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About the author: Liz Pabon, ?The Branding Maven,? is inspiring, motivating and empowering - but most importantly, she?s effective. A speaker and author on the topic of personal branding, Liz delivers insights and principles that are proven to achieve WILD SUCCESS. Liz publishes the weekly Keys 2 Wild Success! ezine. If you’re ready to ATTRACT amazing clients, set yourself APART from the pack, make a lot more MONEY, and have a lot more FUN in your small business, get Liz?s FREE WEEKLY TIPS by going NOW to http://www.thebrandingmaven.com!
December 26, 2007
Stop With Political Correctness
Political correctness is the enemy of great brands. It is, in fact, the enemy of great marketing. The finest brands and the best marketing are those that seem most transparent to the customer. When a consumer sees an advertisement, they should see the brand and not be aware of the message. When they see the brand, they should see themselves and not all of the product attributes.
Clarity Is Your Ally
Clarity and single-mindedness are the allies of great brand building. These disciplines of focus should find their way into all of your brand and corporate communications. Anything that detracts from that focus needs to be eliminated and trimmed ? it?s waste.
Think of your brand and it?s subsequent messaging as if it was a telegram and you were paying dearly for every word and every idea. Any wasted energy is a destructive force and needs to be quieted. Any message that is not within the charter of your brand diminishes its effectiveness by drawing attention to the medium and away from the message itself.
Recently at a cinema, I witnessed an ad for a hearing loss center. In the ad, the hearing loss center was attempting to encourage viewers who were in the beginnings of hearing loss, that the center was in a position to help them. In the lower right hand corner of the commercial was a pullout window where an eager young gal used sign language to repeat the voice over.
This is a prime example of political correctness infecting a brand message. Anyone who is schooled in understanding sign language does not need a hearing center ? they have obviously already sought treatment. It was an attempt on the part of the brand to pander to special interest groups and curry favors that had nothing to do with the future success of the services they provided. It seemed out of place in the message and diluted the effectiveness of the advertisement. The brand did not address the underlying issues involved in the stigma of hearing loss ? the very issues that hinder acceptance of treatment. There was no attempt in the brand message to reassure the viewers with hearing loss that they were not in anyway marginalized and that the loss of hearing was not an embarrassment. In a category that sells services, they have not addressed the root cause of acceptance in the way that eyeglasses are no longer stigmatizing.
Put A Stake In The Ground
‘It is often difficult to protect a brand from the cancer of political correctness. When ad agencies return print ads and commercials that look like advertisements for the United Nations we weaken our ability to influence the target audience we covet. Putting a stake in the ground means having clarity and purpose. Branding has no place for moral dogma ? it must be about simple effectiveness.
The more internal constituencies a brand has, the more apt it is to dilute its message with multiple agendas. Nowhere is this more readily apparent then in destinations and tourism. Rather than speak the brand essence with clarity and conviction, such jumbled brands attempt to be everything to everyone and in the end, become nothing to no one.
The Only Solution
The antidote to this quagmire is always the voice of the customer. Market research, the kind of research that lays bare the preceptive fabric of the customer, is nearly impossible to ignore. When the beliefs of the customer are brought into the brand and marketing equation and when brand managers are empowered and informed the resulting brand is dynamic and effective.
It is well to remember that the only reason to invest in a share-stealing brand is to win. Self-aggrandizement and political correctness are only for brands that don?t care about winning or are the result of a political agenda. The rules for a brand to steal market share are quite simple:
The Four Rules To Remember
1.Know your customer. Not only their habits and attitudes but also their beliefs and values. You must know what they believe to be true about their lives and the rules that they follow.
2.Speak with clarity. Communications without purpose is at its best unproductive and at its worse destructive. Eliminate superfluous messaging and solute no political agenda. The goal is to change a behavior, not punish one.
3.Identify you customers. Allow them to see themselves in your brand. This is easier to see in consumer brands. But, If your business is B-to-B, imagine the company as an individual personality and address their own self-description. Companies have the same tendencies as individuals and the brand that best understands them is in a position to win.
4.Be willing to win. I know this may seem foolish to say, but quite often, we come across brands that are not. They are more attached to their own preconceived notions than their desire to success. They come to us, engage our services and hope that our recommendations will be to keep on doing what they have been doing. You cannot win by continuing the status quo.
Remember, as the great wizard of ads once said, ?the price of clarity is the risk of offense.?
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Tom Dougherty
CEO, Senior Strategist at Stealing Share, Inc.
http://www.stealingshare.com
Tom began his strategic
marketing and branding career in Saudi Arabia working for the internationally
acclaimed Saatchi & Saatchi. His brand manager at the time referred to Tom
as a ?marketing genius,? and Tom demonstrated his talents to clients such as
Ariel detergent, Pampers and many other brands throughout the Middle East
and Northern Africa. After his time overseas, Tom returned to the US where
he worked for brand agencies in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.
He continued to prove himself as a unique and strategic brand builder for
global companies. Tom has led efforts for brands such as Procter & Gamble,
Kimberly Clark, Fairmont Hotels, Coldwell Banker, Homewood Suites (of
Hilton), Tetley Tea, Lexus, Sovereign Bank, and McCormick to name a few. Contact Tom at tomd@stealingshare.com
Outsmart Them
Category benefits are a poor substitute for brand meaning and brand definition. It is one of the major pratfalls in brand development and a trap into which many brands fall victim. Defining your brand by such benign promises is a sure fire bet to promote the market leader ? not exactly what you have in mind when your goal is to grab market share and outsmart your competition.
Look around at the market today and you can see these ?benign brands? wallowing in brand failure and falling back on big budget ad spends to steal share. In banking, a service industry, you hear such benign brand claims as friendly, trustworthy, professional, and convenience (read: Lot?s of ATMs). Hotels promise comfortable beds and more space to ?stretch out?. Supermarkets promise fresh food and great prices; mutual funds promise expertise and perspective, logistics providers promise on-time delivery, and pharmaceuticals promise efficacy.
A Cunning Plot
It is almost a conspiracy. As a market leader, I would want my competitors to squabble over minimum category benefits. After all, if every hotel chain promises comfortable beds and fair prices who is poised to take Marriott by the throat and beat them at their own game?
If every tropical destination promises blue water, palm trees, nightlife, and interesting culture ? who is poised to take share from the Bahamas? Unless I am mistaken, the Bahamas have blue water, palm trees, nightlife and interesting culture. No wonder ?It?s better in the Bahamas? works. They have usurped the category benefits and have successfully positioned themselves against the rest of the pack.
Think Differently
The reason for the lack of brand identity in our world today is a direct result of brand managers and marketers confusing brand equity with product benefit. As long as you define your brand with efficacy and category descriptors you will never steal market share. You need to think differently.
Your brand is how your customer makes sense of the choices that bombard them. At its root benefit (from your customer?s perspective ? the outside-in perspective) the value of brand is to make life simpler; to aid your customers in making choices and to better identify the choices that will personally satiate them. From a marketer?s perspective (the inside-out perspective), the value of brand is to create preference and to elevate (increase) margins. I don?t think anyone would argue with these assessments.
The latter is a no-brainer; it is why we invest in building brands, but the former deserves a closer look because all brands must find their power in the acceptance of the target audience that they are designed to influence. What does it mean when your customer hopes that brands ?make life simpler for them, aid them in making choices and to better identify the choices that will personally satiate them? (read ?The Information Age Is A Dangerous Myth)?
Simple Wins Everyday
Simplification and ease of use is by no means a modern phenomenon but in an increasingly complex world, your customer does not desire complexity. In general, the brand that makes it easier for them will win. This is both simplicity in brand promise and the resulting mandatory simplicity in process.
Often we (at Stealing Share) rail against market segmentation. This is because most of the segmentation is based on an inside-out perspective and on misleading research that pretends to understand customer usage and attitudes. These so called studies are excellent when shedding light on product usage but fail miserably when used as segmenting indicators. These studies have given rise to such exciting category offerings as Arch Deluxe burgers and Laser Disks. After all, market segmentation studies clearly indicated that adults wanted a ?grown-up? burger from McDonalds and movie buffs wanted an LP sized disk that cost $100.
Segment To Your Advantage
Real segmentation is based on a clear understanding of the precepts (beliefs) of your target audience. You need to segment the market by what your customer believes to be the immutable laws that define who they believe they are. If, from the perspective of your customer, brands exist to make life simpler for them, than it is no stretch to see that your most coveted customer wants to make purchase decisions with the least amount of information needed to make the decision. Anything more than that is not overkill? it is complexity. What they seek is a brand that tells them that people like ?them? choose it.
When we look at some of the biggest ad spend categories, it always amazes us how much money is spent on those undifferentiating category benefits. Look at beer. What the brands sell is taste, refreshment, and fun. Yet everyone knows that to be a BEER, you had better taste good, be refreshing, lead to good times and be COLD (are you listening Coors?).
This market noise makes a real brand like Corona stand out. None of the sophomoric humor or machismo is found in their brand messaging. No, their brand assumes we KNOW all the category benefits? after all, Corona is a BEER. No ? Corona tells us that their beer is for kicking back and relaxing. Now that is a real brand.
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Tom Dougherty
CEO, Senior Strategist at Stealing Share, Inc.
http://www.stealingshare.com
Tom began his strategic
marketing and branding career in Saudi Arabia working for the internationally
acclaimed Saatchi & Saatchi. His brand manager at the time referred to Tom
as a ?marketing genius,? and Tom demonstrated his talents to clients such as
Ariel detergent, Pampers and many other brands throughout the Middle East
and Northern Africa. After his time overseas, Tom returned to the US where
he worked for brand agencies in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.
He continued to prove himself as a unique and strategic brand builder for
global companies. Tom has led efforts for brands such as Procter & Gamble,
Kimberly Clark, Fairmont Hotels, Coldwell Banker, Homewood Suites (of
Hilton), Tetley Tea, Lexus, Sovereign Bank, and McCormick to name a few. Contact Tom at tomd@stealingshare.com
November 18, 2007
Grab Opportunity
Many well established national and regional brands see global expansion as the golden egg. The promise of new emerging consumer markets in many of the world?s burgeoning economic regions is a great lure for these brands. China and India, for example, have emerging middle class consumer markets that look to provide many consumer brands (US and European) with the opportunity to grow market share.
To navigate these fertile markets and increase your market share it is important that you understand brand dynamics. Sadly, many manufactures do not. They will plow these new waters with the same reckless brand management that has led them to believe that their domestic success is a result of something other than heavy advertising spending. Understanding how a brand?s permission sets the stage for future success in the market is essential, and the lessons are even more telling when you move the brand into a different culture.
Global Brand Strategy
The root of your brand essence and strategy is found in the belief system of the target audience you are trying to influence. It is not an amalgam of product benefits, category descriptors, or ?branded colors.? When customers choose a particular brand, within a category of offerings, they choose to purchase a brand that seems connected to their own sense of self. The more closely the DNA of the brand resembles the genetic makeup of the target, the more apt they are to prefer it, the greater that attraction, and the greater are your margins.
When you think about a foreign culture (foreign to your own current success) you can quickly see why understanding the preceptive underpinnings of that culture are the keys to your success.
Case In Point
Here is a prime example. When P&G launched its low suds Ariel soap detergent (its high-end European brand) in Egypt many years ago, they believed that their brand was tied up in efficacy (in other words, they had no brand at all). Worse still, they simply cloned the advertising from successful European (read British) commercials from the period. Lacking any REAL brand DNA, P&G sold its low-suds detergent with the same dramatic dynamic that worked so well in the UK. Here is the plot:
The Commercial
YOUNG WIFE: Wife has switched to Ariel.
NOSEY MOTHER-IN-LAW: Mother-in-law barges in and chastises the young wife for the choice saying, ‘I always use (insert generic brand here).’
YOUNG WIFE: Wife washes two loads, one using Ariel, and the other using ‘NOSEY MOTHER-IN-LAW ?s detergent’ and they compare the results.
The winner ? Ariel out-cleans ‘NOSEY MOTHER-IN-LAW ?s brand’.
NOSEY MOTHER-IN-LAW: Mother-in-law retreats with her tail between her legs.
YOUNG WIFE: Wife is the hero.
It was too bad no one bothered to find out that in Egypt, mother-in-law is an honored person. She is seen as an authority and help ? not the meddlesome stereotype that we find in Europe. The result? the launch was a major flop.
No REAL Brands
In the absence of REAL brand, the brand management team was forced to look for solutions based on efficacy and they failed miserably. The cleaning process in Egypt was amazingly complicated and time consuming. The wife, who?s been responsible for the washing, would spend hours each day cleaning the family wash. She would mix detergents, shred bars of soap, and mix a cacophony of ingredients that would baffle a scientist. She would boil the clothes, hand ring them, wash them in a machine, and put them through a host of other processes that took half a day. Finally, she would proudly hang the wash out on the back clothesline for the admiration of the neighbors. Her result? amazingly clean clothes and a full day of labor.
A Cultural Bias Will Lead You Awry
From the cultural bias of the European brand managers, it seemed like a great idea to ‘BRAND’ Ariel as the laundry detergent that ?saves you time? (for the same result). The idea was that busy WIFE would gladly forgo the complicated and time-consuming ordeal that she currently employed for faster results. Sounds like a no-brainer.
The problem is that no one looked at the preceptive underpinnings in the culture. They assumed that the values found in European and American culture were universal and that the Egyptian housewife coveted these same values. They were wrong.
Once again, the brand launch floundered. It turned out that difficulty of process and complicated chemistry was one of the ways in which the Egyptian housewife measured her value to her family.
Don’t Make The Mistake
Without such an ordeal, she felt less valuable. Even though the outcome was the same, amazingly clean clothes, the cumbersome and time consuming process was preferred because it reinforced a value that said ‘the harder I work, the more valuable I am.’
This is a great case in point, one whose lessons on brand development are far reaching. It certainly demonstrates how important it is to delve deeply into the DNA of your target audience when expanding into new cultures. It also demonstrates that brand management, for the most part, is not BRAND management, It?s product management. Had the discipline of looking at a brand as a reflection of a customer?s beliefs and values instead of product attributes been part of the P&G culture, they never would have made these mistakes.
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Tom Dougherty
CEO, Senior Strategist at Stealing Share, Inc. (http://www.stealingshare.com) Tom began his strategic
marketing and branding career in Saudi Arabia working for the internationally
acclaimed Saatchi & Saatchi. His brand manager at the time referred to Tom
as a ?marketing genius,? and Tom demonstrated his talents to clients such as
Ariel detergent, Pampers and many other brands throughout the Middle East
and Northern Africa. After his time overseas, Tom returned to the US where
he worked for brand agencies in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.
He continued to prove himself as a unique and strategic brand builder for
global companies. Tom has led efforts for brands such as Procter & Gamble,
Kimberly Clark, Fairmont Hotels, Coldwell Banker, Homewood Suites (of
Hilton), Tetley Tea, Lexus, Sovereign Bank, and McCormick to name a few. Contact Tom at tomd@stealingshare.com.
November 16, 2007
You have just opened your business and are about to place your first ad in the newspaper or Yellow Pages. The rep asks you if you have a logo. Gulp. A logo? You panic and realize you have to have one and fast. After all, every business has a logo and look how successful they have become. Check out Coke, Microsoft, Honda, Wal-Mart, and the list goes on and on. So you grab the local directory and pick a graphic designer or ad agency and get moving. Thousands of dollars later, you present the new logo to your ad rep and are well on your way to success, fame and fortune. After all, now you have a logo.
Let?s back up. Take a look at the process where a business is born and think about the timeline. When Bill Gates began tooling with operating systems for Microsoft, did he begin by designing a logo? If you look at the first Coca-Cola logos, you wouldn?t even recognize them today. Other companies simply resorted to their initials such as RCA, IBM, or UPS in a slightly distinctive typeface. You see, their focus was actually on the business, rather than the public?s perception. Later, they would hire advertising agencies to do the promotion and, if warranted, promote their logo.
Can a logo build a brand and make the company more money? Of course it can. Branding is a huge business in itself. It?s been proven in surveys that people remember certain logos better than past Presidents or world capitals. But these international symbols took time to be established and the company became successful on its on merits first. They built a following and customer base before marketing the logo as their representative. If Nike had begun with their stylized ?V? followed by their slogan, ?Just Do It,? how would anyone know what they were selling?
I have been an advertising consultant to thousands of businesses and designed hundreds of logos. I?ve never seen an awful business made better with an award-winning logo. Conversely, I?ve seen many successful businesses that thrived for decades without any logo at all. Most of them used their name in a variety of type styles that were easily read and, instead, communicated the nature of the company. ?Fred?s Fine Custom Homes,? or ?XYZ Creative Web Design,? still gets the message across.
It all depends on your market and purpose. If you are a small, local business, with customers located within your city, having a logo probably serves no real purpose, other than giving you a unique identity. If you do a lot of mixed-media advertising, such as TV, radio, and newspapers, the logo can help tie your promotions together and create a branding awareness. For example, if a business called, ?Party Heaven,? uses a red balloon with angel wings on it?s signage, it?s smart to carry that logo through all it?s advertising. Also, a company with a national scope that has multiple locations or a country-wide franchise, needs to have a consistent theme that?s aided by a well-conceived logo and color scheme.
But the local plumber or air conditioner repair service mostly likely doesn?t require a cute or complicated logo, to satisfy their customers. They can simply market and offer good service to build their client base. Especially when there are hundreds of plumbers, all using a wrench or pipe as a logo in the Yellow Pages. There obviously must have been a run on clip art that day. I knew one that actually used a toilet with something dark floating in the bowl in their ads. Ergo, a lousy logo can actually hurt a business?s image.
So, to summarize, a logo is something that derives a well-implemented business plan. It can enhance and establish the company?s image. But it shouldn?t be relied upon for attracting customers or making up for a weak product or service. After all, when all is said and done, it?s still a miniature piece of artwork. You can look at one of my creations by going to thenurseschoice.com and check out their logo. It?s the lamp of knowledge and well known to most nurses. In the meantime, consider your business and what a logo can do for you. And if you?re a plumber, pipe down.
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Jeffrey Hauser?s latest book is, ‘Inside the Yellow Pages,? which can be viewed at http://www.poweradbook.com
He was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master’s Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.
November 14, 2007
When it comes to building your brand, you want to take advantage of every possible shortcut to help your target market know you?and remember you.
Taglines provide that path through the woods.
A tagline consists of a few short words that communicate to your target market what your company does and how you’re different from competitors. A good tagline should position your brand in your audience’s mind and sum up its essence or benefit in a way that your audience can relate to. A great tagline uses memorable phrasing and creates a personality.
Taglines are typically simple phrases that telegraph a message. They normally accompany company logos and are written to stand the test of time. Most taglines have a fairly long shelf life. Taglines can also help change the perception of a company.
Should you develop a tagline?
The simple answer is yes. All companies should consider using a tagline in their marketing materials and company advertising because taglines deliver the following benefits:
1. Clearly states what your company stands for.
2. Simplifies buying decisions because customers know who you are and what you offer.
3. Differentiates you from competition.
4. Raises brand awareness because taglines are relevant, remembered and often repeated.
5. Provides a shorthand version of your brand promise.
How do you develop an effective tagline?
Your tagline should evolve from your branding strategy to ensure consistency in your overall brand message. According to Paul Quinn, www.quinntessentialmarketing.com, ?Dancing the Tagline Tango,? here are ten ideas you can use to help develop a tagline:
1. Ask a question.
Does she or doesn’t she? - Clairol
2. Show your unique commitment.
We try harder - Avis
3. Explain product superiority.
Takes a licking and keeps on ticking - Timex
4. Evoke a benefit in a fresh way.
Let your fingers do the walking - Yellow Pages
5. Use an emotive call to action.
Reach out and touch someone - AT&T
6. Use a two-fold delivery with a twist.
Common sense. Uncommon results - David Ingram and Associates
7. Address a specific need.
They come in but they don?t go out - Roach Motel
8. Be abstract but client-centered.
After all, it is your information - Authentex Software
9. Describe your product in a novel way.
The quicker picker upper - Bounty
10. Link company name to product benefit.
Kenmore- Solid as Sears
Five steps to a new tagline
1. Begin by thinking about what you want to communicate with your tagline.
Write down your positioning statement or unique selling proposition. Your tag line should reinforce them.
Ask these questions:
? Who are your customers?
? What benefits do you offer your customers?
? What feelings do you want to evoke in your customers?
? What action are you trying to generate from your customers?
? How are you different from your competition?
Try to get one or more of these ideas across in the tag line.
2. Next, prepare to brainstorm.
Gather tag lines from other companies and brands. Look in other categories besides your own, from both large and small firms. You can find taglines anywhere there are advertisements, packaging, or logos. Look in cupboards, around desks, in magazines, on TV/radio commercials, in print advertisements, and on websites. Don?t forget to look at your competitors’ tag lines - and strive to be better and different.
Write the taglines on index cards or individual slips of paper. You will be mixing and matching them and pairing them with unrelated items as you brainstorm.
Pay attention to the words used, how they are put together, and which of the above questions they address. By doing this, you are more likely to come up with a unique angle for your own tag line.
You are looking at others’ tag lines only to spark ideas. Do not plagiarize. Your objective is to come up with your own, original tag line.
3. Brainstorm taglines
Get a small group together if possible. You?d be amazed how much help you can get if you serve lunch. But the job can also be done solo. Set up a place with a lot of writing space - use dry erase boards, easels with big paper pads, note cards, etc.
Gather props that might stimulate your thinking. Rearrange your various props so you can look at them in different ways. Write down everything that comes to mind and all the new ideas each phrase sparks. Your ideas do not have to make sense. You want as many as possible.
4. Consolidate your list
After brainstorming, go through all of your ideas. Pull out those few you think have the best potential. Try to reduce longer ones to fewer words.
5. Choose the one best tagline
You should be left with a short list of possibilities. To pick the single best tag line, poll others. If you have some funds budgeted, work with a market research firm to test the taglines with your customers.
You can also conduct informal research. Yourfocusgroup.com offers a free trial. If you have contact with customers, ask them what they think. Give them an incentive to help, such as a discount or small freebie. Some marketers find making the final selection the most difficult step. Listen to your gut, along with outside opinions you trust, then?
Evaluate your tagline against these 8 criteria
Before you unveil your new tagline, make sure it?s as effective as possible by asking:
1. Is your tagline consistent with your brand name and brand positioning?
2. Will your target audience understand the language you?ve used?
3. Are you communicating one simple idea?
4. Will your tagline stand out in advertising and corporate communications?
5. Have you tried out the tagline with clients and prospects?
6. Does your tagline differentiate your firm from the competition?
7. Have you removed all acronyms and jargon?
8. Are you using specifics rather than vague words or generalizations?
Lastly, check if your tagline communicates your brand promise to your prospects and customers. And helps them choose YOU in a cluttered marketplace.
Interested in knowing more? Visit www.promowriting.com and see the Tip Sheet, ?13 Tactics to Boost your Brand,? under the Tips section.
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Shira Linden is a freelance copywriter and consultant. For copy that gets results or a copy critique, contact Shira at 203 371-0654, via email at shira@promowriting.com or via her website http://www.promowriting.com.
October 22, 2007
When Cingular decided to create a cellular phone for young children, they needed a name that would resonate with both them and their parents. The result was Firefly ? a name that not only fits the product (it lights up when in use) but also one that has deep meaning. Many parents can fondly recall summer nights spent chasing the elusive lights as they danced across a fresh cut lawn or meadow.
When a technology company needed a name for their new PDA a few years ago, they could have used Pocket Link (the code name for the device while it was in development). Instead they went with a much more appetizing name? The Blackberry.
When United Parcel Service wanted to instill a deeper sense of their brand identity, they simply turned to their earthy corporate color . . . ‘What can Brown do for you?’ Verizon named their newest phone Chocolate. And the world?s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment shares its name with a friendly, wiggly little worm . . . Caterpillar.
What do these highly memorable names have in common? They are all richly grounded in human experience. As such they are much more anchored in our brains. They trigger the areas of sight, sound, taste and touch. These types of names then provide a much bigger palette to paint a mental picture of our products and services. They allow us to borrow on the attributes inherit in the words themselves. That?s why Apple is much more approachable, consumable and human than Compaq. And that?s why we process Amazon on a whole different level than Books-A-Million.
So what keeps companies from using these great words to evoke deeper levels of meaning and greater connection with their brand? The answer usually comes down to fear. That fear may take many forms, such as ?No one else in our industry is doing that!? and ?No one will understand our product if we don?t explain it in the name.? On a more practical level the fear takes the form of trademark issues. Many car companies have simply given up on great names such as Cougar and Mustang in favor of alphanumeric solutions? i.e. Q45, E Class, XR7, etc. Rather than risk a fight, they take safe, coined, emotionless words and use massive marketing dollars in an attempt to instill the very attributes that a great name can instantly provide.
The fear also takes the form of limited thinking? that all the great names are taken and gone. But creativity knows no such limits. There are always new ways to create, invent and evoke. It may take time. It may take effort. But the rewards are worth it. In the end you will have a name and a brand that truly mean something. It will be a name rich in texture and ripe with meaning. Above all, it will be human.
Is this the best and only way to name a business or product? Of course not. But it?s one naming strategy that deserves more priority and consideration in the light of so many artificial names. Do your customers crave meaning and experience in their lives? Do they want to connect at a deeper level? Then meet that need by creating names, tag lines and experiences that are great ? great because they are genuine, grounded and organic. That way you?ll not only grow, you?ll thrive and prosper.
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Phil Davis is president and owner of Tungsten Brand Marketing, a naming firm specializing in brand creation, product naming, tag line development, corporate identity and comprehensive brand repositioning. Phil’s client list includes PODS, TeamLogicIT and Coghead.com to name a few. His complete client list and company naming philosophy can be viewed at http://PureTungsten.com
October 10, 2007
Ever notice that large, successful companies always uses the same font on everything? How boring! Could it be that they?re lazy or is there something more too it? No, it?s not laziness, there?s something a lot more at work here: it?s brand consistency.
In addition to your company logo identity, choosing a company font/typeface will help to build a consistent, credible business brand. So what exactly is a company typeface or font? For this article, a company font or typeface is the official, specifically selected font that everyone in the company uses on ALL of their marketing and collateral materials, as well as internal documents.
Most businesses don?t give a company font even a thought, how about yours? Fewer than 9% of companies even have a consistent font that is used on all of their collateral materials. Typically a business owner and her/his staff use an unorganized, random assortment of fonts depending on the day and who?s typing: Times, Arial, Helvetica, and perhaps Comic Sans for the more young at heart. There?s a wealth of fonts to choose from, but you?ll soon discover that variety isn?t the spice of life when it comes to a company font.
Fonts have personalities, and just like your company?s graphics and logo, they have to support your message. Some fonts look serious, some playful, some formal and some are just downright silly. What?s important is that your company font must always match your company?s image and personality. When used in conjunction with a strong business brand logo, choosing a company font will reinforce your company?s personality and image.
I love the idea of allow everyone to use their own font, heck; businesses could let everyone on staff choose whatever font they wanted to use! But this poses a challenging problem: there?s no standardization and no consistency, and that leads to sending a mixed message to your clients ? something smart business owners avoid.
Could you imagine, a formal, prestigious law firm that?s using a font that has little hearts as punctuation, how about an ice cream store using a sterile, rigid font for all of their correspondence? I know, these examples are ridiculous, but don?t be fooled ? they happen. As a business owner you want to make sure you are sending a clear, consistent image and message to your customers, and part of that includes selecting and implementing a company font.
If you?ve never chosen a company font, have I captured your interest? Read on for a 5-minute primer on what you need to consider in choosing the right font for your company.
What to Consider When Choosing a Company Font
- Make sure that it?s legible: large and small sizes, faxed, and color & B/W.
- Make sure you have the rights to the font and that you can easily install it on all of your office computers.
- Test, test and then test again. Avoid what most business owners do and only ask friends and family. Always remember to put your customers first; they are the ones buying from you, so ask them what they think. Your brother-in-law might think you?ve made a wonderful choice, but if your customers hate it you?re in trouble.
- If your customers are older people or seniors, you need to pay even closer attention to readability. Make sure you test all of your font sizes on your customers so you can identify the smallest point size you should use and still be easily readable.
What?s At Stake If You Pick the Wrong Font?
- Irritate and frustrate customers if they have trouble reading your content
- There?s a fair chance that if customers can?t read your content, they?ll become disinterested and go somewhere else.
- Changing fonts on a regular basis confuses your customers and makes you lose consistency, credibility and makes your company look amateurish.
- Deciding down the road that you?ve selected the wrong font will cost you plenty of time and money in replacing collateral materials, updating web sites and introducing staff and customers to the new font.
- Business owners typically stick with the default fonts in Microsoft?s Office Suite: Times and Arial. And while settling on either of these fonts isn?t a horrible mistake, keep in mind that most businesses out there settle on them too, so there won?t be much difference between you and them. If you?re reading this article, you?re probably a savvy business owner, and you?re looking for every advantage you can get ? so don?t go with the status quo.
The Bottom Line for Sharp Business Owners:
Hopefully you?ve seen there?s a lot more too this and there?s a lot more at stake. Sure, it?s not like securing your first business loan, but it?s still important because your image is important. Sending a clear, consistent message to your customers is critical, and not just sometimes, but all of the time. If design and marketing isn?t your forte, work with a marketing/design professional to help you select the right company font for you. She/he will be able to work with you on finding a font that will appeal to you and attract your ideal customers.
Remember that inconsistency can make you lose credibility with your customers, and that can dramatically affect your bottom line and sales. Invest a little more time as you?re establishing your business image, consider a company font ? just pick it and stick with it.
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A business savvy graphic designer is often a contradiction in terms; however, Jeremy is a unique combination of sharp business marketer and creative designer. This one-two punch provides clients with targeted marketing, advertising and design projects that yield outstanding results and a terrific return on their investment; they actually work. Companies looking to feel more confident and credible with their business brand, tired of getting lost in a crowd of competitors and always feeling like they have to compete on price, need to call Jeremy at 480.391.0704.
If you are looking for more free insight and inspiration, you?ll want to get in on the ?Can-Do Confidence Builder?. Emailed weekly, the Confidence Builder provides you with essential marketing and design insights that help you get the most out of your investment and help you to stay one step ahead of the competition. Email Jeremy at comments@candographics.com and asked to be added to our list or visit http://www.candographics.com.
October 9, 2007
Have you ever felt like your prospects are often sharking?I mean shopping on cost and always want to talk you down on price? Do you feel like the only nibbles you get are from prospects looking to get the best deal they can? Dealing with prospects that are only out to get the best deal they can, or ?price sharks?, frustrates a lot of business owners, maybe you as well. Finding your business frequently in this position may seem coincidental, however, there is perhaps a logical explanation why you always seem to attract price sharks and bargain hunters.
Let?s take a closer look, starting with your company?s brand image and your collateral materials. Having a strong business brand, web site and collateral materials is often the best repellant against price shopping sharks. All of this is based on perceived realty: if price sharks perceive based on what they see from your marketing collateral, etc. that you are a leader in your industry, they?ll probably look for bargains from your competitors first. This is perceived value prospects get based on what?s in front of them, and it is created through marketing and design. So?can business savvy graphic designers actually help you attract the customers you?re looking for and help you repel price sharks? Yes, the good ones can.
Why is it that no one walks into a Lexus dealership thinking, ?I?m really going to be able to talk this sales rep down on price?, and no one would expect to pay less for a bar of Ghirardelli chocolate than a Baby Ruth. Price sharks really looking for a bargain will almost always steer clear of companies that have a top-shelf, professional business identity and marketing materials. It would be like a shark going after a killer whale for food ? the shark could try it, but it would be easier to go after something a little more practical, like a slow swimming fish.
Compare and Contrast Scenario:
Price sharks love to compare and contrast companies, in fact we all do this whether we know it or not. Let?s say for example that you attended a business-networking event, during which you receive 3 business cards from local real estate professionals. Card one was printed on an office printed (you know, with the perforated edges), card two looks like it was printed at one hour quick copy place, and card three is a top-notch professionally designed card that features a Realtor with a distinct brand image.
- Who is more likely to take their business seriously, card 1, 2, or 3?
- Who do you think is probably the professional of the three?
- Who?s the rookie or hobbyist?
- Who would you go to if you really wanted a steal?.I mean deal?
- Which realtor do you think price sharks will feel they can get a deal from?
- Which realtor do you think price sharks will see as the cheapest?
If you?re like me, and like most people, you?ll guess that the Realtor with card number one is going to be the one you can probably get the cheapest price. Will it always be the correct guess? No, but in this example, Realtor 1 will receive most of the price sharks because of her/his business image. Remember, this is all PERCEIVED realty, not actual realty. In this example, all of the realtors might charge the same commission, we don?t know. But keep in mind that, ?perception is reality?, and if prospects perceive one to be cheaper than another, whether or not it?s true is another matter.
The Bottom Line for Smart Business Owners:
The fact is, companies with better, more attractive and effective business brands consistently outperform those that don?t, and having a professional brand and top-notch marketing materials is like having shark repellant for prospects that are out there trying to get good deals. Prospects know that are more likely to get a bargain from business that don?t look like they are leaders in the industry.
So working with a business savvy graphic designer that can help you create a perceived value and quality conspicuously above your competition through your business image, marketing collateral and web site, it will help weed out those price sharks. If you?re always attracting price sharks and bottom feeders, there?s probably a reason for it, even though it may seem coincidental. If this does happen to you, first look at your company image: your logo and your marketing and advertising ? spread them out on a table and ask yourself, ?Based on their quality, do they attract price sharks looking for a deal or do they repel them?? Be honest with yourself, if you saw this marketing collateral, would you expect the company is cheap or expensive based on what you see in front of you?
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A business savvy graphic designer is often a contradiction in terms; however, Jeremy is a unique combination of sharp business marketer and creative designer. This one-two punch provides clients with targeted marketing, advertising and design projects that yield outstanding results and a terrific return on their investment; they actually work. Companies looking to feel more confident and credible with their business brand, tired of getting lost in a crowd of competitors and always feeling like they have to compete on price, need to call Jeremy at 480.391.0704.
If you are looking for more free insight and inspiration, you?ll want to get in on the ?Can-Do Confidence Builder?. Emailed weekly, the Confidence Builder provides you with essential marketing and design insights that help you get the most out of your investment and help you to stay one step ahead of the competition. Email Jeremy at comments@candographics.com and asked to be added to our list or visit http://www.candographics.com.
October 8, 2007
Legend has it that Pablo Picasso was sketching in the park when a bold woman approached him.
?It?s you ? Picasso, the great artist! Oh, you must sketch my portrait! I insist.?
So Picasso agreed to sketch her. After studying her for a moment, he used a single pencil stroke to create her portrait. He handed the women his work of art.
?It?s perfect!? she gushed. ?You managed to capture my essence with one stroke, in one moment. Thank you! How much do I owe you??
?Five thousand dollars,? the artist replied.
?B-b-but, what?? the woman sputtered. ?How could you want so much money for this picture? It only took you a second to draw it!?
To which Picasso responded, ?Madame, it took me my entire life.?
I love this lighthearted anecdote, most graphic designers do as well. It perfectly illustrates the amount of dedication and energy devoted to a love of art, which is sometimes not appreciated by clients. I know a lot of graphic designers that are seriously annoyed by this; they get upset that clients don?t appreciate their craft. The question is, should they be upset? The answer is, no.
In our previous example this woman hired Picasso for art, and that’s what he’s created. That?s what most graphic designers create ? art. Business owners, unless they sell art, don’t really want art from a graphic designer - that’s not what they are buying.
I know, you?ve got to be saying, ?What? If they?re not buying art, what are they buying?? From talking with business owners, both clients and non-clients, I’ve found that more than any other reason, business hire graphic designers to grow their business, make them more successful and MAKE THEM MORE MONEY. That’s not what art does, that?s not what Picasso does ? so as a business owner, maybe you shouldn?t hire Picasso for your graphic and web design. And if you?re an artist, I would suggest you spend more time working on the function of your craft rather than form.
So what does this mean? Well, it means that smart business owners are not going to look for Picasso sitting in the park or Starbucks to design a logo, collateral materials or a web site for their business, instead they’re going to hire someone who can help them make more money. Graphic designers (artists) are only a good investment if they can help you grow your business, attract the customers you want and help you make money.
Let?s say for example that you hire a graphic designer to create a full-color advertisement in a local magazine. You have what you feel is the absolute best ad in the whole publication, you run the ad for 6 months and the ad doesn?t generate inquiry even though your ads in the past have. Do you feel you?ve wasted your money?
The Bottom Line for Smart Business Owners:
Smart business owners are less concerned about the price of a designer and more focused on the return they?re going to get on their investment. Instead of shopping and ultimately selecting a designer on cost, they should be asking themselves, ?If I invest XX dollars in this person, will I be able to recapture my investment?? If you?re a smart business owner, you want to get past just looking at cost. Now this doesn?t mean give Picasso $5000 freely, but look at investment, ask yourself, will it make you more money in the end than what it is initially going to cost? If the answer is yes, make the investment. If $5000 is going to get you a piece of art that?s not going to help you make more money, don?t make the investment unless you like collecting art.
There are 3 main ways to make more money:
- Get more customers
- Charge a higher rate to your customers
- Sell more to the customers you have (frequency of purchase)
If your designer doesn?t help you achieve one, two or all three of these ways to make more money for your business ? you need to look into working with another designer - period. That’s why it only makes sense to hire business-savvy designers who do more than design, they can help you grow your business, and they guarantee their results. Between a business savvy designer and Pablo Picasso, whom would I personally give $5000 to design for my business? The one who could make my business more money ? sorry Picasso.
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A business savvy graphic designer is often a contradiction in terms; however, Jeremy is a unique combination of sharp business marketer and creative designer. This one-two punch provides clients with targeted marketing, advertising and design projects that yield outstanding results and a terrific return on their investment; they actually work. Companies looking to feel more confident and credible with their business brand, tired of getting lost in a crowd of competitors and always feeling like they have to compete on price, need to call Jeremy at 480.391.0704.
If you are looking for more free insight and inspiration, you?ll want to get in on the ?Can-Do Confidence Builder?. Emailed weekly, the Confidence Builder provides you with essential marketing and design insights that help you get the most out of your investment and help you to stay one step ahead of the competition. Email Jeremy at comments@candographics.com and asked to be added to our list or visit http://www.candographics.com.
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