Home | Marketing eCourse | Online Marketing Kit | Web Hosting | Links | ClickBank Portal
Advertising Information | Blogging & RSS | Branding Information | Copywriting
Home | Marketing eCourse | Online Marketing Kit | Web Hosting | Links | ClickBank Portal Advertising Information | Blogging & RSS | Branding Information | Copywriting | |
| |
| Branding Information | |
|
|
|
Why You? -- Professional Identity Branding
You can have first-rate products and services, but if you can't establish the need, communicate the benefits and differentiate yourself from the competition in ways that make people want to do business with you, you'll forever be selling up hill. As Robert Krumroy, Identity Branding, Inc. says: "Branding is about the customer--who has never met you--being able to answer the question: 'Why you?'" Your "Value Proposition" Your brand can be based in large part on your "value proposition," which is what differentiates you from your direct and indirect competition-and, if it's good enough, will draw people to you. Your value proposition should be a clear, concise statement of why your business is unique and a better choice. Your market positioning, competitive analyses and SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) gives you everything you'll need to develop a value proposition based on your strengths, your competition, what your "ideal" customer wants from you, and how this benefits people in your markets. This message must be delivered to your markets consistently and repeated frequently. If prospects understand what they need, trust you and connect emotionally with your message, sales resistance melts before your eyes. Yes, it's that powerful! My Value Proposition: First Impressions, Last Short-term, smart professional branding gives you the immediate recognition, market access and momentum you need to attract customers and build sales; long-term, it can help increase market share, foster customer loyalty, sustain your client-building efforts-and practically guarantee clients will eagerly refer you to others ("Hey, look what I'm part of! You should be too!"). Branding should be part of your annual marketing/advertising expense budget. The Small-Business Administration advises entrepreneurs to use 5% of gross sales on advertising, but that varies depending on sales volume and location. Everyone Has a Brand "Everyone has a brand, like it or not," adds John Melchinger, The Marketing Coach?. "You have one. It may not be the one you want and you may not be nurturing it, but it's yours nevertheless. Not to shape your brand rigorously and nurture it is to leave it to your public to decide. That is the much less effective alternative." Building Your Brand The purpose of this exercise is to create a short message people will remember whenever they think about you. When part of a coordinated marketing plan, your professional identity brand will drive customers to your business. You will also need to give some thought to which medium to use. Example: This is Joe Financial Advisor's brand identity. It's deceptively simple, yet sends a compelling message to his target market, Tool & Die Makers: Insurance Solutions - Precision Business & Personal Planning Why are we a Tool & Die Maker's insurance solution? Because we care and take the time to understand your unique needs. Write your own message here: Need help building your brand? Try this? ? Give stamped, self-addressed envelopes to 25 personal and business acquaintances. ? Ask them to write down how they'd describe you to someone who doesn't know you or what you do. Let them know you're looking for objectivity, not what they think you want to hear. ? Don't pressure them; they don't even have to tell you who they are their replies (it would be better if you didn't know). Compare the results of this survey with your own view of who you are and what you do based on your value proposition. ? Brainstorm: begin jotting down key words that could become part of your businesses brand name and slogan. ? Compare against your SWOT analysis. ? Then stop: leave these alone for a week, then come back and repeat this exercise until you're satisfied with the results. Choosing media Brainstorm ideas for communicating your brand. Write them down, confer with others, research? ? Which media will be the most effective? ? Which media will be the most efficient? ? Which media will integrate well with each other? ? Which media do you have the resources to implement and sustain now? ? How frequently should you communicate with your audience? ? What combination of effectiveness, efficiency and simplicity will best reach your audience with available resources? When you're ready, summarize your conclusions in your Marketing Plan (you do have a marketing plan, don't you?). But can you do all this yourself? Should you? Of course, hiring a full-time marketing professional for your small business may not be feasible. That's why outsourcing might be your best bet Want More? Send questions and comments to w.willard3@knology.net. Bill Willard has been writing high-impact marketing and sales training for over 30 years-but as Will Rogers put it: "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Through interactive, Web-based "Do-While-Learning?" programs, e-Newsletters and straight-talking articles, Bill helps small-business owners and independent professionals get the job done: profitably improving performance, helping grow your business, skipping expensive mistakes, making the journey to success faster, smoother, easier. And fun!
MORE RESOURCES:
Branding - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Brand Building 201: Finding The Ideal Way The strongest and longest lasting brands branch off of an existing category. Branching takes patience and time. How to Work with Your Graphic Designer As a graphic designer, I can tell you something right here, right now, right off the bat without blinking?.the graphic design process is a pain in the butt. Image is EVERYTHING The absolute foundation of your small business is your image. The way potential clients and/or customers perceive your business sets the stage for the way your product or service is recognized and ultimately judged. Quality and Service - Yeah, Right! One of the critical drivers of business success is having a unique competitive advantage. Most managers understand that to attract a larger share of the market, or find enough customers prepared to pay a premium price, they must provide something of greater value than their competition. Naming Names... How to Name your Business Sometimes the best inspiration comes from hearing about the deconstruction of other company's names. For you, I am happy to share how I came up with"Slice A Day :: your slice on marketing". Branding: You are the Brand What's in a brand name? Everything! Think of these brands: Coke, Barbie, Hershey, McDonalds, Madonna, Pepsi, Bono, Microsoft, Kleenex, Xerox, Steven Spielberg, Dell and GM. Did you notice that brands can be things, replicas of people and actual people? Brands are the public perception of a thing or person. Managing the Corporate Brand - a Reputation Perspective Adored, respected and coveted by customers and organisations alike, corporate brands represent one of the most fascinating phenomena of the business environment in the 21st century. Their importance is unquestionable. Effective Public Relations Essential for Personal Branding Move over pop star "Posh Spice" Adams and English soccer hero David Beckham, the personal branding power of newly engaged Australian celebrity sports couple Lleyton Hewitt and Rebecca Cartwright could be worth up to $100 million dollars.In terms of public relations and effective public relations, their media performance this week in both print and television proves they have the potential to become a truly global brand and rival Posh and Becks on the world stage. 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. The Aim of the Name Large corporations spend lavish amounts seeking names for their products that grab a consumer, or convey positive feelings. Book authors do the same. The Top 10 Strategies for the Positioning of Success Many businesses of today are often driven to compete striclty on price, quality, and features of their products and services. Companies who prosper over the long term don't simply offer the best deals, the best quality, or the most impressive bells and whistles. Your Business Logo and Color Scheme My business logo and color scheme started one lovely spring day in my office, after two years of working with words and images. I purchased some rubber stamps and played with them. 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. Introduction to A Branded World: Adventures in Public Relations and the Creation Of Superbrands You'd have to labor to shield yourself from the power of Branding; it's hard to avoid it in today's business and social climate. Even in the backwoods of very, very small-town America, you couldn't emancipate yourself from the in-your- face concepts of Branding messages from all over the world. 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. Boston Brand Building - Brand Identity Guru "Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir your blood.. Eye On The Pie: Branding From an Investors P.O.V. When building a business as a brand it's important to avoid a myopic view and consider another important aspect of the business game as well-- investing. After any amount of toil and hard work to create a valuable product, service or company the big game is when you go public-- when money-minded people want more, they want a piece of your brand pie. 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. Clouds Gather Before A Storm: Utilizing The Power Of Brand How brand management can help utility organisations to create a 'difference'.Ever thought why are many consumers willing to pay more for a trusted name brand instead of a store brand, which often is the very same product with a different label and higher price tag? Reputation. Brand Identity - Corporate Identity and Brand Value Companies work hard building the strength of their brands - it is critical to the ongoing brand management process to have meaningful and actionable data-driven measures of these efforts.Building a brand, cultivating its strengths, pruning its weaknesses, and making it more valuable to its owners is the bottom line job of marketing.
|
|
Home | Marketing eCourse | Online Marketing Kit | Web Hosting | Links | ClickBank Portal Advertising Information | Blogging & RSS | Branding Information | Copywriting |
| Copywrite © 2006 www.AdAdvantageSuccess.com All Rights Reserved. |
