A New Brand Must Make a Good First Impression
IT’S OK TO DO OVER – AND OVER
The old adage, “You only get one chance to make a first impression” goes double for introducing a new brand. You’ll get the attention and scrutiny of the marketplace when you first introduce it. In that moment, your new brand will be judged, categorized, ranked, compared,...
ReBranding Yourself Should Build on the Best of your Former Brand
WINE MERCHANTS TO IDEA MERCHANTS
Over the past few years, we've changed our personal brand from wine industry thought leaders to entrepreneurial and brand building thought leaders. In the process, we did what we always do when faced with a challenge. We took inventory. We were surprised at how many marketing...
Definition of the Word “Brand” – Revisited
MENTAL IMPRESSION TRUMPS LOGO
The word “brand” has evolved from the mark made by burning with a hot iron, to a logo or a trademark. But today a brand is the impression of a product in the minds of potential users or consumers. This shift from trademark to customer impression...
Word-of-Mouth Brand Building is a Double-Edged Sword
“HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT…?”
Word-of-mouth is perhaps the best form of advertising. It’s far more than just another form of commercial communication. It’s a personal endorsement from someone you know or find credible. In an attempt to validate the brand’s promise and value, part of every brand building strategy is...
Consumer Brands are only as Good as Their Availability
OUT-OF -STOCKS CAN KILL GOOD BRANDS
With so much emphasis put on the logo, catchphrase, brand promise, brand story, and even matching corporate business cards, letterhead and envelopes, brand builders can forget the most important factor in any retail consumer brand’s success: staying in stock! Being out of stock is a killer...
A Brand’s Guarantee is a Bet on their Own Quality
THE EAGLE FLIES AT EAGLE CREEK
Guaranteeing your products is a powerful way to add value and credibility to your brand. When you guarantee your products, you send a message that your company stands behind them and that you will provide customer satisfaction at any cost. It also sends a message that...
6 Ways to Build your Brand at Trade Shows
HOW TO TAKE OVER A TRADE SHOW
Exhibiting at trade shows is a great way to build your brand, but it is expensive. So don't just attend the show, make the most of it! We learned the hard way over a 20-year period, but if you use these tricks, you’ll immediately see the...
7 Ways to Train your Customer Service Rep and Save Your Brand – Part 2
CUSTOMER SERVICE - WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD
Many companies spend thousands on surveys, focus groups, and marketing studies. They want to know what their customers think about their products. But they have a free channel to their customer everyday through their Customer Service Department. As far as brand building is concerned, we think...
7 Ways to Train your Customer Service Representative and Save Your Brand – Part 1
COMPLAINTS ARE GOLD - IF YOU KNOW HOW TO MINE THEM
[caption id="attachment_2161" align="alignleft" width="300"] Complaints are Gold[/caption] Customer service trumps marketing when it comes to brand building. Your brand’s reputation is on the line when unhappy customers contact you. In their minds, the way your customer service people treat them will be the real test of...
8 Brand Building Seasonal Selling Opportunities – Part 2
ANTICIPATION IS HALF THE FUN
Seasonal selling can give your marketing and merchandising programs a “bandwagon” effect that can significantly boost sales if executed correctly. Pull out a calendar and use it as a guide to plan your marketing activities. Take advantage of the various selling seasons that are coming our...
8 Brand Building Seasonal Selling Opportunities – Part 1
SALE WITH THE RISING TIDE
Seasonal selling is like sailing with the tides. It gives your salesman-ship the flow and clearance it needs to most effectively get underway. As any seasoned sailor will tell you, if you try to fight the tide you’ll just get hung up on the sandbar. When...
Increase Your Brand Awareness with Goodwill toward Your Community
PUTTING THE “WORTHY” INTO “CAUSE MARKETING”
The Ubiquity of Cause Marketing Today the term “cause marketing” has become an overused buzzword. Like “green washing,” much of the substance seems to be lost in the term. Some companies deliver “cause marketing” with a check and a “good luck with that.” Then they are...
How to Build Customer Loyalty with Gratitude
THANKS FOR YOUR BUSINESS!
Thanksgiving week is a perfect time to thank those you rely on in your business. Improving your business relationships increases your brand value and customer loyalty at the same time. Sales are based on relationships. In this increasing impersonal world we all crave personalized attention. Your...
Build your Brand with Charity and Thoughtfulness
DOGS ARE DISASTER VICTIMS, TOO!
Rachel Ray, the CBS TV personality and Emmy-winning chef, has donated 4 tons of her Nutrish brand of wet and dry dog food to the canine victims of Hurricane Sandy. She believes she should give back in the same way as she makes a living. Everybody...
4 Pillars of Brand Promise
IT’S NOT WHAT YOU SAY; IT’S WHAT YOU DO – AND DON’T DO
A friend who is a Fortune 500 exec asked us recently, “What really makes a brand?” We knew he was an experienced and knowledgeable guy, and we owed him a thoughtful reply. What initially came to mind were all the elements that affect a brand: its...
7 Brand Killers and How to Stop Them – Part 2
LOCKED AND LOADED
Some brand killers are coming from your competition or the marketplace. Others may be coming from your own office staff. Yes, they are well-meaning, but do they have the knowledge and experience required to make suggestions affecting sales? Administrative and production people have a tendency to...
7 Brand Killers and How to Stop Them – Part 1
LET’S TAKE A RIDE (WITH YOUR SALESPEOPLE)
Your administrative and production folks can be well-meaning when they offer their suggestions, but they can unintentionally kill your brand. Because they don’t have street experience in the marketplace, they can make decisions that can undo years of brand building. In their desire to understand the...
Brand Building Requires Constant Vigilance
COUNT THE REORDERS, NOT THE ORDERS!
Many producers, especially of consumer goods, get excited when their brand is for sale in some far away city across the country. They act like it’s some kind of an achievement to have placed their product there. They may even brag about all the places their...