Building a memorable brand is more important than ever.  In this climate of unlimited choices,  your brand has to be cohesive, memorable and differentiated to captivate consumers and eventually capture mind share.

Branding isn’t simply a visual identity, and a lot of start-ups go wrong by undervaluing the importance of branding initiatives. Think of branding as a vehicle for communicating your value to the world, engaging consumers on an emotional level, and creating a sense of ownership for your customers and fans.  A strong brand paints a picture of your core values, your personality, points of difference and clearly communicates to the consumer why they should choose you over competitors. Here are 5 branding assets you absolutely should not launch without.

1.    A Memorable Name:  Good brand names are rarely arbitrary.  They are carefully curated ambassadors of your brand personality that convey your brand’s position, tone, and values.  Names can be proper names (based on the founders if you like), descriptive names, imagistic, alphanumeric, playful, invented etc. Whatever you deem appropriate to get the tone and personality of your brand across is fair game.

Once you’ve identified a few names, evaluate them based on ease of spelling, sound, appearance, appropriateness and relevancy to the target market, and level of distinction.  Once you’ve settled on a name you love, do a trademark search before you spend time and energy on a logo design.  It might also be a good idea to test the name with your target market to make sure it resonates in a positive way!

2.    A Strong Logo: When it comes to identity design, brands need to “go big, or go home.”  Logos need to be instantly recognizable, memorable, and cue the product/service you are offering. Color is increasingly important in logo design. In fact, color has been found to increase brand awareness by as much as 80%. Because of the nature of human brain, we recognize color long before we can decipher words, and we often associate certain colors with particular brands. Opt for highly recognizable shapes, unique and customized typefaces, and an ownable color palette, as they all help to increase brand recall.

After you’ve designed your logo, remember to test it.  Look at your logo in the company of other brands it will be surrounded by.  Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it appropriate for the category so consumers can relate it to a product or service?  Yet does it stand out enough to be memorable?
• Does it read well in print, on package and online?
• Does it work in both black and white and color?
• Is it appropriate for the consumers, cultures, and subcultures that will be receiving it?
• Does it convey the brand personality?
• It is cueing the emotional response you are hoping for?

3.   Meaningful Marketing Collateral:  Alexander Hamilton said, “Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” Brands need to own their positions and exhibit personality and emotion in order for consumers to make real and meaningful connections with them.  Arguably the greatest brands of the last century such as Coca-Cola, Apple, and Nike all have human qualities to them.  The emotions of their brands are palpable at every level.  We love them, we bring them into our homes and we make them a part of our everyday lives because they stand for the same things we do.

4.    An Optimized Website: Anybody can create a website — the Internet is full of sites where you can do it for free.  It is somewhat harder though, to create a website optimized for good user experience.  Your website should be a showcase for your brand personality, with rich and valuable content that will make consumers want to stay on your site and share it with their friends.  It’s a mistake to create a website just for the sake of having one.  It can be a truly invaluable tool for telling your brand story, proving your credibility and engaging with consumers in real time.  It is also the best place to gauge perceptions of your brands and products. Good sites balance design and functionality.

5.    A Well-Rounded Promotional Strategy:  Social media is becoming a sort of “gold rush” with businesses attempting to lay claim to as much mind share as possible.  Interestingly, in a recent IBM study, 70% of executives thought their businesses would be perceived as “out of touch” if they did not engage in social media.  However, the same study also concluded that most people use social networks to interact with friends and families, not necessarily brands.

The point is, social media might not be a gold mine for your particular business.  A well-rounded promotional strategy will prove more fruitful in the long term, as you are engaging consumers through various mediums, and through a multidimensional approach.  Before you get caught up in promotional buzzwords, identify who your consumers are and where they dwell.  It’s not just a “presence” that will capture attention and be a driver to purchase. Brands need to convey real and tangible benefits across the board for consumers even to think about engaging with them.

-photo by flickr user bigcityal/Creative Commons

If your company’s message seems to be getting lost in the shuffle, perhaps now is the time to think about re-branding what you have been saying to consumers.

As you give consideration to possibly re-working your brand, keep in mind that a change involves a number of facets, many of which will cost your company money.

Most importantly, is it worth losing the time, effort and recognition that went into defining your brand in the first place? Simply put, many customers get used to a brand that they can identify with, so are you going to ruffle some feathers by changing what they already know?

Perception and Reality

If your company is toying with the idea of a brand change, remember that it took you time and money to establish your brand, something that did not happen overnight.

Are you seeing a major drop-off in revenue that is leading you to consider a branding change or are you trying to keep up with the competition who may have changed brands and are seeing more success?

When a company contemplates changing its brand, it first needs to look at several factors:

• Will the change involve a lot of time, effort and money?
• Is the change being done do to economics, a desire to translate a new message or a combination of the two?
• What are the possible ramifications with customers when we make this change?
• Have we done everything possible to maximize our current brand?

If re-branding is still in your thoughts, you will need to decide how far you want to go with the new approach.

With a complete brand overhaul, you are looking at presenting yourself as a new company that can still leverage the assets you have built to attain. Among the options here is changing your company’s name and redefining your company’s products and/or services.

If your company chooses a slower transition, the best option is to implement smaller changes so that you do not do a 180 and have customers scratching their heads.

Whichever road your company selects, be sure to accurately and efficiently notify your customers and potential customers of the changes. Nothing will upset the customer base more than if you put in places changes that will impact what they can buy from you, their terms of purchase and especially cost increases.

Speaking of costs, yes, something any business owner hates dealing with make sure you project what the expenses of a brand change will involve before implementing such a move.

Among the cost issues with re-branding are:

• Promotional items;
• Letterhead and business cards;
• Advertising.

As you can see, re-branding is something that takes a lot of thought, especially on the financial end of things.

If your company’s branding message seems to be stuck in neutral, consider the different options available before completely re-branding your business.

A major re-branding does come with consequences, some of which you may not like.

One thing I realized during my 9-5 career is that the things you don’t say can oftentimes be way more powerful than the things you do say. I remember telling my boss, the VP of Sales, a story about a how another VP of Sales in a past job took a huge account that I had landed away from me and transferred it to a senior rep because he felt I couldn’t handle it. I told this story as a way to prove that I was capable of bringing in big accounts. But as I told it, I realized that what I was really doing by telling the story was instilling doubt in his mind of my abilities to effectively manage a large account. If another person in his position had made that call, then maybe there was some validity to it.

I vividly remember sitting there after having spilled the beans, immediately regretting it; realizing that although I was trying to make myself look capable it really did quite the opposite… It was a valuable lesson and I learned to be a lot more mindful about what I say – and don’t say! And that is a skill that is definitely useful in developing marketing communications….

Now cut to yesterday…. I stole a couple of lazy hours on a Saturday afternoon to watch some mindless TV. And on comes a Nutella commercial. I rarely watch commercials these days, but as a marketer when I do, I pay attention. In this particular Nutella commercialI noticed how they positioned the product as a fun, easy, and healthy choice. I didn’t quite buy the “healthy” claim so I went to my laptop to look up their ingredients. Guess what??? No so healthy…! But it got me thinking again about Marketing and Advertising and clever big corporations are with their messaging – like politicians, they are great at focusing on the good and ignoring the “bad”. So I thought I’d point out what Nutella did in their commercials to help small business owners know what to say – and NOT say!

Here are some lines from their commercial that I thought were interesting uses of marketing messaging. I also included lessons that all small businesses can learn from them.

“Serve it on whole wheat toast or even whole wheat waffles.” – I love this line. Without saying the product is healthy, it leads you to believe it’s healthy simply by associating it with something that is healthy! Using this strategy, you can slap 20 tablespoons of sugar on whole wheat bread and voila! It’s healthy! Lesson: In your business, what can you associate your product or service with to make it more appealing to consumers?

“My kids love it and I feel good about serving it.” - Translation: I don’t have to force my kids to eat healthy stuff they hate- yet, it’s healthy enough that I don’t have to feel guilty about feeding them junk. Lesson: What emotional affect does your product or service have on consumers and how can you make them feel good about using it?

“Nutella is made with Simple, Quality ingredients; like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa” –How can you go wrong with nuts and skim milk and just a ‘hint’ of cocoa??? Sounds so nutritious and wholesome and good, doesn’t it? What they don’t say is that the first ingredient is sugar and the second is palm oil (which is proven to increase bad cholesterol). Lesson: How are you showcasing your best qualities (and down-playing your not-so-great qualities)?

“No artificial colors or preservatives” – What they don’t tell you is there are artificial flavors, but because they say “no artificial colors or preservatives” you forget to ask about artificial “anything” and assume it’s “artificial”/junk free! Lesson: As small business owners we sometimes feel the need to apologize for the little things we don’t do- or the services we don’t provide… but instead of apologizing for what you don’t offer, focus on what you DO – and more often than not, people won’t even notice what you don’t do!

I’m not writing this to pick on Nutella or to tell you shouldn’t smother it all over your whole wheat toast for breakfast. I wrote it to use a real world example of how an effective marketing strategy and careful marketing messaging can transform your product or service. Happy Marketing !

(And one more thing, can you really call it a Hazelnut spread if hazelnuts are only the THIRD ingredient? Wouldn’t it be a sugar spread?” – I guess it’s all about packaging!)

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!! Leave your comments here.

By the way, if you liked this post, I’d really appreciate your Retweet!!! Thank you.

Image by Cherrysweetdeal via Flickr

Oops, they did it again!

These days it seems like it’s all anyone can do to keep up with the hustle that Facebook has going. I mean, just when you get used to one new thing, they announce something different altogether. I know, it’s frustrating… even for people, like me, who LOVE this stuff. But, if you’re NOT a social media rock star and don’t play one on TV, here’s the skinny on the latest – brand tagging.

Facebook added a new functionality to their photo tagging system. In addition to tagging your friends (and pets!), you can also tag brands. You read that right – you can now tag that can of Pepsi sitting next to you in that pic.

When I first heard about this, I immediately went over to HonestlyNow.com to ask how many people would actually tag a brand in their Facebook photo. 75% of those who voted said, “No way, and I’d be helping huge companies promote their wares…why??” The other 25% were willing to play ball.

Interesting (it always is at HonestlyNow.com).

IMHO, there’s an opportunity and a challenge… both are opportunities if you ask me. The up-spin is both large AND small brands can tag their wares. So, that means Grown Up Soda can be tagged right along with Pepsi. There’s an opportunity for smaller brands to make a come up, if they play their cards right. Tagging contests and all sorts of jolly good times can be had by all. It only takes one SMART marketer to color outside the lines.

Which leads me to what I believe to be the down-spin: it only takes one SMART marketer to color outside the lines. What’s to stop someone with a vendetta against Starbucks, from tagging Starbucks cups as Dunkin Donuts? Or Domino’s Pizza as Papa John’s? Or a McDonald’s bag as a Wendy’s bag?

I’m not trying to throw any one brand under the bus here, but I’m just wondering if ANYONE at Facebook thought about the long-term implications of their new brand tagging feature.
The crowd is fickle, dear Facebook and oops, you did it again.

Is your small business kinda slow these days? Are customers just not calling and coming in like they used to? It’s probably because you’re using the same old marketing and advertising you’ve been using for years.

It’s time to change it up a bit. When’s the last time you looked at your messaging and marketing materials and made changes…. I mean really looked???

Here are five ways to refresh your marketing

Five Simple Ways to Refresh Your Marketing

1. Update or improve your product or service offerings.

You can refresh them by simply making some minor changes to your selection, how you package them, or what you call them. For example – an oil change can become your “Car Wellness Package” and you can include a “five-point wellness check.” A CPA’s tax preparation service can be “Keep the IRS off Your Back Service” and you can include a little “Stay out of jail free certificate” – maybe even a t-shirt saying “I’m a not a jailbird because Joe’s CPA firm did my taxes” (corny, but effective!).

2. Experiment with your pricing.

Repackage and restructure your offerings. Maybe offer some new creative discounts, special offers, new member incentives, loyal customer deals.

3. Find new ways to offer or deliver your products or services to customers.

Is it completely 100% easy and convenient for your customer to use what you offer? If not, find ways to break down those hurdles… maybe you go to them, maybe you offer a delivery service, or do your service in one hour instead of three, or offer online shopping.

4. Is your brand image outdated?

Was your logo and imaged designed in the 80s? Does your business look dated and out of style? If so, you may want to consider refreshing your image or potential customers may view you as being passé.

5. Try creative new ways to communicate with customers and prospects.

So you’ve been doing direct mail and print ads and the returns are diminishing each year. Try something new and fun and different. Hand out flyers at the shopping center, try email marketing, Facebook, Twitter, sponsor a Little League team – find out where your target market hangs out and literally get your message in front of them!

Of course, the important thing is, no matter what you change or do, TEST, TEST, TEST and MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE. Small-business marketing is really about testing and measuring to find what works and what doesn’t. It doesn’t do any good to do any marketing if you don’t do these things…. you’re simply playing an expensive guessing game.

Cover of Mark Twain

Eager to get their businesses off the ground, many young startups make branding mistakes because they don’t understand the right marketing messages.

Have you defined your marketing message(s)? You may adjust your marketing messages periodically, or you may have different messages for different audiences, but focus on something from the start and be consistent. Here are some guidelines that will serve you well:

• Be concise. Don’t include everything there is to know about your business in your marketing materials. What makes you different from everyone else in the market? This will be an important part of your marketing message. Stand out from the crowd and give people a reason to do business with you instead of a competitor.
• Be consistent. Don’t confuse people with too many things, and don’t change your message frequently. A consistent message is easier to remember. It takes a while for your message to cut through the clutter and be heard. So if you want your message to resonate, you must repeat the same message time and time again. Be patient.
• Focus on the customer. Always create marketing messages that feature the customer, rather than your product or service. It is what’s commonly known as WIFM—what’s in it for me. For example, let’s say you are a car salesperson and the car you’re trying to sell is equipped with state-of-the-art anti-lock brakes that can stop you from having an accident. Instead of telling your customer the technical features of the brake system, share a story. Obviously, the brakes are a safety feature for when road traction is difficult. So appeal to your customer’s concern for safety. You could explain how your customer’s family won’t be at risk if there is a big snowstorm because of this car’s state-of-the-art anti-lock brakes. See the difference? As I noted earlier, your key messages may be different for different audiences. As the business owner and primary sales representative, you listen and learn what each audience wants and then you align your message accordingly.
• Deliver on your promises. Never guarantee something in your marketing materials unless you are absolutely positive you can deliver on that promise every single time. Establishing expectations with your market and not living up to them will tarnish your reputation quickly. News of bad service travels fast.

In fact, make sure all of your marketing messages match your actions. This is known as brand integrity. Lots of business brands make the terrible mistake of saying one thing in their marketing message and doing something else when it comes to delivering their products or services. If you tell people in your marketing campaigns that customer service is paramount, but you have people in your organization who ignore complaints or don’t act on orders, then you minimize the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Talk the talk and walk the walk.

Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.
— Mark Twain

Stay focused on the customer and be consistent.

Finally, small business owners everywhere realize they need an online presence if they are going to compete in today’s world. Small business owners who just a year ago adamantly argued that their customers aren’t using the web are now jumping on board and admitting – yes, indeed they are.

But slapping up a website just for the sake of having a website can defeat the purpose – and can even harm your image if it isn’t done right.

If you’re thinking about creating a website – or even if you already have one – follow these 6 rules to make it the effective and powerful marketing tool it should be:

1. The website is not about you. A prospect is not looking for information about you; they are searching for a solution to their unique problem or need. THAT should be the focus of your home page. Use words and phrases they would use to describe their pain and then outline the solution you have to solve it.
2. Have an offer. Get the most out of your website by using it as a lead generation tool. If someone spends time on your site, don’t just let them click away without engaging them further. Offer a newsletter, a free report, or even a free consultation. Do something to get them to act so you can find out who they are and market to them further.
3. Be Unique. Beware of canned website services; you know – the ones that offer websites for CPAs or Chiropractors or Attorneys. They all the look the same, they all have the same content, and they make it really hard to differentiate you from your competition. Invest a little bit more in a site that allows you to stand apart from the crowd.
4. Your website is your online storefront. Your website is very often going to be the first impression people get of your small business. Make it visually appealing. Make it interesting, informative and engaging. Make it different – add some fun elements, or news stories or free tips that your target market would be interested in. Make sure it’s professional- and PLEASE check your grammar and spelling!
5. Use testimonials and case studies. Yes, your home page should be about the prospect and their problem – but once you’ve engaged them and gotten their attention, they will want proof that you can deliver as promised. Having a page of testimonials and case studies is a great way to demonstrate that you can deliver as promised.
6. Make it easy for a prospect to contact you. Have a contact page that is easy to find, with your email address, and/or phone number. Put your phone number on the home page (some experts recommend having it on every page of your website). Finding a way to contact you should not be a game of “Where’s Elmo?” If it takes more than a second or two – you risk losing them – and they could mean a lost sale.

I was never a fan of Lady Gaga. I grew up in the age of Madonna rolling and gyrating all over the stage in her fetish-style costumes and Ozzy Osbourne biting the heads off bats. Lady Gaga and her outrageous outfits and risqué lyrics didn’t faze me. She was just another wannabe exorbitant artist that the general public was eating up and I didn’t pay much attention. That is until I saw her on 60 Minutes last night; then I realized what a marketing genius she is and gained a new respect.

She built a brand (Lady Gaga) from scratch and is now, according to Anderson Cooper, “the most talked about entertainer in the world”. Lady Gaga didn’t get famous by accident. No, she diligently studied “the art of being famous”. This is a woman on a mission – a woman with passion and drive and I gained a whole new respect, if not for the music, but for the business woman and brilliant marketer she is.

Here are 6 things all small business owners can learn from Lady Gaga:

1. Master the “Art of Fame” - Lady Gaga didn’t become famous by accident. She knows what it takes to be famous because she invested the time and energy; she studied it. Nothing she does is by accident. She plans every outfit, every song, every interview, every moment of her life. Are you a master of what it takes to become famous in your industry? Do you understand what others in your industry have done to make it big? Can you honestly say you KNOW what it takes to make your business as successful as you want it to be and that you plan each and every action with achievement of that goal in mind?
2. Know your audience and connect– Lady Gaga knows her audience, she has a huge fan base of young and old who feel disconnected and disenfranchised in the world and she speaks to and connects with them in her music, her image and her interviews. She moves them because she understands them so well. Who are your “fans”/customers? What moves them and what do you do to move them? What do you do on every level to connect with them?
3. Be inspirational – People are drawn to positive people, businesses, and outcomes. If you aren’t excited about your business, no one will be. Lady Gaga embraces and uplifts the insecure, outcast, “freak” in us all. Hers is a message of self empowerment and self acceptance- and that has helped her succeed. What is your message to the world?
4. Make it personal – Lady Gaga uses her own experience to connect. She grew up feeling like an outcast; she was different. But instead of using it to isolate herself she turned it into a way to connect to others. How can you tell your story to connect with your customers and prospects? What need, problem, or niche do you fill that is lacking in peoples’ lives? People connect with people – make it personal!
5. Be outrageous – No one ever got famous or popular by being timid. Lady Gaga made a truckload of money and became a worldwide phenomenon by taking risks and by standing out from the crowd – by being outrageous. What can you do in your own industry to stand out and be outrageous? Don’t be afraid to take risks- don’t follow the crowd.
6. Change it up sometimes – Never be boring! Every time you see Lady Gaga she’s sporting a different look. She’s always outrageous, always edgy and always true to her brand – but she’s always fresh and new and exciting! How can your company and brand keep it fresh and new and exciting so that every time a customer or potential customer comes into contact with you they get a new/fresh look or perspective? Maybe it’s a new product or service offering. Maybe it’s a new process… find a way to keep it interesting and keep your customers engaged!

Carolyn Higgins is the President and founder of Fortune Marketing Company. Her personal mission is to help small businesses stop wasting money on advertising and promotions that don’t deliver and help you implement an effective marketing system that will bring you more customers – consistently.

For more information about Carolyn Higgins and Fortune Marketing Company please visit http://www.FortuneMarketingCompany.com. Email chiggins@fortunemarketingcompany.com or call us at 707.631.6340.

As little as 5-6 years ago, computers and cell phones were purely utilitarian devices. That is, they were used to get tasks done. They weren’t always very pretty to look at and certainly not things that you necessarily craved – unless your inner geek needed whatever was the latest and greatest technology. “Sexy” was certainly not a word ever used to describe the latest Dell, Motorola phone, or the newest desktop from HP.

Then Apple managed to change the world. Most people think that Apple’s great innovation was the invention of the portable mp3 player. Far from it. Plenty of others existed when the iPod  came along. What Apple focused on was design – the design of the software that ran on the iPod, the industrial design of the actual device, and the simplicity of a single ecosystem for managing your music and getting it onto your device.

Even at the time the iPod first launched, it did less than its competitors. It had fewer features yet it was more expensive than almost anything else out there. Even today, the current crop of iPods still does much less in raw functionality than alternative players. And yet, they still cost more.

What Apple knew was that customers craved simplicity and would be willing to pay for a device that looked cool. People could show off the fact that they owned an iPod with the (now ubiquitous) white headphones even when the device was in their pocket. If it cost a little bit more, that would make it slightly exclusive as it would scare away the bargain hunters and the pure feature geeks.

Click Here to read the rest of Noah’s article.

Noah Parsons is a silicon valley veteran who has worked for a few interesting companies such as Yahoo! and Epinions in their early days. He currently lives in Oregon and is COO of Palo Alto Software. Find him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

David Fincher’s new film, The Social Network, could be subtitled “The Unauthorized Biography of a Startup.” Based on the book ‘The Accidental Billionaires’ by Ben Mezrich, The Social Network tells the story of Facebook’s founding and rise to fame through the lens of the lawsuits that arose around it almost from the beginning.

While critics contend that the movie is as much fiction as truth, it’s based on an all-too-typical scenario: business founders get started without a clear understanding of the legal implications of partnerships, intellectual property, and non-compete agreements, and are then surprised when complications arise.

Whether or not you’ve seen The Social Network yet, we found some great lessons any startup should take away from the movie.

Business ideas aren’t protected
Central to the storyline of the film is a misunderstanding about what constitutes intellectual property.

The facts: In late 2003, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and Divya Narendr asked fellow Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg, already known as a genius programmer, to write some code for a social networking site for students. Their oral agreement with Zuckerberg later created disputes as to whether they hired him, contracted with him for a portion of the profits, or what, but Zuckerberg admits to doing about 6 hours of work for them on the project, and claims he never committed to completing the project, but just that he was “helping out” some fellow students. At some point, he stopped answering their emails and in February 2004 launched his own social networking site, “Thefacebook.”

The basis of the resulting lawsuit was that Zuckerberg had “stolen their idea” and used it for his own profit.

But, as our own Tim Berry points out, “Business ideas aren’t protected. In 30 years of business and consulting, I’ve never heard of any laws to protect business ideas. Laws protect inventions with patents, creative works with copyright, and trade names with trademarks.”

If they had alleged instead that he had stolen their original code, that would be protected by copyright, so long as:

• they, and not Zuckerberg, had actually created the code, or
• they had an enforceable contract with Zuckerberg as an employee or contractor that gave them rights to anything he created while in their employ.

Alternatively, if they had made Zuckerberg sign a non-compete agreement before beginning work, in which he agreed not to create his own social networking site, or not to do related work for a certain period of time, they would have had a legal basis for the lawsuit.

Spoiler alert:
On Monday, we’ll talk about partnership agreements, and how they could have saved Eduardo Saverin and the Winklevoss twins a lot of time in court.

Sara Prentice Manela
Editor

P.S. Speaking of Facebook – Have you joined our fanpage?