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Some companies will often try a shotgun approach to branding, that is, by trying a bunch of different marketing tactics to promote their brand. But is your brand really reaching your customers? More importantly, is it resonating with them so they feel compelled to buy your product or service?

 

In order to be strategic about marketing your brand, you must first put yourself in your customers’ shoes and map the experience they will have with your brand. This exercise will pinpoint the “touch points” in which you have the best opportunity to connect with customers, and identify the ones that are most relevant to them. Mapping this Brand Experience is as simple as dissecting the following four purchasing behaviors:

 

1. Pre-Purchase/Brand investigation

 

Today most customers find companies via the web, so make sure that your online presence is professional and speaks to their needs. If you do a lot of one-on-one or direct marketing, such as tradeshows, then a new booth and small leave-behind brochures might be appropriate. Be sure to consider the frustrations that potential customers might have in contacting your firm—be sure that you include a call to action that is measurable through a different phone number, email address or campaign-specific web landing page.

 

2. Making a Purchase Decision

 

Be sure that marketing materials answer any questions that customers may have about your product or service. This might involve the creation of a sales kit or a more professional presentation. Clearly communicate the services, and more importantly, the benefits of your brand over the competition, and help overcome any misconceptions or objections they might have. Knowing customer objections ahead of time is key to establishing credibility and a comfort-level with your brand.

 

3. Post-Purchase/Follow-through

 

Once the sale is complete, it is easy for companies to “move on” to the next big deal, sometimes leaving customers to wonder why they chose your product or service in the first place. This is the biggest opportunity to reinforce (or tarnish) your brand’s image. Be sure to follow up with consistent service by delivering on what you promise.

 

4. Building Long-term relationships

 

Staying at top of mind, even after the successful sale or completion of a project, shows customers you care. Check in every once in a while by developing an eNewsletter that they will receive in their inbox every month or so. Send them note cards when you read about them in the news, or to show them what else you have been working on that may be of interest. If customers use social media such as Facebook. LinkedIn or Twitter (and it makes sense resource- and budget-wise for you to do so), make sure that you have established a presence there as well.

 

While the tactics listed above may or may not be appropriate for your particular brand, the four steps in the sales process are universal regardless of your product or service. The important thing is to start thinking like your customers in order to build a brand that will connect with them. By creating a truly relevant brand, you will not only be more profitable as a result of your marketing initiatives, you will build brand loyalty as well.

 

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal | Brand Strategy, Indicia.

 

Depending on whom you ask, the term “branding” can mean different things to different people or groups of professionals. Manufacturers, distributors and retailers each have their own perception about the value that their products or services deliver to customers. So when trying to promote their brand, where should they go for help?

 

To the advertising agency, branding is about promotion and repetition: saturate the media with images and messaging so that hopefully the product or service stays “top of mind” with the customer.

 

To the marketer, branding is about the message: what are the benefits of the product or service and what media will be used to communicate it?

 

For the public relations professional, branding is establishing a relationship with the target audience, and making them feel good about the company and their purchase.

 

Finally, designers consider brands to be the aesthetic qualities associated with the product or service, such as its logo, packaging or support collateral.

 

The funny thing is that each of these professionals above seems to forget that branding is in the eye of the beholder, who is often the most important stakeholder: the customer.

 

Branding should be about the “complete experience that a customer has with a company, its products or services,” and it encompasses several levels of engagement with customers. Much like an onion, as one peels back the skin they will discover more about the brand, allowing them to connect at a more relevant and emotional level. Unlike onions, peeling back more layers won’t make your customers cry; instead, it will make them more loyal and fully engaged with the brand.

 

 

The outer most layer of a brand is often the first impression that a customer will have, and it usually involves the experience with the product or service you provide. Is it of high quality and dependable? Was it easy to use, understand, and explain to others?

 

Part of the initial experience customers have with branding relates to the next layer, which is how the brand is promoted. Did the product or service work as advertised?

 

The environment in which a brand is sold or delivered is part of the brand experience. For a retail product, the packaging must communicate the value of the brand. Sometimes the store where the product is sold (think Apple) or the office in which a service is delivered is part of the brand experience. In the case of a virtual store, the online presence becomes the next layer of a brand experience.

 

It used to be that if you had a good handshake and a professional looking business card, you could meet with a prospective customer and sell them your brand. In the Internet age, this is no longer an option—your brand must have a professional web site that allows customers the opportunity to explore your product or service offering in a pressure free environment. It must be relevant to the audience, informative, provide contact information, and reinforce the other layers of branding discussed above.

 

At the core of every successful brand is its identity and brand essence. The identity is more than a logo—it includes every piece of visual and verbal communication you have with customers, from the uniforms worn by employees to the way in which the receptionist answers the phone. Finally, and most importantly, is the essence of your brand: this is the compelling story behind your product or service, and the promises that you make to customers. It is the reason they should buy your brand over any other. It must be relevant and connect at an emotional level with their desires and needs.

 

Conclusion

 

While there are differing opinions about what branding might be, “branding” truly is in the eye of the beholder. However, the beholder in this case is not the manufacturer, distributor or service provider. It’s not even the creative agency that you might hire to help promote the brand in the marketplace. The beholder is the customer—and it doesn’t matter what you think the value of your brand is; it matters what customers think, and what “they” are willing to pay for.

Product and company names should be simple, unique, relevant and effective.

By Ryan Hembree

 

 

The first impression of a branded product, service or company is its name. Successful brand names communicate unique qualities, value and benefits, while also building a positive perception that can command a premium price. In this way, brand names become differentiators that add value within a market and become a source of competitive advantage.

 

Selecting an appropriate name is one of the most important parts of building a successful brand. It also happens to be one of the most challenging. Successful brand names should be simple, unique, relevant and effectively communicate consistency to the target market.

 

1. Be Simple

 

Names should be short, sweet and to the point. Brand names can be creative, yet still simple. The trick is to be clever, not cutesy or cliché. Avoid being overly specific for a company name, as it may limit the perception of the products or services you provide.

 

Names that are too difficult to spell or pronounce—including foreign words—only complicate and frustrate customers. Mashing two or three different words together will only result in a lengthy, nonsensical identity. Shortened or abbreviated names are not desirable either. When it comes time to make a purchase decision, will the customer remember those three letters, or will they get them confused with something else?

 

Likewise, the days of alphabetically listed phone books are long gone thanks to the proliferation of Google and other online search engines, so using “AAA” as a naming convention is not only unnecessary, but looks out of date as well.

 

2. Be Unique

 

In order to stand out in a crowded industry or market, a brand must be memorable—clearly identifying the product, service or business and differentiating it from competing brands.

 

Using the names of the founders or partners of a company may seem like a way to achieve originality, however, this ties too much equity to an individual’s reputation, instead of the quality and performance of the product or service.

 

Ensure uniqueness in naming by searching the Whois database at www.internic.com to see if a potential name has been registered as a Web site (.com and .net are the most commonly registered domains). If the URL is available, chances are the name is not only distinct, but legally protectable as well. A search of the online United States Patent and Trademark Office database (http://tess2.uspto.gov) will help confirm whether there is an existing trademark.

 

3. Be Relevant

 

The more relevant to target customers within an industry, the more memorable and less generic a brand name will be. Successful names offer customers an idea about the type of product or service a company provides, or how it might be beneficial to them. Simply adding adjectives to describe the quality of the brand is not enough to connect emotionally with the customer. The goal of naming is to make a product or service more approachable for customers, thus establishing a positive affinity and loyalty to the brand.

 

4. Be Effective

 

Simplicity, uniqueness and relevance are important considerations when undertaking the challenge of developing a brand name. The key to any successful brand, however, is how effective the name is. The brand must effectively communicate consistency—consistency in the messages being communicated to the customer, the actual product or service performance and the overall customer experience and satisfaction with the brand. It won’t matter how memorable the name is if the brand fails to meet the expectations of the customer. Worse yet, it could become memorable for all the wrong reasons—and that’s not effective at all.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” This line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet reinforces the idea that the core essence of a person or thing is what matters most, not what it is called. I would argue, however, that in the branding of a product, service or organization, naming is critical to success. Brand names should be specific, distinct, and relevant in order to leave a lasting impression in the mind of the consumer.

 

Be Simple.

 

Choose a brand name that has meaning behind it, or that is specific to the type of product or industry. Avoid being overly generic. Kinko’s, named after the founder’s “kinky” red hair, soon became FedEx Kinko’s after being purchased in 2004. Not only was this a mouthful to say, it diluted the perception of the Kinko’s brand. And in 2008, when the name changed to FedEx Office, it became two generic words (how often do we say that we are going to “fedex a package”? In this manner even the corporate name has become part of our everyday vernacular). I still refer to the store as Kinko’s.

 

Another way to keep a brand name simple is to avoid names with too many syllables; that incorporate parts of many different or unrelated words; or that may be difficult to pronounce or spell (this coming from a branding firm called “Indicia”). Some companies approach naming determined to find something that can also be used as a domain for the web. Basing an entire brand strategy on whether or not a URL is available is a risky endeavor, since almost every word in the English language has already been registered as a domain name.

 

Be Unique.

 

It is important that your brand stand out and be distinct from the competition. It wasn’t too long ago that placement within the Yellow Pages guaranteed differentiation among brand names. Since phone number listings and ads appeared in alphanumeric order, brands such as “AAA this” or “ABC that“ became the norm. Now it is possible for customers to “google” products or services, making the Yellow Pages all but obsolete. The importance of a name beginning with the letter “A” is now totally irrelevant.

 

In some cases an owner or founder’s name is used for the brand. The problem is that ultimately the perception and success of the brand becomes tied to an individual, and it can be difficult to transition to new ownership or sell because of the equity that exists within the market. Many law firms (and even some advertising agencies) take this “name on the door” approach, having multiple partner names define the brand in what could be mistaken for a sentence. When the receptionist answers the phone, they must resort to identifying the company as “Law Firm,” since otherwise it would take too long (and too much breath) to say the whole name.

 

Be Memorable.

 

The more relevant and less generic a brand name, the more it will stand out among a crowded marketplace. Using initials or abbreviations for a company might sound like a good alternative to help simplify a brand’s name, but when it comes time to making a purchase decision, will the customer remember those three letters, or get them confused with something else?

 

Likewise, adjectives within a brand name that are used describe the quality or type of product or service should also be avoided. You would think that a company called “Creative Marketing” or “Creative Planning” would have a more creative name.

 

Conclusion

 

Developing a name that is simple, unique, and memorable is just the first step in creating an enduring brand. The ultimate value of a product, service or organization will be judged by its quality (“the sweetness” alluded to in Romeo and Juliet). However, a positive first impression must first be built around that brand, particularly when it comes time for a buying decision to be made from among all like-brands.

 

—Ryan Hembree, principal/brand strategy

Many companies and organizations are using the current economic downturn as an opportunity to solidify their position within the marketplace, or to expand into new areas. While much thought and planning goes into the acquisition of other companies, especially with regard to finances and operations, it is surprising that most organizations do not consider the impact it will have on branding for the combined company. After all, a strong, recognizable brand that has a loyal customer base is part of what attracted the companies together in the first place.

 

There needs to be strong consideration given prior to launching a re-brand for a merged or acquired company. First, evaluate the overall brand strategy for the new organizational structure. Are you trying to build a monolithic brand, in which all divisions and organizations fall under one umbrella name (such as General Electric or Caterpillar), or are you creating a conglomerate of brands such as Procter & Gamble or Unilever? In the latter example, P&G and Unilever own several household item brands, but the customer doesn’t necessarily know that they are part of the much larger, international organization. In this case, each of the separate brands holds greater value and brand equity than the larger organization. More often than not, sub-brands (subsidiary brands) are created to ease the transition into the larger organization.

 

Common pitfalls of branding a combined or acquired company

 

Organizations sometimes try to assimilate the smaller of the companies into their organization, even when there exists a clash of cultures and values. In order to alleviate the fears employees or customers might have about a merger or acquisition, develop a consistent brand message that addresses any misconceptions or negative perceptions. Clearly communicate what process is taking place, how it will affect the organization as a whole, and what, if any, changes there will be to the end customer in terms of product or service quality. Deliver this message through press releases, direct mailers to core customers, company newsletters to employees, and prominently display it on each company’s web site.

 

Another stumbling block to rebranding a merged or acquired company is to rush the process by assuming customers or employees will automatically embrace the change and accept the new brand freely and without reservation. This happens when the larger company tries to impose its brand name on the smaller one, even if is less known or respected by existing customers. When FedEx purchased the Kinko’s franchise, this is exactly what happened. The copy and office stores suddenly became FedEx-Kinko’s, and virtually all brand equity was eliminated. Besides being a mouthful to say, it was not as memorable or convey the same personality as the original brand name, which came about because of the founder’s kinky red hair. Now simply known as FedEx Office, the brand is stale and even more generic, and an example of monolithic branding gone awry.

 

Strategies for extending a merged or acquired Brand

 

First of all, don’t change the company name (whether the one being acquired or the acquirer) over night. This will simply confuse customers and make them question the quality of services and products they will receive. Instead, modify the brand over a period of time—the larger, or less known (the combined company), the longer the brand should take to reach its final identity.

 

Evolution over time makes more sense than a complete revolution, and there are several tactics that brand or marketing managers can take. For example, use the acquired company name with the larger organization’s logo mark, or begin to change the color palette and typography so that it matches the graphic standards of the acquiring firm. Use all company logos side by side for a while and then phase one or more of them out, or perhaps a sub-branded approach would be more appropriate.

 

Conclusion

 

While the current economy is taking its toll on all businesses, there does exist a tremendous opportunity to extend or expand your brand. Struggling companies that need capital investment or resources for continued growth are more agreeable to mergers or acquisitions. It has been proven time and again that organizations that continue to invest in marketing and branding, even during rough economic times, emerge from the downturn as stronger leaders within their industries. As you make plans to grow your business and market share, be sure to develop a sensible strategy for re-branding the organization as well.

 

—Ryan Hembree, principal/brand strategy

Is it good for your brand? There has been a lot of hype over the past year or so about Social Media Marketing, and how companies are using Twitter and Facebook to reach new consumers. In addition to being able to blog from their web site, everybody wants a Facebook page and a link to follow their company on Twitter. It seems that everyone is pushing social media as the ultimate “new” way to market products, services and brands to potential customers and their friends. But do these social media tactics really work, and are they appropriate for your brand?

 

Social media marketing, in theory, is about creating a following (or “tribe”) of people who will become advocates and champions for a company’s product or services. Because of the very nature of the Web, social media marketing is “viral,” meaning that people will forward to their friends what they like or don’t like. In this manner, social media can be compared with another, more dubious kind of marketing technique, the direct sales “party,” like those used by Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Amway, and many others. The idea behind those business models is that if one person likes a brand, they will tell all of their friends about it (and even go so far as invite them to a sales party where guests can “learn” all about a product and feel trapped and obligated into making a purchase).

 

What is interesting to note about all of the hype surrounding Twitter and Facebook is that nobody, it seems, can clearly demonstrate how to monetize the tactics and make it a valuable promotional vehicle for a brand. Likewise, the waning popularity of other social networking sites such as MySpace and LinkedIn seems to indicate that the use of social media is more of a fad. And according to Nielsen Online, 60%-70% of users who use Twitter one month do not return the next. This is due to the fact that currently there is very little compelling content available—right now it seems to be more of a popularity contest between Ashton Kutcher and Larry King than (how many Facebook friends or Followers do you have?). Bombarding people with advertising and marketing messages while they are updating their Facebook page or ‘tweeting’ might elicit a negative response to the brand, as people don’t want to be distracted and “sold to” all the time.

 

This is not to say that all social media is bad or not worthwhile to pursue. Quite the contrary: it clearly is a powerful communication medium that proved its relevance during the recent Iranian elections, in which the medium was one of the only ways that the rest of the world could follow the turmoil that followed (Iranian television and media is controlled by the central government). Facebook is great for reconnecting with old friends or classmates, and to share personal lives with others. Some companies have posted Facebook pages (Indicia Design included), which allow for people to become “fans” of the brand, post comments to their “wall” and link back to the company’s web site. This is an example of how to use social media in a non-intrusive way that will help build perception and goodwill about your products or services.

 

If your company sells a product (B2B or B2C), social media can be a great way to solicit feedback and offer updates or special promotions to consumers. For example, a restaurant looking to fill empty tables can blast a coupon via Twitter and reach a broad range of people, from loyal customers to their friends. A recent article in BusinessWeek (July 13, 2009) showcases how Intuit is using social media to let diehard users of QuickBooks offer support to other users of the product through an online forum…in essence, free technical support. In doing so, Intuit’s market share allegedly jumped 4% since the launch of this new online community.

 

Using social media marketing to promote a brand can be much like opening the proverbial “Pandora’s box”—and unless a company is willing to take the good with the bad, it might be wise to wait out all the hype surrounding it before investing too much time or money. Editing negative comments from a blog or Facebook wall will make the brand appear to be disingenuous. Disgruntled or former employees can post harmful or derogatory remarks (as well as company secrets), and once released into cyberspace, it is impossible to retract. Short of paying a full time person to update an online forum, web site, or Facebook page, there is really no way to monitor the information that is being communicated about your brand. And unfortunately, the law is struggling to keep up with all of the issues that might arise through the use of social media marketing and tactics.

 

There are many unknowns when it comes to the effectiveness of social media marketing. As a communication tool, it has demonstrated its power to disseminate information to the masses. As a way of soliciting immediate feedback and targeting specific users for a mass-market consumer product, it may be effective in some instances. Before diving head first into what may be shallow water, companies might be wise to invest more resources into their current web sites by providing more relevant content or ways for consumers to interact with the brand online (through forms, surveys, online communities, blogs, etc.). These are uncharted waters, and while there may be hidden treasure below the surface, there are a lot of dangers as well. And one false move or misstep into social media marketing could derail even the most beloved brands.

 

—Ryan Hembree, principal/brand strategy

Nothing is more powerful (or cost-effective) than word-of-mouth brand promotion. When customers love your product, service or company, they will tell anyone who will listen about the wonderful experience they have had–in essence becoming an advocate for your brand. One need only look at the type of relationships that Apple, Nordstroms, and even Starbucks have created with their customers, who are loyal fans who are, well, fanatical about each of those brands. But how do you create this type of relationship with your customers?

 

While it’s true that the examples above are more consumer-oriented, it is possible to create strong brands around business-to-business products or services that will generate the same type of “buzz” and excitement. To accomplish this goal, build a brand experience that accentuates the core values of the organization and fulfills the promise of your product or service. In other words, practice what you preach. For example, does your product or service deliver on the promises it makes by meeting the needs of the customer in a user-friendly and compelling manner? Is it perceived to be of a fair value for the time and money spent? Companies that do what they say and deliver on what they promise are able to create loyal customers who will become advocates for their brand.

 

Not only will the quality of service or products build an experience, every aspect of the sales process can also support and enhance a brand image and garner customer advocacy. Throughout every contact and touch-point is an opportunity to build a relationship with the customer, and their perception of the experience of your brand. This includes PowerPoint presentations, leave-behind sales sheets, brochures, sales and media kits, as well as a highly customized proposal. It is important that all of these materials have a consistent message and professional look and feel. Simply having a compelling business model with a great web presence is not enough to drive sales and increase profits—support collateral (in some form or another) is necessary to enhance any online initiative.

 

Building a positive perception for a brand that will in turn create brand advocates sometimes requires good public relations and community involvement. Simply placing Yellow Pages ad will not do–besides being incredibly expensive (sometimes costing thousands or tens of thousands of dollars annually), they are often highly ineffective at creating awareness of the company, its products or services. Contributing to charities or creating a philanthropic event around a noble cause, as well as sponsoring other local events helps build positive perception about the organization within the community. There is a reason why companies pay millions of dollars for naming rights to entertainment and sports arenas and stadiums: positive experiences in those settings, as well as support of the local team will always translate into greater customer affinity for a brand.

 

Although a challenging task, creating excitement and fondness for a brand does not require lots of money. By providing an essential product or service, doing the best job possible, and making sure that the needs of the customer are met on time and within budget, even business-to-business brands can leverage word-of-mouth promotion by harnessing the power of brand advocates who won’t hesitate to refer them to their friends, relatives and neighbors.

 

—Ryan Hembree, principal/brand strategy

Building effective and valuable brands involves more than just creating a logo, business cards, and a web site or brochure. There is a common misconception that a well-designed logo, “new and improved” packaging, or a sleek new customer experience on the web will magically increase sales and there will be an immediate impact to the company’s bottom line. The truth of the matter is that while these elements will help a business reach their sales and revenue goals over time, strong brands must be continually promoted in order to stay relevant in the eyes of customers. To effectively leverage your brand, it is important to keep in mind the 4 M’s of brand promotion:Market, Message, Method, and Measurement.

 

First, know your market.

Many companies struggle to define their target audience beyond typical demographics. Even worse, some think that everyone is within their target market (after all, who wouldn’t love their product or service?). Instead of a shotgun approach to promoting your brand, focus on your organization’s core competencies by determining what resonates with and excites the customer about the brand. Be sensitive to their needs, their desires and their buying behaviors.

 

Second, make sure your message is relevant and consistent.

Once the target market has been identified, communicate a message that stays true to the brand’s promise and positioning. “Practicing what you preach” is an old adage that is very appropriate to brand promotion—nothing will make your product or service less authentic than saying one thing and doing another. As an organization grows and expands its promotional efforts across a variety of media and channels, this can become a challenge for even the savviest of marketers.

 

Next, choose the appropriate method of promotion.

Many think that promoting a brand involves only advertising or marketing, or a combination of the two. In actuality, there are many, more effective ways to communicate messages to your audience–besides traditional media such as print, radio and television; Public Relations, Internet and Event marketing, as well as Social Media are some examples of cost-effective tactics for improving audience perception of an organization’s product or services. Carefully consider the customer’s psychographics and preferences for receiving information when selecting methods of promoting the brand—if they are younger and technophiles, an Internet campaign might be most appropriate. If they are older, more mature, then more traditional ad placement might work best. The important thing is to remember to stay on message and portray a positive image of the company’s products or services while overcoming any misconceptions that people might have of the brand.

 

Finally, measure how you are promoting your brand’s image.

It is impossible to know if something is working without having some way of monitoring the outcome—and measuring the effectiveness of a promotional campaign does not have to be very elaborate or complicated. Simply having a “call to action” on a printed piece of collateral allows for track-ability, whether it is a phone number to call or a web site to visit. Creating a PURL (personalized web address) for recipients of a direct mail piece allows for unique visitors to that web page be tracked using Google® Analytics. And e-mail distribution programs such as MailerMailer, Exact Target or Constant Contact will automatically track the open and click-through rates of an email newsletter or campaign. Each of these unique methods are straightforward ways of measuring brand promotion, allowing companies to determine what message is resonating with the market, and to develop new ways to creating more highly targeted campaigns to the most profitable customers.

 

In closing, brands must continually be nurtured through promotional efforts in order to remain at the top of customers’ minds. By looking through the lenses of the target market, the messages that will be most relevant to them, the methods of delivery of that message, and the ability to measure its effectiveness, organizations will create truly valuable brands that will help them realize their sales and revenue goals.

 

—Ryan Hembree, principal/brand strategy