|
|
| Branding Information |
|
|
|
|
Branding: All My Exs Live In...
...my senses. I know, you were thinking 'Texas'. Well, if they do live in Texas, then it's a good thing that I live in Virginia (dodged that bullet - swish!). In fact, most of my experiences, good and bad, nestle deep in the base of my subconscious until 'something' wakes them up. It could be the ocean air, a certain perfume, the sound of fireworks or a song, the touch, the feel of cotton, or even the taste of burnt pizza. Yup, all of these sensory experiences can bring any memory rushing back to the front of your mind. So, what does this have to do with branding? Have you ever smelled french fries and said, "Oh, I could go for McDonald's". Nokia, the leader in cell phone manufacturing design their phones to touch at least 4 of the 5 senses, and touch some more than others. The design of the phone is perfectly shaped to the contour of the users hand (touch). The interface is designed to be exactly the same in any language, to the point that a Japanese user change his settings to English and know exactly where everything is (sight and touch). Their ringtone is unique and a branded Nokia sound (also used on their web site), so that it is easily recognized worldwide (sound). Their packaging has a branded scent that is emitted into the users brain the moment it is opened (smell). And, I wouldn't put it past them to find something taste-worthy to tie into their brand. Again, what does this have to do with branding? EVERYTHING! Branding for the senses takes your brand to another level of memorability. Did you know that the Disney Parks purposely spray the scent of cotton candy in areas where there isn't any? This drives traffic to other areas of the Parks where there is cotton candy! Did you know that the 'new car smell' is a manufactured scent? It's deliberately added because people love it. It is the finishing touch, the icing on the cake, that makes the decision to buy final. Some stores have a branded scent, or a branded sound when you walk in the door. You don't realize it, but when you hear that sound or smell that smell you will automatically think of that store. Certain hotels hand you warm chocolate chip cookie when you check-in - this is to wake the memories of home, which is how they want to remembered! So, what does your brand smell like? tandembranding is a nation-wide branding firm, and we work with marketing directors to make their company famous. We specialize in industries that cater to the customer experience. For more articles on how branding can make you famous, please visit tandembranding.com Mark Campanale, Brand Expert
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Power Your Word for Profit Discovering and owning a powerful word that reflects you and your business is the true key of successful branding. Choosing The Right Business Name Sometimes, new entrepreneurs are in such a rush to get started at their businesses that they jump right into working with customers without giving much thought to their BUSINESS NAME. "I'll just do business under my own name for a while, until I find something I like." While it seems easy at the time, you might want to re-think the plan to change business names down the road. You will find that, as your professional recognition and customer base grow, people have started to IDENTIFY you with the name of your company. A name change in mid-stream can be costly and confusing. You Bored Me at Hello - Top Three Strategies for Networking Your Brand "You had me at hello," those famous words from the movie Jerry McGuire let Tom Cruise know that Rene Zellweger's character was hooked from that point and the rest of his talking was unnecessary. When in networking situations, many small business owners leave people with a slightly different feeling. If questioned for the truth, what would likely be said is, "you bored me at hello!" That is definitely not a great way to grow your business into a powerful name brand. Networking works, but not if you leave your prospects bored. Id Buy That: Getting A Brand Mindset Feel that? The crisp tingle in the air? It's fall. Fall ushers in the promise of eating, seeing, and getting. It's my favorite time of year. By now, kids are settled into school, sweaters set free from mothballs, and it's an amazing time to... BUY. Could Ray Kroc have founded McDonalds in the Era of Sarbaines Oxley? Over regulation of our free markets is stifling our growth in America and killing the next superstar Entrepreneurs. Let's discuss just how bad it really is. Let's us discuss Ray Kroc, founder of McDonalds and the Father of Franchising. In this philosophical discussion let us look at history for a moment shall we? If Ray Kroc had to pay $45,000 to create disclosure documents to franchise right out of the gate, could he have still had the capital to do it? Would he have wanted too? What if he had to pay an additional $15,000 per year to stay registered in all the states; another $10,000 to $20,000 to keep up with the law changes and case law? Could he have actually stayed in business? Internet Branding Having been in the franchising business all my life and understanding how hard it is to build a brand, I have probably read every other popular book on the subject. Some are good and most are excellent, as each one helps give you ideas on setting the stage for your brand marketing objectives. Branding on the Internet is somewhat new as before 1995 there was little if any Internet to speak of. One book I can recommend is: How Much Is A Great Business Logo Really Worth? A great logo can help a business project a positive image while a bad logo can bring a negative impression about a company. For many companies, a logo is the only identifiable mark a potential customer may ever see, so it needs to be memorable, descriptive and easily recognizable. If a logo is the company spokesman, how much is it really worth? Speech on Branding from a Franchisor Founder I was asked today by a group of students; What do you feel is the best way to build brand name and why? And what significance do you feel are relevant to a strong corporate identity? Setting the Right Price One of the ways people get to know you is by the identity you project. Your company name, the way you present yourself, your business card and brochure, where you work, and other ways you conduct your business create an image that gives your customers information about you. The MOST Expensive Mistake You Can Make Most people who own a small business have a huge passion and talent for the product or service they provide. Some people have a business degree. Some even have MBA's or PhD's. But, most who own their own business just have a passion for what they do. Putting You and Your Company in Position to Own Your Market Americans have always liked their coffee hot. But then Starbucks made hot coffee desirable, in demand, and extraordinarily profitable. And then Starbucks made coffee "cool" with its super-popular iced Frappucino drink -- just as trendy, fashionable, and universally appealing. Starbucks is no doubt one of the greatest marketing stories of recent history. How this company turned an unassuming beverage into an icon of sophistication and taste is no mystery, however. It's all about a marketing tenet called positioning. The coffee company started out in Seattle's Pike Place market in 1971 as a single gourmet coffee shop, and by 1995, the chain's earnings were $26.1 million. Marketing experts agree that Starbucks' skyrocket to fortune centers on its aesthetic sense. In other words, the public's perception of Starbucks has to do with how it appreciates this company's style. Sure, Starbucks filled a need and created unique product brands, but what attracts coffee drinkers again and again is the experience of the Starbucks environment and its products. Smooth, sophisticated, artistic: These are seductive qualities even for a business based on a little brown bean. The Starbucks story illustrates at least two powerful marketing principles. Both help us to better understand effective positioning, or the process of finding a "place" for ourselves in people's minds: People buy for their own reasons, not anyone else's. The stronger position is found in the experience, outcome, or benefit you provide as opposed to the methods you use for producing those outcomes. Starbucks shows us that it's not about packaging -- it's about positioning. The environment of Starbucks creates an experience that invites us to come study for exams, hang out and philosophize with friends, or get the day started with a warm cup of java and the morning news. Starbucks is an invitation to linger, not just get your coffee and go. When you are assessing your own position and considering how you might improve your image and thus your market share, remember that there are essentially four winning positions: better, different, faster, or cheaper. You can certainly position yourself as one of these, perhaps even two; capturing a position as three of them is tough and probably not desirable, and cornering all four is just about impossible. Not everyone is up to the task of creating another Starbucks. It's tempting, with price wars so rampant, to believe that a perception of being cheapest is easiest to establish. Yet in truth this is the most difficult because of fixed costs. It's like doing the limbo: you can go only so low, and then you're overextended or flat on your back. Definitely not the easiest position to be in. How about being better instead? Contrary to popular belief, this is perhaps the easiest position to take, since making an improvement or simply creating the impression of greater quality or ability has no constraints. One tip: when you capture the different category, you may get the better category as a by-product. Starbucks capitalized on this technique, as did Dennis Rodman, the oddball of basketball. He came up with a way to take two positions in fans' eyes: both different and better. Okay, maybe he wasn't actually better than his teammate Michael Jordan, who was unbeatable, but certainly he was perceived for a time as better (cooler, trendier) among those who were captivated by his style. His fashion and fascinating antics made him so unique that he became unforgettable. And because he was also an excellent ball handler, he became famous and highly regarded in his sport. BMW has also taken the better-different approach. Until fairly recently, Mercedes-Benz had the better luxury car market sewn up, so BMW -- a competitor with a parity product -- simply repositioned itself. Its tag, "the ultimate driving machine," appeals to a younger crowd and gives them luxury with power and handling. This is "hip luxury," which is different from the Mercedes position, which could be summed up as "elegant luxury." And voilà: BMW became as hot and desirable as a cappucino on a wintry morning. BMW marketers had both a strong sense of the position they wanted to hold and precisely defined their premium clients, the créme de la créme within their target market. You can do this, too. Once you've figured out what position you can successfully gain in your business, ask yourself the following. Who is my premium client? Who would be the most enjoyable and rewarding to serve? What are this client's unique desires, needs, and challenges? How can I best serve this client? What do I (or can I) provide in a unique way to help my clients achieve their business outcomes? How can I position myself as an expert in this market? With this information, you can tailor your marketing efforts -- everything you say to people, any support materials you use, even the way you dress and act -- directly to this audience to help establish your position. This is the first step to "owning your market." Positioning is like popularity: You have to be seen in the right places and with the right people. This is more than social climbing: You learn more about your clients and they learn more about you when you frequent the same places, attend the same functions, join the same associations, be published in their periodicals, and develop products and services specifically for them. Positioning is as much about who you are not as it is about who you are. Starbucks is not a cheaper and faster cuppa joe; it is an upscale, gourmet coffee experience. BMW is no old-style luxury; it is stylish performance. Dennis Rodman is no gentleman forward; he is the outrageous, extreme athlete who is a recognized celebrity even for people who don't know basketball from billiards. Do you want to win big? If so, have the courage to answer these questions clearly and define your own game: Who are you? Who are you not? Who are your clients? These are the essential decisions you must make if you want to not only understand but own your market. Im Just Starting, Why Do I Need a Logo Design? Businesses eager to open often give little thought to their identity. With so much to get done, designing an appropriate logo hardly seems like a top priority. However, this oversight can prove to be a costly error in the long run. Branding Your Radio or TV Campaign With A Musical Identity (aka Audo Logo, aka Jingle) You don't think twice about a business card and letterhead logo for the visual aspect of your campaign, why not an audio logo to brand your broadcast campaign? Wealthiest 10% of Americans Name Top Quality Brands for 8 Products in New Survey The seventh in a continuing series of twice-yearly surveys by The American Affluence Research Center (AARC) reveals the brands considered to have the highest quality, regardless of price, by the wealthiest 10% of Americans, the 11 million households representing about half of all consumer income and spending, a third of the total US economy, and 70% of the personal wealth of Americans. The Art of Successful Branding Branding: it's a term that carries great weight in the world of advertising. Successful branding is best illustrated by the world's most prominent corporations, but it's no less important to the small business owner. Your Brand is your identity; it's every single puzzle piece, fitted into the big picture of your company. From your name and logo to your business philosophy and corporate mission; from your advertising campaign message to your design elements; from your products and services; all that is owned, produced, stated, sold and marketed by your company falls under the broad heading of your Brand. Play Your Position! - The Only Way to Win in Business Have you ever watched 5-year-olds play soccer? It should be called "Follow the Ball," because that is what happens the entire game. The beginning of the game starts with players in assigned positions. However, as soon as the whistle blows, all the kids form into a big herd guided by a little checkered ball. Too Dull? Too Sharp? You work hard getting the right cover message and words for your brochure. Now, you want to give it a look, an image. Corporate Branding and Professional Logo Design Any business with the minimum interest to be successful should concentrate on developing their corporate image and when I say "any business", I mean it, absolutely any business-even if it's a mom-n-pop shop. "Corporate image" might be a big word for such small ventures, however, what I meant by that is how the business wants themselves to be perceived by their customers. Irrespective of the size of the business it is very important to determine how do you come across to your potential customers? How do you compare to your competitors? These factors are largely determined by your branding and marketing strategies. Branding tools like logo designs, business cards etc goes a long way in creating your corporate image. Any marketing communication material should ideally have your corporate logo on it, which would give more credibility for your business as well as help your client to perceive your business as a professional enterprise. Positioning and Branding - Brand Identity Guru Where is your brand positioned in the marketplace? How is it perceived, both positively and negatively? Can you identify your brand's core strength's and equities? What are the barriers or threats standing in the way? A brand strategy company will provide you with an objective assessment of your brand. Creating Powerful Names for Products, Services, and Your Business The name of your business is important--it's one of the first things potential customers know about it. And having unique names for each of your products and services can be a powerful selling tool. One way to make yourself and your business attractive is to have something exclusive and enticing, promising benefits. Good names for your business, products and services can do that. Good names market for you.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2005 |