Posts Tagged ‘branding’

Why Employee Engagement Should Be Part of Your Marketing Mix

Thursday, December 6th, 2012

Despite the fact that study after study continues to support the critical role that employees play as ambassadors (or detractors) for the organizations they work for, not all organizations are focused, as they should be, on their staff first. If you’re interested in boosting your marketing, you need to first start inside–with your employees. Seem a bit counter-intuitive? Maybe. But consider that, particularly for (more…)

Brand Matters!

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012

While doing some online research recently I came across an article on branding that I wrote back in 1997! Clearly it’s a topic that I’ve been interested in for some time. Two things struck me about coming across this piece:

1) Wow! The Internet was still in its infancy in the late 90’s, yet content from “way back then” is online.

2) Everything I said about branding back in 1997 (more…)

Clever Name Conveys Message Without Violating Trademark

Thursday, September 13th, 2012

Speaking of names…sometimes I’m struck by what appear to be brilliant solutions to vexing problems and I came across such an example recently when I heard of a company called ‘Preneur.

What struck me is that I recall, not long ago, a big brouhaha over the magazine Entrepreneur and its successful fight to protect its name through trademark even though most of us would agree that the word “entrepreneur” (more…)

Creating a Lasting Brand Image

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

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…)

Can You Brand Yourself? The Short Answer – No.

Friday, May 18th, 2012

This 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, 2012
Typically 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, 2012

Generally 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…)

What’s the Difference Between Marketing, Branding, Advertising and PR and Does it Matter?

Saturday, November 5th, 2011

It’s a question that comes up in many venues. On Twitter and in LinkedIn groups. In business meetings. In university classes. It recently came up through a journalist who was asking for input from marketing professionals – like me: “I’m looking for experts to explain, compare and distinguish advertising vs. marketing vs. branding vs. PR.”

For those of us “in marketing” the answer is deceptively simple. (more…)

It Pays to Proofread. Even if You’re a Scammer.

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Even those trying to scam people could benefit from a good writer/editor. Check out this email that showed up in my mailbox this morning. It’s reeking with credibility – NOT! (more…)