Posts Tagged ‘Brand Management’

Building Your Service Brand: It’s About More (a Lot More!) Than Your Logo

Thursday, January 12th, 2023

Much of my work over the years has been with “service brands” — brands that are not tied to a particular product, but to the delivery of some type of service — educational services, health care services, energy services, engineering services, consulting services, etc.

Developing and maintaining a strong brand for a service is, in my opinion, significantly more challenging than developing and maintaining a strong brand for a product. Why? (more…)

Should Your Messaging Vary Across Social Media Platforms?

Tuesday, November 8th, 2022

“Social media” is often referred to collectively as though “social media” is a single entity. Of course, it’s not. Each channel is different—reaching different people and sharing messaging in different ways. LinkedIn is very business-focused. TikTok is based on short, entertaining video clips. Facebook is highly social—a place for people to connect with friends and relatives.

Many organizations and individuals using social media for business purposes, to connect and engage prospects and customers, use multiple channels.

One foundational question they face is: “Should my messaging vary across social media platforms?”

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What’s the Purpose of Advertising: To Entertain or to Sell?

Thursday, September 29th, 2022

I used to love the E*Trade commercials with the talking babies. They were cute, clever, and they made me laugh. In fact, every time I see one—regardless of how many times I’ve seen it previously—I laugh. I liked them. They were well done. They had good production values. They were clever.

But, did they work from an advertising standpoint? (more…)

How Do Your Customers Perceive Your Brand?

Wednesday, September 21st, 2022

It 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…)

Your Customers are Talking About You. Do You Know What They’re Saying?

Tuesday, July 26th, 2022

If you’re not on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or other social media sites —and believe it or not, many, many people are not!—you may be missing out on some very important conversations. Some of these conversations may be about you!

In working with a client recently, we did some quick online research and they were shocked (more…)

When Branding or Rebranding Don’t Get Stuck on Names

Tuesday, July 26th, 2022

Throughout my career I’ve been involved in numerous naming and branding initiatives and am always struck by not only the intrinsic challenges of getting a group of people to agree on a particular name/brand for a company, product or service— but also by the enormous amount of angst and emotion that becomes part of the process.

In truth, the process of coming up with a name—whether for a company, a product, a campaign, a department, or whatever is a process (more…)

Why Your Company, Product, or Service Name Doesn’t Really Matter

Tuesday, September 14th, 2021

Throughout my career, I’ve been involved in numerous naming and branding initiatives and am always struck by not only the intrinsic challenges of getting a group of people to agree on a particular name/brand for a company, product, or service—but also by the enormous amount of angst and emotion that becomes part of the process.

In truth, the process of coming up with a name—whether for a company, a product, a campaign, a department, or whatever is a process that is virtually destined to be an emotional and difficult one from the get-go. Why? Because everybody has an opinion, everybody has an emotional stake in the outcome and everybody wants their brand to be the next Nike.

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Tackling the Special Challenges of Building and Sustaining Strong Service Brands

Thursday, August 12th, 2021

Much of my work over the years has been with “service brands”—brands that are not tied to a particular product, but to the delivery of some type of service—educational services, healthcare services, energy services, engineering services, consulting services, etc.

Developing and maintaining a strong brand for a service is, in my opinion, significantly more challenging than developing and maintaining a strong brand for a product. Why? (more…)

Graduates: Some Important Tips for Building Your Personal Brand

Tuesday, May 25th, 2021

A hot topic in recent months, perhaps due to the pandemic and sudden interest in pursuing new job and career opportunities, seems to be “building a personal brand.” We work with a wide range of entrepreneurs, independent consultants and others who are adept at building what they refer to as their “thought leadership.” In truth, though, what they’re really doing, is building their personal brands. We help them do that and we also speak and write regularly about the topic.

Building your personal brand doesn’t start after you’ve already established yourself in your career, or at least it shouldn’t. As we like to say “your reputation precedes you.” And, for good or ill, it precedes you whether you’ve been paying attention or not. (more…)

Should Brands Be Political Online?

Wednesday, September 30th, 2020

Women considering yes, no, maybe optionsWith the election cycle in full swing and plenty of polarizing issues being talked about in both traditional and social media circles, many brands are wondering whether they should weigh in on these discussions, or remain silent. It’s a legitimate, relevant, and important question. As with many important questions, though, there is no easy answer.  (more…)