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What’s Your Brand?

A brand is a product/company personality that helps distinguish it from the
competition. It evolves out of the product essence. So, what’s yours? Quality?
Service? Price? Whatever it is it’s something your marketing must reinforce across all
communication channels, from business card to TV spot. Even your office space.
You can’t brand yourself as a cutting-edge ad agency if your office looks like a law
firm. It also shouldn’t try to be all things to all people. “The best, cheapest, easiest,
most fun” is not a clear brand. Above all, your brand must be truthful.

What’s in a Name?

For a start-up or a new product, don’t underestimate the value of a good name.
Because once you decide, you don’t want to change it. A good name should be more
than something personal or catchy. It’s a key part of your brand identity that must
help define your business for a lifetime.

A name should trigger an emotion with your prospects. And not just any emotion,
but the right emotion. Huge companies like P&G know this and each year invest
millions on testing to attract consumers and build their brands. Knowing this, I’m
surprised how many smaller businesses treat naming so casually.

I was once asked about a name that a business owner was considering for his
natural gas company. The name sounded like something from the mind of a child.
After offering my tempered opinion I asked about the name’s genesis. “My 10-year
old kid came up with it. I kinda like it,” he replied proudly.

Similarly, a European entrepreneur asked me about his product’s name: “MiaManna”.
Any guesses what it is? Something Italian or Spanish perhaps? A bread, maybe?
MiaManna is a dried-fruit snack, from Germany. It’s actually a terrific, healthy
product that deserves a great name. When I suggested he rethink the name, at least
for the US market, it was as if I’d insulted his wife. I haven’t heard from him since.

One of the catchier names I’ve seen is “Guzzle”. Cool name, right? Well, that would
depend on what you’re guzzling. Instead of a sports drink, a juice, or beer, Guzzle is
ketchup. That’s right,ketchup. Clearly, the owner thinks his ketchup is good enough
to guzzle.

If it’s not obvious, the problem is that it’s difficult for business owners to be
objective, even for something as seemingly simple as naming their own product. No
doubt most day-to-day management decisions aren’t fun, so it’s not surprising why
they get jazzed at the chance to be creative. Unfortunately, you see what can
happen. So, if you’re a business owner and you really need to name something,
name your kid, your dog and your yacht. But when it comes to your business, get
the help of an expert.

Follis Fact #1
Anyone crazy enough to be running a businessshould seek professional help.

Knowing your business or product doesn’t mean knowing how to market it. As just
described, it’s disturbing how otherwise savvy business owners can sabotage their
marketing effort. Successful owners realize they’re not marketing experts. The
problem is, they often aren’t sure who is. Often because they have an existing
relationship with a design firm or PR agency, it’s easy to assume (or be convinced)
that those same folks can handle advertising and marketing. I’ve seen it happen too
often. If your business needs legal help, hire a lawyer. If it needs financial help, hire
an accountant. If it needs office cleaning, hire a cleaning service. So, when it needs
marketing help, do yourself a favor and hire some.

Taglines

“Just do it.” “We try harder.” “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” “Be all that you can be.”
Taglines are one of the best ways of branding a product, service, company, or
organization for years. Like these:

Please don’t squeeze the Charmin. (since 1964)

A diamond is forever. (since 1948)

All the news that’s fit to print. (since 1896)

Another classic case is Avis. When Avis (the # 2 car rental behind Hertz)
incorporated the tagline, “We try harder”, they not only turned being #2 into a
positive, they also gave their company a likeable, underdog personality. To support
that company personality, every ad that Avis created evolved from that simple,
brilliant, three-word tag about better service. Now, over fifty years later, Avis still
uses it. Another example is, “You’re in good hands with Allstate.” Being “in good
hands” conveys a caring, protective personality. Another example is “Think different”
for Apple Computer. The line gives Apple the personality of being innovative and
above the rest.

So, what else makes a good tagline? A general rule is: The shorter the better.
However, if you blindly follow that logic you’ll be asking for trouble. You don’t want
to compromise a great line for brevity. And shorter doesn’t always mean more
memorable. One of the most famous taglines of all time is 10 words:

With a name like Smucker’s, it has to be good.

So, as much as you may try to break creativity down to a formula, you really can’t. A
great tagline involves the perfect mix of right-brain creativity and left-brain
strategic thinking. Both are critical. After all, it doesn’t matter how clever it is if it’s
the wrong message, and it won’t matter how strategically smart it is if it’s dull.

Like a name, a tagline is something you’ll want to live with forever. So, if you decide
on getting a tagline, be sure it’s great. Because just as a tagline can help your
business, a bad one can do the opposite.

(For more Follis branding facts, see booklet info below.)

© 2005 John Follis. All rights reserved.

John Follis is one of the 12 “Best Advertising Minds of New York” as voted by The
New York Ad Club. His campaigns are in 3 college textbooks, he has written for
ADWEEK, and he has taught at 3 New York universities. Currently, John works on
select projects, consults, and speaks. He may be reached at
john@follisinc.com

For John’s booklet: How to Attract and Excite Your Prospects: A Guide for Getting
the Best Marketing Results, visit: http://www.follisinc.com/booklet.htm

For
consulting info, visit: Marketing Therapy: http://www.follisinc.com/therapy.htm

For speaking info, visit: Follis
Speaking: http://www.follisinc.com/speaking.htm

Tags: advertising, branding, business, entrepreneurship, marketing, promotion. sales, Small businessadvertising, branding, business, entrepreneurship, marketing, promotion. sales, Small business

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1. It “sells itself.” I don’t need to market.

Okay, you might have a solid product or service. You might even routinely satisfy your customers. They might even send their friends and family to you. But wait. Is that your product or service selling itself? No (that is, unless your widgets have learned to speak). That’s one of your customers playing out-of-the-goodness-of-my-heart salesperson for you. Yeah, word-of-mouth is nice, and if it’s happening for you, congratulations! It’s a sign of a great product or service. But relying on it exclusively can hurt you. Yes, six degrees of separation and all that, but counting on those connecting conversations to consistently mention you, especially down the line, is a bad gamble. Word of mouth needs help. A kick in the butt: a reminder to your customers of their good experience with you and an enticing offer to potential new customers to give you a try. Providing this kick is what a well-conceived branding and marketing strategy should do. At Brand Identity Guru (www.brandidentityguru.com), we’ve got some BIG boots.

2. “One of these things…looks just like the other”

You might sell red cars, and Johnny Big Wheel down the street might sell a similar blue car. But what’s under the hood? Even better question: what’s under the hood that makes your better than the blue car? This is the essence of differentiation in the marketplace, and if you’re not playing up the things about you that make you differentand betterthan your competition, your marketing is driving nowhere. At Brand Identity Guru (www.brandidentityguru.com), we know how to steer a marketing campaign that leverages differentiation to build your brand and increase your bottom line.

3. Liar, liar, your business is on fire and up and smoke

If you think word-of-mouth is powerfully working for you, it’s just a fraction of the punch a bad buzz can pack. The best way to a bad buzz? Over promising and under delivering. It will kill you. That’s why it’s important to be truthful in your marketing. Say what you can do. Not what you wish you could do, or might be able to do. If you must err, do so on the side of under promising and over delivering.

4. One-trick marketing is like a no-trick magician

It won’t do anything, and people won’t pay to see your show. To get your message to resonate in a 21st century market, you need to make your appeal in every corner the market looks. Print advertising, direct mail, online, telemarketing, public relations, and in person. In every place, a consistent brand image and message.

5. Microsoft Word clipart is for junior high book reports, not corporate identities

A logo is the face of your company, so it must be unique and memorable. Not available for millions to place into whatever bake sale flyer they’re working on at the moment. But a corporate identity is more than a logo. It’s your company’s unique value proposition and its products and servicesall instantly recognizable on sight of your logo, name and tagline.

6. Don’t be visually absent

Talk can be cheap if it’s not paired with a strong visual presence. Well-conceived visuals connected with your market makes your message stick, no matter the medium. Brand Identity Guru is an agency that can drench any marketing effort with huge vats of sticky visual honey, even if you’re currently bone dry.

7. The typewriter and telegraph are cool machines, but not to use today

A business owner by nature has to have a little bit of Evil Knievel in him, but when it comes to technology, he or she is often more of a cowardly lion. That’s understandable. You got into your business because you know it, like it and can put food on the table with it. Not because you like to tinker with every new business technological innovation that comes down the pike. However, cutting edge technology can be a powerful profit-generating tool for your business, especially when it comes to marketing, and Brand Identity Guru (www.brandidentityguru.com), can help you find your technological sweet spot to get your message out.

8. If an employee’s 14-year-old son designs your website, it will be painfully obvious

A website must have a nice look, but that’s a small part of a good web presence. You have to give your prospect information they need and close the sale fast. Otherwise, they’ll surf on by to a competitor’s website. In today’s digital marketplace, your website must be an integral part of your overall sales strategy. Not just a token presence. More than ever, prospective customers are researching their buying decisions on the web. If your site doesn’t substantiate who you are and your offerings, educate, inspire and finally motivate your visitors to buy, your online presence isn’t strong enough. Brand Identity Guru (www.brandidentityguru.com), knows how to strengthen it.

9. You have a website, but don’t tell anybody

Having a website is pointless if no one sees it. That’s why it’s just as important to drive traffic to your website as it is to have one. How do you do that? A great way is through traditional advertising like billboards, print ads, signage and printing the web address on all your marketing collateral. Online, there’s search engine optimization, banner ads, online advertorials, keyword purchases, links and cross-promotion strategies. A good mix of online and offline traffic strategies along with solid branding will drive traffic to your website.

10. “I don’t need to be in the paper”

On the contrary, editorial coverage carries more credibility than any kind of paid advertising you can do. Getting it, however, is difficult. Only a well-conceived public relations strategy that targets media outlets your prospective customers frequent will get the job done. But it’s not just about writing press releases. It’s about providing relevant information to the media outlets you’re trying to get into and cultivating relationships with key editors and journalists. If you’re successful, you’ll see your name in print and a bigger number on the bottom line.

11. Branding done yourself is branding done badly

Given the choice of doing branding yourself and not doing it at all, you may be better off not doing it all. There are few things worse for a business than an “amateurish” image, and that’s usually the result with DIY branding. Even if you know how to do some graphic design work or are a decent writer, good branding takes strategic know-how and the finesse and time to get it just rightthings only a good branding agency like Brand Identity Guru can offer.

12. If you think your employees aren’t part of your brand
You’re wrong.

Your brand is the face of your company in every interaction with the outside world, and your employees interact with it quite a bit. On the phone, on sales calls, at schmoozing and networking events, or in informal settings, you must train your employees to represent your company in a way consistent with its brand image. Doing so can ensure you have an army well-groomed brand ambassadors out there.

13. Failing to track your branding campaign’s success can lead to future failure

If you don’t make your market’s reaction to your branding effort your business, your business will suffer mainly because you won’t know where to go next. Successful branding is a constantly evolving process, and if you don’t learn from your mistakes, you’ll continually repeat themand make more! On the other hand, once you know what your most successful strategies are, you can build off of them. Any branding agency worth its salt will be able to effectively track the success of your campaign.

14. Don’t forget the clients who got you here, keep good relations

As businesses grow, they sometimes forget the little people who contributed to their success. Don’t. Those who got you here can be an invaluable resource to you even if their business isn’t as important as it was. Since they’ve known you for a long time, they can offer valuable counsel as to the future direction your company, such as offering their opinion on new products or services. They can also continue singing your praises as another satisfied customer. Plus, you never know when a little fish might eat a big lunch and become a big fish to you again.

Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru a leading Corporate Branding and Branding Research firm in Boston, MA.

Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation.

This Article may be freely copied as long as it is not modified and this resource box accompanies the article, together with working hyperlinks.

Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.

Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Franklin Sports and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies.

Tags: brand, brand equity, brand identity, brand image, brand strategy, brand value, branding, branding firmbrand, brand equity, brand identity, brand image, brand strategy, brand value, branding, branding firm

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The NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, a well-established nonprofit well-known by one generation of activists and supporters, changed its name to Legal Momentum in the spring of 2004. I first heard about the name change via a nonprofit client who thought that Legal Momentum’s announcement letter to colleagues (others in the NYC nonprofit community, plus) was a very strong example of proactive communications. He was right.

As a matter of fact, the letter was so strong that I decided to follow up with Maureen McFadden, Legal Momentum’s Vice President of Communications, to learn more about the process — and ultimate impact — of the name change.

CHALLENGE: No One Got the Name, or the Focus

Even with a 34-year record of positive action, NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund’s growth was held back by two seemingly impenetrable barriers. To begin with, there was perpetual confusion in the media about what the Fund was, and its relationship with NOW. “No matter how successful we were in getting media coverage, nine out of ten times they got our name wrong,” says McFadden. “As a result, we didn’t have any clips.”

You can bet that if the media get your organization’s name wrong, time and again, that your target audiences do too. And that’s a real barrier to building relationships and brand.

“In addition, audiences didn’t know what ‘legal defense and education fund’ meant,” continues McFadden. “They asked us for education grants or direct legal services. The only audiences who did know who we were (and what we did) were long-time feminists and those with whom we had long relationships on Capitol Hill.”

Since the Fund was striving to extend its reach to women born after the civil rights era, and to ensure all audiences were aware of the full range of its programs - including new initiatives such as lobbying for universal access to child care - these problems had to be solved.

After much deliberation, NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund decided that a name change was the communications strategy most likely to boost its ongoing evolution and outreach to broader audiences. “We needed a name that said who we were and what we did, while enabling us to continue to grow,” says McFadden.

STRATEGY: In-Depth Analysis of History, Vision and Audience Perspectives Generates Powerful New Name

Knowing that a name change is a major initiative, and one that can be very stressful (in terms of effort and emotions), the Fund decided to seek outside help. So McFadden and her colleagues applied for, and secured, pro bono assistance from the Interbrand (a leading branding agency) Foundation. With the help of a powerful and dedicated Interbrand team, the naming process was soon underway.

This is how it unfolded:

Step One: In-depth organizational probing.

The branding team learned about the Fund’s vibrant history, including the leaders who built and sustained the Fund since its inception. Discussion focused on what the Fund once was, what it was at present and what it wanted to be in the future.

Step Two: Focused audience research, with current audiences and those the Fund wanted to reach in the future.

After extensive discussions with Fund staff past and present, Interbrand reached out to other key audiences (funders, colleague organizations, and others with whom the Fund had long-term relationships, as well as women that they felt should know more about the Fund).

Step Three: Training of staff and other key stakeholders on the development, impact and launch of a new name.

The Interbrand team wisely ensured that the Fund staff, and other stakeholders such as board members, were prepared to select the right name, and to support its launch to generate the greatest amount of awareness possible. Most importantly, they were trained to know how they wanted to be viewed.

Step Four: Creative brand building, and a grueling final selection process.

The branding team, armed with its understanding of the Fund’s strategic approach to using the law to defend, motivate and inspire women - and its knowledge of audience perceptions - went to work. After an intensive creative process, they came back to NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund with 100 options.

As a result of the training they had received, the Fund staff were able cut to the final 15 contenders quite easily. The final decision was more wrenching. Legal Momentum (LM) recommended to the board as the name that best conveyed the organization’s mission - to advance the rights of women and girls by using the power of the law and creating innovative public policy - while enabling its evolution.

Once the board agreed, Interbrand went on to create the look and feel to support the new name.

Step Five: Proactive, engaging communications strategy to launch the new name.

The next step was the crafting of a campaign to assure long-time audiences that the organization’s mission and relationship with NOW remained in place, while capitalizing on the attention to trumpet its forward motion to “build a world where women have the right and the ability to fully participate.”

Developed key messages around the name change (focused on LM’s growth and change), and trained staff on delivering them:
Core message: “We changed our name but not our mission.”
Prepared FAQs for staff members.

Launched comprehensive communications campaign to capitalize on opportunity to engage audiences:
Message from the President and Chair

-Featured in LM’s newsletter, In Brief.

-Highlighted on the LM website via a headline on every page on the site.

Letter to colleague organizations.
Postcard announcement, with photo of staff with signs reading “Legal Momentum,” sent to all staff.
Name change announcement flyer in all direct mail pieces (fundraising, event invitations, etc.).
Revision of collateral (stationary, printed materials), signage, website and newsletter to incorporate new brand (name and look and feel).
Updating of all voicemail messages, and the script for answering the phone.
Formal note cards, emphasizing name change, for staff use (focus on sending to legislators).
Annual report focused on name change (as an opportunity to feature LM’s growth and change).

RESULTS: Clearer Understanding, Increased Support, Broader Reach

McFadden is pleased to report great results from the name change. “We haven’t received one media mention that has the name wrong,” she notes.

Moreover, she is pleased with LM’s success in shaping coverage to feature the phrase, “a woman’s legal and advocacy group.”

Established audiences have responded very positively. McFadden and her colleagues were prepared for long-term individual donors, such as feminists who have been supporters for a very long time, to dislike the new name. Instead, the change energized audiences, generating a lot of feedback, much of it positive.

The name change also provided Legal Momentum with a compelling focus for a major fundraising lunch with guests Senators Kennedy and Clinton. The program featured the name change announcement, supplemented by a fascinating video on LM history. Funders and friends in attendance responded strongly.

Legal Momentum continues to communicate about its name change today, a year later, through its website. The change clearly enabled the organization to dissolve the barriers that were getting in its way. Today, Legal Momentum is indeed building momentum.

Nancy E. Schwartz helps nonprofits succeed through effective marketing and communications.

Subscribe to her free e-newsletter “Getting Attention,” at www.nancyschwartz.com/getting_attention.html and read her blog at www.gettingattention.org for more insights, ideas and great tips on attracting the attention your organization deserves.

Tags: brand, branding, buildi, nonprofit, nonprofit communications, Nonprofit marketing, nonprofit organizationbrand, branding, buildi, nonprofit, nonprofit communications, Nonprofit marketing, nonprofit organization

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