Monday, March 28, 2011

What Is Branding?



Brands are built by countless interactions of people with other people--customers, suppliers, dealers, shareholders and communities and one another. If your brand does not reflect your people in a way that makes them proud and passionate, they will not deliver the brand experience in the marketplace.

A brand is a work in progress requiring constant vigilance, care and protection. Given the changing needs of the marketplace, brand perceptions can shift, and brand strength can weaken from neglect.

Your brand is your company's most valuable possession. As technologies change and competition grows, the one quality that endures is your brand. So what is a brand? Is it your logo? Is it you tag line? While each helps to deliver your branding message, none alone is your brand.

Your brand is the result of constant reinforcement of a distinctive core benefit that your company or product delivers to your customers.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Can Small and Medium-Size Companies Build Their Brands?




The answer is yes, but it takes time and a real, long term commitment from management. The key is to develop an integrated marketing communications program and stick with it.

The first step is to conduct as much market research as possible--both internal and external. You need to understand your customers, your markets, your strengths and weaknesses, your competition, your distribution channels, your awareness level and current perceptions. The more intgelligence gathered, the greater the odds of being on target with strategies and positioning. Without this information, it's like shooting in the dark and your chances for success will decrease.

Long Haul Is The Key

If management can't commit to a long-term brand building program, save your money and lower expectations. A "start and stop" program doesn't work and is a waste of both time and money. Creating a branding program involves more than advertising. It is only part of a total marketing communications program integrated with everything produced, including advertising, brochures, websites, data sheets, email blasts, trades show exhibits and PR. Everything needs to ahve the same "look and feel" to project the personality of the company.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Dare To Be Different



If most business-to-business products are commodities being almost identical in price and performance, then the brand becomes the difference. Consumer companies figured that out a long time ago. B2B, and particularly companies in the metalworking manufacturing space, are often run by enginnering types. Marketing has most often taken a back seat.

Many B2B companies have been slow to recognize the importance of marketing, but they are now becoming more receptive to brand building programs due to increased technology parity and more global competition. More-and-more, there is a shift from product marketing to brand marketing. As competitive advantages diminish, brand building becomes a necessity rather than a luxury. The need to differentiate by personality or image is rapidly increasing.

However, brand building is not easy as technology and products become more similar. Plus, target audiences, communication channels and media are increasingly complex. It can be expensive as well.

Next time: Can small and medium-size companies build their brands?















Monday, March 7, 2011

Brand Building



It's 2011 and print is still with us. Although beleagured, print remains a key ingredient in the B2B mix. It has impact and shelf-life; it has texture and a certain portability. And print has a way of commanding an audience's attention that its flashing, beeping, buzzing electronic counterparts are hard-pressed to match. But for print to be most effective, it must be integrated with the Web and its own content.

One of print's primary roles is to drive prospects to the marketer's website. That's even true for branding ads. Brand loyalty is a sound foundation on which businesses can build enduring, profitable growth.

By aggressively competing on features and price, it's difficult for companies to create meaningful and lasting differences from their competitors. While customers benefit from price wars by saving money, they also get confused when choice is confined to price. The customer is in effect buying a commodity and has no sense of brand loyalty because little is known about the company making the product or about service after the sale.

Next time: The Brand is the Differentiation.

MY OBJECTIVE:

To share common sense lessons learned with 40-plus years experience in marketing, sales and as a B2B publisher.

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