Year: 2005

Create a Brand that Sticks

Most people, when they hear the word branding, think logos – but in fact, branding is really much more than that. A brand involves blending the image, purpose, and focus of your business, with your core marketing message, and coming up with something which will stick in the minds of people who encounter it. As a business or an independent professional, it is who you are and what you do, packaged neatly, clearly, and memorably. A [tag]logo[/tag] is only a tangible representation that works to reinforce a brand.

So – what kind of personality does your business have? Is it conservative and solid? Outgoing and fun? Or robust and strong? And, what is your business focused on doing? Whom do you want to work with? How does your business differ from the competition? And what makes it so special, after all? Do not try to name every special quality or unique selling point – you can actually build a brand on just one unique quality! Once you can answer these questions, you can begin to create your brand. The question is what you want YOUR brand to leave behind in people’s heads.

More about How to Create a Brand that Sticks

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Brands and Branding

Branding: yes, you need a brand.
First, branding is a key defense against commoditization – a situation in which a company’s products and services become perceived by buyers as being interchangeable with those of other companies, so buying decisions become driven by price. With the trend toward instantly and globally searchable competition across all product and service categories, the pull toward commoditization is now an elemental force in marketing. The value of branding – intelligent, relevant, branding that effectively differentiates you from your competition – has never been higher.

Branding will not create a spike in cash flow or market share.
Quite the opposite in fact: it costs time and money to build brand equity whether you’re launching a new brand or re-launching an old one.

If you’re [tag]rebranding[/tag], by the time you’ve spent enough time and money on advertising and marketing, the conditions that triggered your quest to rebrand will have changed. Rebranding as reflex action to stem losses in market share is stupid.

At a certain point, sales is branding: the more sales you have, the more market share you have, the more people see and hear of you, and the more they will think of you. Without sales and market share, branding accomplishes nothing.

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Personal Branding Re-loaded

In addition to being able to boast these enviable benefits, strong brands have something else in common. They all exhibit the “three C’s” of branding: Clarity; Consistency; and Constancy. Does your brand pass the Three C Test?

Clarity

Strong brands are clear about who they are and who they are not. They understand their unique promise of value. And this promise of value sets them apart from their competitors. It differentiates them and allows them to attract and build loyalty among the groups of people who can help them achieve their goals.

Consistency

In addition to being clear about who they are, strong brands are also consistent. Madonna is an excellent example of brand consistency. She is the chameleon brand of entertainment. She reinvents herself with each CD that she produces.

Constancy

Strong brands are constant. They are always there for their customers and prospects or for those people who can help them achieve their professional goals.

Full article: The Three C’s of Personal Branding

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Personal Branding

Big companies understand the importance of brands. Today, in the Age of the Individual, you have to be your own brand. Here’s what it takes to be the CEO of Me Inc.

It’s time for me — and you — to take a lesson from the big brands, a lesson that’s true for anyone who’s interested in what it takes to stand out and prosper in the new world of work.

Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.
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Developing Your Brand Strategy

By the time you finish this free online course: Developing Your Brand Strategy, you will have a polished brand strategy that will give the the competitive edge.

Developing a brand strategy can be one of the most difficult steps in the marketing plan process. It’s often the element that causes most businesses the biggest challenge, but it’s a vital step in creating the company identity.

Your brand identity will be repeatedly communicated, in multiple ways with frequency and consistency throughout the life of your business.

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Evaluate Your Brand

Brands are the most valuable assets that many companies have, representing a substantial portion of a consumer company’s overall market value or equity. Also, because it is becoming increasingly more difficult to sustain competitive product or technological advantages, it is likely that brands will continue to grow in importance and significance.

This is the introduction of an interesting PDF from GfK Custom Research and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, entitled “What Are Your Brands Worth?“, dealing with subjects as:

  • Advanced Brand Valuation Model
  • Psychological Brand Strength
  • Brand Isolation Module
  • Brand Forecast Module
  • Brand Risk Module
  • Brand Strategic Option Module
  • Case Study: Euro Max Petroleum
  • Determination of Brand Value
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Trends in Future Marketing

Someday in the not-so-distant future, branding as we know it will be thought of as so 20th century. With societal, cultural and technological changes occurring at increasingly accelerated rates, keeping your eye on the horizon of future trends in branding gives your company the advantage.

1. Consumers Are the New Creative Directors
Born from consumers’ desire to differentiate themselves from the mass market, this trend toward customization will continue to grow with the flexibility and efficiencies offered by technology at home and in manufacturing.

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HR and branding

In the war for talent, HR professionals are not being equipped with one of the most important weapons in the recruitment armoury – employer branding.

An exclusive survey of 1,889 Personnel Today readers with responsibility for recruitment reveals that 95% of respondents believe employer branding is ‘important’, with 80% saying that it will become even more so. And yet only 25% of those surveyed have responsibility for employer branding.

One said: “There is so much competition for good candidates, those with a good employer brand will be able to pick and choose from the best candidates.” And another added: “People are becoming more inclined to look for roles where the organisation’s values are aligned with their own.”

Via PersonnelToday.com

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First Steps in Branding

Over at Entrepreneur.com there is a short introductory tutorial on branding and how to start-up the branding process:

Defining your brand is like a journey of business self-discovery. It can be difficult, time-consuming and uncomfortable. It requires, at the very least, that you answer the questions below:

  • What is your company’s mission?
  • What are the benefits and features of your products or services?
  • What do your customers and prospects already think of your company?
  • What qualities do you want them to associate with your company?

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