Why Brands Fail

If you are in business, you are offering a product.  Whether you’re selling sneakers or your accounting skills, your customers are shelling out money in return for whatever it is you have to offer.  In order to succeed, you need to understand the myriad ways you could fail…

*Article posted at Fuel Your Branding*

Branding in 3D

Holistic and 3-dimensional brand development results in a powerful relationships with internal and external stakeholders.  The built environment should not be overlooked as an integral part of brand communication.

**Article posted at Fuel Your Branding**

10 Reasons A Strong Brand Is Important to Your Business

Successful organizations are driven to succeed by visionary leaders.  These leaders take calculated risks, and look for ways to innovate in every aspect of their business.  Everything from internal work processes, to product design, to revamped service offerings are fair game when it comes to growing a company.  No matter what the innovations, however, the overall brand idea remains at the root of the evolution.  Thus, success depends upon a strong Brand.

Here’s why:

DEMONSTRATES ORGANIZATIONAL DISCIPLINE

Brand expression is strongest when it is consistent.  Consistency builds confidence in your company and its offerings.  Disciplined brand development within your organization demonstrates to your customers that you pay attention to the details.

IT’S GOOD FOR MORALE

People like to feel like they are a part of something good, something purposeful.  Your brand is the living, breathing example of why you do what you do.  If your employees understand your brand, they will likewise know why they do what they do.

GUIDES ORGANIZATION AS IT NATURALLY EVOLVES

In order to thrive and grow, organizations must manage change in a deliberate way.  A brand idea that has been similarly developed will provide a solid foundation upon which to build the company.

GUIDES ORGANIZATION WHEN IT’S FORCED TO EVOLVE

Sometimes, environmental conditions necessitate that you change your company’s direction.  When you see change on the horizon, a strong brand idea will help you plan ahead, allowing you to keep the core of who you are while adjusting to new conditions.

COMMUNICATES WITHOUT WORDS

When your brand identity begins to speak for itself – in logos, packaging, customer service, etc. – you’ve done your job.

PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

At some point, every company finds it necessary to collaborate with another organization.  Whether it’s a multi-disciplinary design team or an impending merger, a strong brand I.D. will not only tell your partners what you are about, but what is expected of them.

FORMS THE BASIS OF YOUR ‘ELEVATOR PITCH’

A well-defined brand idea is simple.  It’s easy to describe and easy to understand.  If your employees can’t say it in 20 seconds, it’s time to re-think your pitch.

INSPIRES COMPANY FOUNDERS WHEN THEY NEED IT

(and they will)

The daily grind is enough to take anyone off their game, even a visionary leader.  When you lose your focus, your brand idea can bring you back to the basics:  why you do what you do.

GIVES DIRECTION IN TIMES OF CONFUSION

Every organization goes through times of difficulty.  It may be do to external factors, like a recession; or it may be an internal issue.  When you need to get back on track in order to move your company forward, looking back at the root brand idea can tell you exactly where you need to go.

IT’S COMMUNITY SERVICE…YOU CAN INSPIRE OTHERS

When you are doing things right, people take notice.  Some are impressed, but many more are likely to be inspired.  Great leaders lead by example.  Your success can tangibly demonstrate the power of a strong brand.

Do you have a strong brand?  If so, what makes it work?  If not, what’s holding you back?  Share your thoughts.

Advertising, Marketing, PR, and Branding: Defined

It has come to my attention that certain words have certain meanings.

I mention this because this information can be important – particularly when describing one’s profession.  Say, for instance, that you practiced in one of the following fields:

• Advertising
• Marketing
• Public Relations
• Branding

If you were asked to explain the difference between them all, could you do it?  Go ahead.  Think on it for 30 seconds…

How did you do?  Did you come up with anything?  Or did you quit after you envisioned a car commercial, your frazzled company marketing director, the White House Press Secretary, and your favorite cereal?

Differentiating between these terms is surprisingly difficult because all of these disciplines are very much connected in their intent – that being the communication of “ideas” from one entity or organization to another.  Where they differ, however, is in the measurements of success.

Did the customer buy the product?  Do more people know about our company this year versus last?  Are we well-considered by the community?  Does every aspect of our organization represent our company culture and value system?

As you can see, these questions are all somewhat related.  But, the preferred answer to each can only be obtained in a particular manner, utilizing the tools of a particular discipline.  The disciplines in question are, of course, Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations, and Branding.

And, in the spirit of meaningful words, the definitions of each discipline are as follows:

ADVERTISING

The activity of attracting public attention to a product or business, as by paid announcements in the print, broadcast, or electronic media.  The business of designing and writing advertisements – (from Dictionary.com)

MARKETING

Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large - (from the American Marketing Association)

PUBLIC RELATIONS

• Anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes, and issues that might impact, for good or ill, the operations and plans of the organization.
• Counseling management at all levels in the organization with regard to policy decisions,courses of action,and communication, taking into account their public ramifications and the organization’s social or citizenship responsibilities.
• Researching, conducting, and evaluating, on a continuing basis, programs of action and communication to achieve the informed public understanding necessary to the success of an organization’s aims. These may include marketing, financial, fund raising,employee,community or government relations, and other programs.
• Planning and implementing the organization’s efforts to influence or change public policy.
• Setting objectives, planning,budgeting, recruiting and training staff,developing facilities — in short,managing the resources needed to perform all of the above.

- (from the Public Relations Society of America)

BRANDING

Branding is how you go about establishing your brand’s differentiated meaning in people’s minds…Branding is about signals – the signals people use to determine what you stand for as a brand.  Signals create associations. (from BrandSimple by Allen P. Adamson)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Public Relations Society of America

American Marketing Association

American Association of Advertising Agencies

Brandchannel

Yes We Can: The Remix Part Deux

Well, it appears that brand “recycling” goes beyond the verbal and into the realm of design rip-offs!  If you haven’t seen this one, it’s a doozy!  Click the photo to follow the link to the full story…