Free Glide

Branding is very important to a business, whether it is an online or offline business. Your brand will be the first impression the public has of your business and could very well be the most important one. The goal in business branding is to give consumers a visual image of your company. Business branding is very important to a business because it allows the public to identify your company name on sight.

There are several elements of business branding, the first of which is your logo. It is a good idea to use a professional in creating your company logo. A logo designed with clip art and unprofessional graphics can make your business seem unprofessional. Your company logo should appear in as many places as possible including emails, letterhead, pens, and notepads. The image your company projects should be professional and memorable.

Another important feature of business branding is your slogan. A slogan identifies the values and mission statement of your company. A slogan should emphasize the message you want to convey to the public. You should choose your wording carefully and create a short slogan that is easy to remember. Business branding is very important to any type of business and you should include your logo and/or slogan in your web site design and signage. In creating the perfect brand for your business you need to determine who your customers are and how your business can fill their needs, and who your competitors are and why your business is a better choice for consumers.

Business branding must be highly visible and easily identifiable to the public. Your branding logo and slogan should be consistently displayed in all your company advertisements and correspondence. The image your company projects is just as important as the quality of services and products you provide.

For more valuable resources for growing a successful business head over to http://www.redrockva.com today!

One of fiction’s finest marketing minds, The Cheshire Cat,
once told Alice in Wonderland something all business owners
and marketers should remember:

“If you don’t care where you are going, it doesn’t make a
difference which path you take.”

For businesses bent upon success, it does matter which path
you take. A positioning statement helps you chart your path
to success because it lets all your audiences – internal and
external – know where your organization stands in the battle
for your consumers’ minds.

Positioning: What Is It?

You should not confuse a positioning statement with your
market position. As Harry Beckwith states in his book
Selling the Invisible, “A position is a cold-hearted,
no-nonsense statement of how you are perceived in the minds
of your prospects. A positioning statement, by contrast
expresses how you wish to be perceived. It is the core
message you want to deliver in every medium.”

Your positioning statement will be found where three items
intersect:

- your business acumen/aspirations
- your market
- what truly differentiates you

Of the three, it is your market which holds the key to your
positioning. That doesn’t mean that your acumen and
aspirations are irrelevant. You must have a clear
understanding and shared agreement on these at the
management level in order to develop an effective
positioning statement.

My approach to developing an effective positioning
statement and an actionable marketing plan begins with
gaining this understanding. Here’s how we go about it, and
you can too:

- interviews with management and employees to learn job
responsibilities, current marketing practices, as well as to
surface questions for customer interviews

- a review of appropriate primary and secondary research

- a series of one-on-one customer interviews

Customer interviews allow us to probe for information such
as:

- how customers perceive your “product” and other products in
the category. what the customer wants from the product
category he is not now receiving. what is the primary
customer benefit of your product

- how your customers currently position your brand. how
customers perceive your competitors

- what media habits, lifestyles do customers share. what
industries do they work in, what are their titles, what
associations do they belong to

- how do customers want to be communicated with

Once all the information is in, you may develop a
positioning statement that clearly says who you are, defines
your audiences, indicates what markets you are targeting,
and states what makes you different from your competitors.

Once this is done, everyone knows where they are going and
then it’s easy to find the right path.

About the author: Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR, http://www.hoover-ink.com. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Duke Energy, Levolor, North Carolina Tourism, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX and Verbatim.

Is your brand alive? I ask that because most companies operate as if their company
or product brand was some fixed, static
concept in their customer’s mind. They may feel they already “own” a position in
their customer’s mind such as the quality producer, or
the price leader, or the supreme service provider — and that may be
true. But what many business owners don’t realize, is that a brand is actually a
living, fluid
perception… one that fluctuates from day to day. In essence, it’s more of an
evolving, growing entity than a fixed and static “thing”. So if branding is living,
dynamic and vital, what are you doing to nourish and grow it? And when I say
nourish, I’m talking about monitoring, tending, caring and watching over it. Sounds
a
bit crazy? Read on.

A few years ago, Apple was known as an innovative computer maker. Now they are
arguably more associated with music and video thanks to the popularity of iTunes
and the iPod. So where does that put the Apple brand in the consumers mind? Are
they still a computer company selling hardware? A software company? A music
service? The truth is that their image/brand/reputation, is undergoing a significant
change; and to keep operating as if they were just a computer manufaturer with a
popular new offshoot product would be a mistake.

I heard a speaker at an executive leadership meeting share that 40% of an average
company’s revenue would be coming from a completely new source in five years.
That amazed me. It speaks to the constant change that takes place in every
business. And because we get so caught up in the day-to-day grind, we often miss
those slowly emerging trends.

Take a few moments this week and look at your company image as if you were your
brand’s “gardener”. Are you still in the same business that your started in? Have
there been any changes in your products or services or pricing or quality that needs
to be communicated in your marketing, your tag line, or your name? If you were
Apple, would you just keep advertising computers… or would you present yourself
as the doorway to a digital lifestyle? If Burlington Coat Factory is “More Than Just
Coats” why not say what that means? If Southeast Airlines flies all over the U.S. then
why keep a name that’s so narrow? When Abacus Computers came to us as a leading
point-of-sale provider to the
restaurant industury, it was apparent they weren’t computer salespeople any longer.
They were solution providers. Abacus Computers is now Abacus Business Solutions
with the tag line “You can count on us”.

So take some time this week and do some image pruning. Add some Miracle-Gro®,
(and perhaps even some weed killer for those outdated names and products). Then
sit back and watch your brand, and your business, continue to thrive.

Phillip Davis has over 20 years on naming and branding experience. More of his work
and naming strategies can be found at http://PureTungsten.com

There are 10 basic P’s we can all incorporate into our business personas. Remember minding your P’s and Q’s your mother always told you.
Well, now we can all achieve that goal. Keep in mind this is a continuingly evolving process. No one can be perfect on every point. However, it is important to recognize that these attributes are a part of the well prepared competent professional and with a little practice it could be you.

10 P’s of Packaging Yourself

• Perceptive – You really listen to what people are saying and what message they are intending to convey.

• Performer – You get the job done. Not just occasionally but on time and with credible results.

• Persistent – You never give up. Did you know that very rarely is a sale made on the first contact. Research shows it may take as many as 12 contact before closure is made.

• Poised – No matter what happens you keep your cool. If a disaster strikes interject little humor into the situation.

• Prepare – The more you can anticipate and be prepared the better the outcome. You know what you plan to accomplish when you walk out that door or pick up a phone.

• Proactive – Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Seek, them out. Take time weekly to find ways to be proactive about your own persona.

• Productive – We are all time crunched so be productive in the time you assign to any task. Minimize interruptions and keep on track with your assignments. Results count more than the “show” about getting the job done.

• Purposeful – You have a game plan in mind not blindly running around from task to task. You have short and long ranges plans though out and actively work to pursue those goals and objectives.

• Professional – Look and act the part. Be well groomed and well dressed for any situation. You have the necessary business skills and tools to keep ahead of the curve.

• Punctual – Be on time for most anything. If you are going to be late be sure that someone is apprised of the fact you will be tardy.

So if you have your P’s in order get busy “Packaging Yourself” for success.

Discover the easy way to make yourself stand out from others. How to become an expert in your field; How to write a better resume; How to write a personal press release; How to accomplish things no one else is doing and to get people to think about you in ways they have not thought before and much more including critical checklists for those important business meetings.

This indispensable workbook will show you specific ways to accomplish your personal branding goals and launch your career into the stratosphere. We have done all the work for you with guidelines, cheat sheets and easy-to-use templates to customize for your own use.

So don’t put off building your brand any longer. Don’t wait till your associates get your promotion or raise or even a better job.

Order Packaging Yourself now @ http://www.packaginguniversity.com/pkgustorefront.htm

If you find that the strategies and tactics in these materials don’t work for you or in your business, we don’t feel like we should keep your money. We want you to try them for 30 days with zero risk.

Trade shows are part of the marketing mix and the
appearance by your firm should be a continuum of your
entire marketing including advertising, public relations and
events.

While you may introduce a new product or showcase a
service, many firms make mistakes by not connecting the
overall corporate branding with the show. How can an
exhibit staff person be up to speed on what the company is
doing?

BEFORE THE SHOW …………

1. Make sure you have information about the exhibit – what
is in it, why it is there – before the show. Not the day before
but as soon as you get your assignment. The exhibit
manager has the responsibility to make sure the exhibit is
on time and looks great – among many other duties. The
marketing team decides the theme, products highlighted
and rationale.

2. Read your company and division web sites. Sure, there
are lots of pages but there are hidden nuggets in there that
you may have forgotten or may be new to you. Here’s what
you may not know – attendees who are serious about
meeting with you – well, they will check your web site. Best
to be as informed as your prospective clients are.

3. Read all the promotional materials that you will hand out.
If an attendee has a question while at the booth, your
answer will not be – DUH?

4. Know what is in all the demonstrations. Are there cues to
expand on the demo? Clues as to how to lead a
conversation? Listen carefully and make your life easier.

5. Read advertising in your trade publications. What does
your firm promote versus your competitors? Can you explain
the differences?

6. While reading the trades, look for articles and releases
about your company. Check your online press release
section or ask the PR department about releases sent
before the show.

7. Understand the role of your firm if a sponsor of an event.

8. Ask. Ask. Ask until you get answers that satisfy you. Your
goal is to make you the best representative for the company
you can be.

Having an understanding of the broad marketing aspects
before the show makes your firm well branded at event.

Julia O’Connor – Speaker, Author, Consultant – writes
about practical aspects of trade shows. As president of
Trade Show Training, inc,, now celebrating its 11th
year, she works with companies in a variety of
industries to improve their bottom line and marketing
opportunities at trade shows.

Julia is an expert in the psychology of the trade show
environment and uses this expertise in sales training
and management seminars. Contact her at
804-355-7800 or check the site
http://www.TradeShowTraining.com

It’s winter time, the breed inspection season has come and gone in North America, and along with it branding season.

Branding season for horses–NOT for horse BUSINESSES.

If you have any business or marketing background, or have done any reading on the subject, you have heard of branding in the business context. Let’s take a look at what that actually is.

Brands on horses and other livestock in the Old West showed ownership. There was some level of claiming recognition for owning a quality animal, but primarily the point was to keep livestock from being stolen. Branding helped to legally retrieve stolen livestock.

In Europe, brands on horses were not an indication of personal ownership, but rather indicated the horses’ affiliations with one of the regional registries.

That idea, which is behind modern-day branding of horses in European-affiliated breeds and some of the other breeds in North America is closer to the concept of business branding. In fact, it IS business branding for the individual horse breed.

So What is Branding Exactly?

It isn’t a string of freeze-branded symbols or a set of moose antlers or other breed symbol. Those are likened to a business logo or trademark, but those things aren’t brands in the business sense, either.

A brand on a horse signifies everything the breed represents: the quality, history, performance record, origin, and so on. A horse that carries a breed’s brand mark ostensibly possesses all of the attributes of the breed, and is theoretically capable of performing to the standard established by that breed association. For example, when you see a horse with a Holsteiner brand (assuming you have familiarity with the mark), you recognize the horse as a Holsteiner. You immediately know a little bit about the horse’s lineage, background, and the kinds of activities it might be good at.

That is why some registries require a physical inspection and approval of the individual horse before giving it a brand–the branded horse is a representative of the breed’s identity, a walking advertisement. It makes sense for the breed organization to want to control the quality of those advertisements.

Likewise, a brand is the embodiment of all the information connected with a product or service. A brand typically includes a name, logo, and other visual elements and encompasses the set of expectations associated with a product or service which typicaly arise in the minds of people. (reference: wikipedia.org).

Logos and such–like brand marks–are a shorthand symbol for the brand. Those marks are meaningless until the brand is built.

Build Your Brand from the Ground Up:

As Chevy Chase’s character, Ty Webb, says in Caddyshack, “Be the ball.” Live the brand. Branding is everything you and your business represents. You establish a brand through the quality of your horses, your competitive record, the standard of service you provide to your clients, the manner of your business dealings, trust, your reputation. A brand is a business’ identity. Consistency in all of these elements builds a brand.

Paradoxically, I am on the fence about whether to brand horses or not. Maybe just the bunny-hugger in my personality coming out, but I think branding hurts the animal.

For your horse business, definitely, branding shouldn’t hurt. It might take a little mental stretching to grasp the concept, but the actual establishment and building of your brand need not be painful.

But one thing is certain: There is no end to the branding season for businesses!

Copyright 2005 by I.M. Andrews/Equinnovation Equine Marketing/http://www.Equinnovation.com. For more articles, information, and tips on horse business topics and equine marketing, subscribe to the Equine Business Edge, the free newsletter for horse-related business owners and the equine industry, at http://www.equinnovation.com/newsletter.