We spend so much of our time helping companies develop and strengthen their brands that we almost take it for granted that a brand is one of the most important elements of any organization, product or individual. However, we realize that many companies don’t understand or appreciate the importance of a brand, especially when it comes to spending decisions. So, every once in a while, we like to take a step back to remind our audience why a brand is important in the first place. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘brand identity’
Harnessing the Power of Your Authentic Brand Identity
Thursday, October 13th, 2016Creativity Means Nothing if You Can’t Deliver on the “Brand Promise”
Tuesday, August 25th, 2015Inc. magazine recently put out an entertaining list called “Top 9 Brand Blunders of All Time.” Most of these blunders were one-off decisions or short-term campaigns that had a major—and negative—impact on an established brand. These blunders highlight some key mistakes, both practically and conceptually, when it comes to branding. (more…)
Creating a Lasting Brand Image
Tuesday, August 7th, 2012Why do some brands become cultural legends that stand the test of time, while others ebb, flow and eventually sink? The brand is the cornerstone of any business and is, unfortunately, often misunderstood. That is possibly why the brand is also often so mismanaged. Brands are not, are not, ARE NOT logos, taglines or corporate colors. Brands are not advertisements. Brands are not Facebook pages. (more…)
Can You Brand Yourself? The Short Answer – No.
Friday, May 18th, 2012This question was posed on LinkedIn recently, and the majority of responses were predictable. Most people said “yes.” Simple enough question–easy answer. But, let’s think about it a bit. I took a slightly different approach to the question. “Yes” would be a valid answer to a question like: “Can individuals have a brand identity?,” I think. But, the answer to the question of whether individuals can brand themselves is a bit more complex and is the same answer I would give organizations interested in establishing strong brands. The short answer is: “No, we do not brand ourselves.” Brands are created (more…)
Multi-Image Brands
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012Branding From the Inside Out: Two Critical First Steps
Monday, April 30th, 2012Generally I advise clients to view their organizations, products and services from the “outside in.” In other words, they need to put themselves in the position of their desired audience and consider what is important to their audience, rather than what is important to them. Too often I’ll hear organizations talk about how they need to “communicate our (more…)
Can You – Should You – Brand Your Small Business? Of course! Here’s how:
Monday, May 2nd, 2011I tend to be passionate about some odd things (I can tell by the way people look at me sometimes, like my husband who called me a “Twitter-geek” last night; I took it well actually.) Anyway, one of the things I’ve been passionate about is effective branding. It’s an issue that I find that many people (more…)
Banished brand – “Wisconsin, Live Like You Mean It”…or maybe you don’t…
Thursday, October 1st, 2009Wow! The state of Wisconsin – the state where I was born and still live – spent $57,000 recently to develop a slogan and logo to promote state tourism. And now they’ve trashed it. Why? Who knows. But my guess would be that (more…)