Okay. Raise your hand if you think brand management is just for BIG companies (like Target, McDonalds or Ford.) Wow! That's a lot of hands! Well, guess what? You're all wrong.
Brand issues are important to ALL companies for the simple reason that people buy from other people. People have personalities. Branding establishes and communicates a company's personality (sometimes referred to as company image.)
Think about YOUR company. What personality or image do you want to present to customers and prospects? Should it be warm, friendly, and down-to-earth? Polished, knowledgeable, and sophisticated?
Does your company's current logo and literature design reflect the image you want to present? Is your company's personality presented consistently in all forms of communication?
Are you overwhelmed now? Let me simplify. There are four key steps in brand management:
1) Positioning - identify your company's unique benefits and image.
2) Planning - develop a road map for your brand identity programs.
3) Protection - guard the integrity of your brand.
4) Promotion - build awareness of and preference for your brand.
Brand management is an ongoing process, not a destination. Bad news: the work is never done. Good news: if you do the positioning and planning up front, protection and promotion programs flow naturally.
About The Author
Claire Cunningham, president of Clairvoyant Communications, Inc., has 20+ years' experience developing and implementing successful business-to-business marketing and communications programs. Sign up for Claire's monthly newsletter, Communique, at www.clairvoyantcommunications.com Claire can be reached at 763-479-3499 or e-mail to claire@claircomm.com.
What's a small business owner to do if they have... Read More
Building a business that grows steadily in size and profits... Read More
If you're reading this article, chances are that you, like... Read More
Looking for the magic formula or the whiz-bang approach that... Read More
What if -- every time you had a networking appointment... Read More
Building business relationships through networking is a great way to... Read More
A brochure can be a wonderful promotional tool for a... Read More
Lots of people get confounded when attempting to exchange links,... Read More
As the American economy emerges from recession, many businesses are... Read More
Sometimes, experiencing bleak sales is a matter of failing to... Read More
The purpose of business is to create and retain a... Read More
One of the most effective ways to market your products/services... Read More
Have you ever gone to a networking function and seen... Read More
Your URL (www) should be everywhere and more.I know many... Read More
I'd like to introduce you to someone. I don't actually... Read More
Guerrilla Marketing is using time, energy and imagination to market... Read More
The internet of course brings a huge arena of marketing... Read More
During the holidays, folks everywhere shop many long hours to... Read More
We all know the value of writing articles for promoting... Read More
In the world of business, marketing is often conveyed as... Read More
Every direct mail package you drop in the mail should... Read More
The whole idea of Niche Marketing is exciting! The possibilities... Read More
"If My Work is Good Enough, I Shouldn't Have to... Read More
In today's highly competitive business environment it is critical to... Read More
Procrastination is every marketers worst nightmare.This applies on three fronts.Firstly... Read More
Before you can market, you need to know who you... Read More
When you want someone to like you, associate yourself with... Read More
I am a great believer in the keeping to the... Read More
No matter how small your marketing budget, your business can... Read More
Today's constant bombardment of marketing messages means your materials must... Read More
Direct Mail CampaignsDespite the proliferation of communication facilitators--mobile phones, faxes,... Read More
Last week I took our two boys on an all... Read More
Cartoons have gone from celluloid to digital. Movies have gone... Read More
One of the most common mistakes in marketing is making... Read More
Looking to grow your business? Make sure you have these... Read More
Readers spend only a few seconds deciding the fate of... Read More
As a business owner, you know how valuable being good... Read More
I read an article recently about how many mainstream retail... Read More
Donors read postscripts. This is a sad but important reality... Read More
Remember the baseball cards kids traded while... Read More
How To Save Yourself From The Pits of Marketing Cyber... Read More
It is my belief that if anyone is to suceed... Read More
The biggest secret to success in business is to always... Read More
A lot of small businesses make the mistake of thinking... Read More
Sometimes you can use a guarantee effectively in your headline.... Read More
So, you have a business card? And you have given... Read More
Sometimes the simplest data is the best. Marketing is not... Read More
Radio advertising can be a small business's best friend. It's... Read More
The Pitchers: SalesLet's say you have a new baseball team... Read More
It is often difficult to manage to do marketing tasks... Read More
One secret to a site that sells: Look at your... Read More
Why give freebies?We have all seen freebies at trade shows... Read More
Entering into Global markets is a great way to organically... Read More
We all know the importance of marketing to increase sales... Read More
No doubt you started this year with some big ideas... Read More
Can we imagine a place in the world today without... Read More
Just like there are reverse dictionaries, there is a reason... Read More
Unless you've been in a dimly lit cavern for the... Read More
It's where your employees are in a 'special place' when... Read More
If you are in the mobile car wash business and... Read More
Qualitative research, whether individual interviews, in-homes, focus groups, ethnographies and... Read More
It takes money to make money is an adage we... Read More
Direct Mail . . . Newspaper . . . Radio... Read More
Who says scientists can't market? Here are 10 easy marketing... Read More
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what... Read More
In direct mail, the offer is the incentive or reward... Read More
Marketing |