Why 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…)
Posts Tagged ‘brand identity’
Creating a Lasting Brand Image
Tuesday, August 7th, 2012Can 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, 2012Typically when experts talk about brand strategy they focus on the creation of a single image or personality for the brand–creating a clear, compelling message for the market. And that approach seems to make logical sense. But, not all big brands follow that logic and I’ve often found this to be intriguing. Take Budweiser, for instance. For many years Budweiser has been a stalwart presence among SuperBowl advertisers with a variety of ads that incorporate (more…)
Branding 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…)
Ask Your Customers to Define Your Brand
Saturday, January 30th, 2010It is not uncommon for me to be approached by a client or a potential client who wants to “develop their brand.” They are often surprised to find that they already have one – we all do.
You may also be surprised to learn that, whether you realize it or not, you have a brand identity. You may not know what that identity is, but you have one!
Many business owners believe that they define their brand. In truth, a brand is defined by your customers or clients. The definition is based on (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…)
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