website purpose is to design websites that will attract attention, give a professional image and support the message you are trying to convey in writing. There are arguments for doing your website design in-house. Acquire, Then Rebrand Acquiring another corporation usually means that the acquiring company's name will be the name of the newly merged entity. There is one factor that can change that -- one that is stronger than anything else. Branding Your Products Is Important I was chatting with a couple of friends, all of us are either copy writers or graphic designers?or both?.in the advertising industry, so, naturally, our conversations leaned towards the topic. Value-pricing Strategy: Were not The Cheapest but... In this highly competitive online marketplace, it can be difficult to persuade customers to buy from you when you offer a similar product to your opposition but with a higher price tag. And trying to beat competitors on price alone is a cut-throat business, very risky and not recommended. Attract More Clients With A Brand Identity You've probably heard that people buy products and services from people they know, like and trust. And, as I have done, you've probably wondered how you can foster more of this "Know-Like-Trust" factor in your business relationships. Are You Brand Worthy? Branding is one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood. To make things even more confusing, branding is often tossed in the same basket as marketing which makes its application to an entrepreneur or sole-practioner even more unclear. John Deere and NASCAR; Excellent Use of Brand We should all recognize the marketing efforts of John Deere especially as we have spoken before with regards to their TOYS. They have a complete line of nearly every tractor or agricultural attachment they make available in small, micro size. Brand Value Plan - Brand Identity Guru Developing brand value is critical to every organization and when professionally executed, delivers a clear and measurable competitive advantage to your firm. It does so by helping you establish a positive connection and value-relationship with your customer, which, over time, will build brand equity and increase brand value. You'll Bring a Parade of Business to Your Door! Parades happen in every big city and many small towns. They are fun, relaxing and most people are there because they really want to be. Standing Under the Umbrella And Still Getting Wet Make More Money Making a Name for YourselfCalling all realtors, financial planners, insurance brokers, multi-level & network marketers, and anyone else who works in the precarious and often misunderstood position of operating under a large company brand umbrella yet operating as a separate business unto itself. You may find that you're standing under the umbrella and you're still getting wet-- not enjoying the unlimited personal and financial rewards that business opportunity offers. Personal Branding: Characteristics of a Strong Personal Brand How many times have you been at a networking function and been lost for words when asked "what do you do"?We all have. But do you see this as a threat or an opportunity?Developing a Personal Branding Statement or PBS can be a powerful way to help market yourself to prospects, clients or potential employers. Brand Your Consulting Brilliance Today's competitive marketplace for consulting services is no longer responsive to the marketing strategies that worked in the past. The services you provide should speak volumes about your consulting business. Logo Files: Versions Of Your Logo That You Should Own Your logo is the most important graphic element in which you will invest for your business. You should own the logo in many file formats. What Make Us Unique and Different Starting a business can take a lot of time, money, and energy. And because we don't want to completely re-invent the wheel, we often want to copy (legally) other techniques, strategies or processes used by others. Logo-ize For Instant Identification & Increased Awareness The task of creating an indelible impact on the memory of your target market is arduous but can be made much easier with a well thought out logo. The word comes from the ancient Greek where it was used in philosophy and theology to mean "the divine reason implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and giving it form and meaning. Brilliant Branding Builds Business Branding is more than product recognition or a simple logo. It is the overall intellectual and emotional impression people have when they think of your company and its product. Its Time For Some Steak Recently, I was reviewing our website statistics. One of the sites that had a link to mine caught me by surprise. Business Branding - How Character Affects Customers and Your Business Image The public buys far more than just your products, services and so-called image promotions. Whenever they interact with anyone or anything associated with your business, they are automatically branded emotionally, good or bad, by the totality of your business character. Brand Boring or Brand Buzz? I heard an advertisement on the radio the other day that surprised me, not because they were saying anything noteworthy, but because it was so banal. It was a national company's ad. Are You Brand Worthy? Are You Brand Worthy? Branding is a one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood. To make things even more confusing, branding is often tossed in the same basket as marketing which makes its application to an entrepreneur or sole-practioner even more unclear.
|
|
|
|
|
