24 Branding Tips

Written by on June 10, 2011 in Branding - No Comments

How To Increase Your Brand Name Recognition

As a creative and branding expert, I’m often asked what is the best way to build name recognition for one’s brand. Below is a list of 24 branding tips that work well.

1. Hire a creative or marketing firm to bring your image and message under a brand.

2. Develop all collateral and image materials to coincide with your brand and message. Materials commonly used are logo, tagline, website, stationery, mission statement, postcards, brochures, newsletters, letters, project sheets, resumes, bios, and firm description.

3. Develop a mission statement that describes your existence and the value you provide to your customers.

4. Develop a memorable tagline that expresses who you are and what you do.

5. Make a matrix of all those you’d like to reach in the next year and the potential influencers on those people. Develop a timetable and calendar of outreach.

6. Regularly write and issue press releases to the media and for your website.

7. Regularly write articles and use in step 6.

8. Regularly write and pitch feature story ideas to the media.

9. Diversify all marketing, PR and media to reach the markets where your clients are to be found (as opposed to marketing within your own service industry).

10. Participate (attend, speak, host, present, show) in at least two national and local industry conferences.

11. Create and issue an online or direct mail newsletter.

12. Get known for niche expertise or specific industry knowledge. (speak, write, present, teach).

13. Participate in professional internship programs.

14. Participate and sponsor local charitable efforts; get your name in the program the charitable cause distributes; get your name in the press surrounding the event.

15. Get to know all potential teaming partners in your new geographic area. Let them know your people, your areas of expertise and potential for cross referrals.

16. Develop collateral material with a regional bent; think what projects, services, people or elements might be important to this new market and capture this regional tone in all collateral material.

17. Develop tip sheets as to how your company is different than your competitors and why this makes a difference to teaming partners and to your end users-your potential clients. Include these differentiating tips as the basis for all your branding statements.

18. Develop a calendar of local and regional events in your locale and make your company visible in the areas most related to your company and your potential clients’ interests.

19. Post your calendar of appearances and participation on your website.

20. Plan a media release before and after each event.

21. Hire an industry professional to conduct a survey on your behalf; post the results on your website. Publicize the results most important to your industry.

22. Update your website to be informational based so that search engines can find you, and clients can read in-depth material demonstrating your expertise.

23. Add informational website content a minimum of four times per month.

24. Establish your brand by regularly updating the financial value or potential value associated with your brand. Quantify results achieved and add these results to your brand value. Communicate through all methods, the value of your brand to those associated with it.

Branding Extended Product Model

Written by on May 19, 2011 in Advertising & Marketing, Branding - No Comments

At the center of every strong brand is a product or service that supports its brand experience. This experience is what the consumer uses to develop an opinion on what they have purchased. If the experience is positive, they will likely recommend the branded product to others. By using the extended product model as a powerful tool, it can help businesses develop a strong following and support their growth.

With common industry noise it’s too easy to loose focus of objectives for developing your brand. We tend to focus our attention on the physical product, when in reality there are many other aspects of the product to consider, all of which help shape the brand experience.

The following model highlights additional aspects of the extended product model.

Branding Touchpoints

Written by on May 17, 2011 in Advertising & Marketing, Branding - No Comments

As a small business owner, I’m aware of the importance of creating avenues to communicate a message about your business. Potential clients need to be aware that your products or services are available in order to attract new business. So how does one achieve this? Communicating your message via appropriate avenues that meet your strategy and accomplish your goals.

In order to communicate your message you’ll need to select a vehicle to travel down these avenues. This vehicle is commonly known in marketing as a branding touchpoint.

What is a Branding Touchpoint?

A brand touchpoint is the interface of a product, a service or a brand with customers, non-customers, employees and other stakeholders – before, during and after a purchase. This applies for business-to-business- as well as business-to-consumer-markets. Below is an illustration that shows many of the touchpoints that are related to a companies brand. Each touchpoint is an opportunity to increase awareness and build customer loyalty.

It can be a challenging task to differentiate yourself from your competitors. But the key to your success will be to develop appropriate touchpoints that are not only creative, but affective reaching your targeted audience.