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Hub You - Branding 101: Why It's Critical to Business Success and How to Do It Right
My mother has Alzheimer’s. She’s been in a nursing facility since February of 2005, and she’s more or less bed ridden. One of the many negative effects of Alzheimer’s is rapid memory loss to the point family members’ names are forgotten and some members get forgotten altogether. Another symptom is life regression—that is where the person mentally and emotionally backtracks from their current age back to birth. The average person afflicted with Alzheimer’s has a life expectancy of roughly seven years from the time of initial diagnosis. Luckily, our family still has some time to share with mom, but the inevitable is always looming. It’s truly a gut-wrenching experience for both the patien
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.
If you've been watching those late night infomercials, you may be convinced that the US government is giving away Free Money to just about anybody who needs some. Your savings and even your home may be at risk if your business fails, so the thought of a free government grant to start your business is very tempting. Grants are given by an organization or local government officers to a business in line with their particular projects success.In return, you have to pay a 2% of your outstanding loan each year to the business service sector of the government who helped you acquire the loan. Small business loans are now available from a wide range of sources both government and private. Different kinds of gov
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.
Each pay period, customers can contact full-service payroll providers with all the employee information they have, including new hires, pay hikes, federal, state or local tax deductions, and any other changes in payroll. The full service payroll service provider will do the rest. This means processing the company payroll together with calculating earnings and salaries, federal, state and local taxes, and embellishments of any kind.The payroll in some instances could even be processed the day of receipt by the full service payroll service giver and be delivered to multiple locations overnight via mail or courier. The payroll particulars will include checks (or pay vouchers for those using the direct dep
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.
Suggestions for Handling Disputes Any conflicts involving customers, employees or suppliers, or a partner, is very disruptive. Disputes and conflicts cannot be allowed to escalate because of the damage they can cause. There are ways of dealing with disputes, to arrive at an agreement or resolution where all parties concerned are satisfied.Here are a few suggestions for handling a dispute: Focus on your long-term interest. Try to find an outcome where your business retains its best interests as its main objective. Don't get obsessed with winning a particular dispute or conflict if that is not necessarily the best position for the business in the long run. anish 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.
Have you ever seen an advertising balloon blimp? It is one of those elongated floating mammoth balloons that seem to get your attention whenever it passes by. It has become a very popular form of advertising medium.Advertising balloon blimps can generate a lot of immediate excitement about your business, trade show booth or event. Such balloons can help spread the word about your business or event to a wider audience at any one time.Your advertisements in magazines and newspapers can only provide you a rather large but not as immediate coverage. But with an advertising balloon blimp, you can do both at the same time. What is more ideal about advertising balloons is that they are portable, reusab
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.
The equipment of the Internet has disclosed about many changes in the way that we perform our lives and our personal craft. We can pay our bills online, acquire online, bank online, and even go broke online!We can even buy and confer boards online. Traders love having the ability to look at their accounts whenever they want to, and brokers occur having the ability to take in new costumers via the Internet, as contrary to the discourse.A lot of traders and brokerage houses now offer online trading to their clients. I think, that another great thing about trading online is that fees and commissions are often lower. While online trading is great, there are the other side of the coin allso.If
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.
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