BRAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

Very few concepts in the business lexicon are as misundetstood as the concept of brand. Often thought of as a company’s image as may be representated by its logo or possibly its logo combined with a catchy slogan, the brand is really much more. It is nothing less than a company’s identity as defined by its owners and principals and as percieved by its customers and clients.

Brand can be thought of as having two components. The first is image, the component created by the company and including the tangibles such as name, logo, slogan and marketing graphics, and intangibles including mission, vision and goals.

The other component, and equally,  if not more, important  is experience. This is how the company is perceived by its customers and clients. It includes such concepts as understanding, credibility, connection, motivation and loyalty.

The term brand, in and of itself,  connotes neither good nor bad.  Companies that have established a recognizable brand, either through planning and execution, or through simple longevity may or may not be regarded positively in the business and consumer communities. Companies with well known brands such as Apple, Google, Ikea, Nike and Mercedez Benz would be considered by most people as solid, reliable and worthy of their business. Companies with equally well know brands such as Lehman Brothers, Countrywide Mortgage, Circuit City and Blockbuster, on the other hand, not so much. 

Therefore, when we talk about branding, we are really talking about positive, successful branding,  creating an identity that is widely recognized, but also widely respected and appreciated. We all want to “Brand Out from the Crowd,”  but hopefully in a good way.

BRAND = IDENTITY
I. IMAGE (Definition)
1. Mission - What you want to achieve.
2. Vision - How you plan to achieve it.
3. Goals - Steps in accomplishing the plan.
4. Name 
5. Logo
6. Slogan
7. Graphics

II. EXPERIENCE (Perception)
1. Understanding
2. Credibility
3. Connection
4. Motivation
5. Loyalty

Quote  of the day: “Success is not about being the best solution, but about being the only solution.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"PLAN D"

In business, and in life for that matter, we often encounter problems. Sometimes simple problems lending themselves to simple, and quick, solutions. Sometimes not so simple problems, with not so simple and not so quick solutions. But solve them we must, lest they linger and fester and begin to erode our success, or our happiness, or both. Therefore we need to formulate a plan, a plan to solve the problem. Now what that plan is can vary depending on the problem it needs to solve. It may be a simple plan or a complex plan. It may be implemented quickly or over time. It may require few resources or many. It may be cheap or very costly. The one constant is that the plan needs to solve the problem. Of course, we never know if a plan is going to work until we try it out. And if it doesn’t work we may very well need a backup plan, a Plan B so to speak. And if that doesn’t work we may need a back up to the backup, a Plan C, which also may not work. IN THIS CASE, WE OFFER THE PLAN THAT ALWAYS W...
Read more

THE EASY ANSWER

There are very few, if any, businesses that don’t require selling. Stores sell products to their customers. Professionals sell services to their clients. Managers sell ideas to the workforce. Sales is an intregral part of industry and even of everyday life. Not everyone, however, is a great salesperson. Of those that are successful, some have a natural talent, some have worked hard to develop the necessary skills and some have just perservered, knowing that eventually, they will make a sale. Of course the best of the best have talent, skill, and determination. But regardless of heredity or abiity, there are tools that can help anyone be a successful seller. This is one of them. I call it “THE EASY ANSWER.” The concept is simple. If you want a positve response to your sales pitch, formulate some questions in your pitch where the answers will most likely support that pitch. For example; if you are selling mattresses, don’t ask your customer: ”Do you want to buy a mattress?” Instead ask t...
Read more

AS IF WE HAD 20/20 VISION

A company vision can be thought of as a snapshot of what the company should be by a certain point in time. Visioning is a valuable tool in realizing the company mission. It answers questions like: “When we acheive our mission, what is our company doing, how big is it and what does it look like? What are we known for and how do our customers and clients feel about us? How does management and staff feel about the company? The vison is the guiding light that prevents the company from getting lost in the woods of an ever changing marketplace. A great vision is inspiring. It can get everyone in the company excited about coming to work. But the vision has to be starategically sound and not just wishful thinking. To be realistic, it must be attainable. A vision is not a strategic plan. The vision articulates where you are going; the plan tells you how you’re going to get there. You start that planning work only after you’ve agreed on the vision. Creating a plan without a vision is like tryin...
Read more