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MINDING YOUR OWN BRAND – WHY CAN’T WE BE FRIENDS?

A graphic designer friend of mine sent me this email the other day with the header "Awesome Marketing Strategy":

When we got home there was a 9"x12"x4" box with the mail. The return address was a printer in Cranston, RI that I had heard about but never used. I opened the box and under a top layer of crinkled paper was a piece of their letterhead with this message:

"It's a safe bet that a passion for knitting may not be the only thing we have in common..."

Attached to the note was a pair of 9", #10 bamboo knitting needles. A business card was tied to the needles. I teach knitting and have a couple of students with the same first name, but a quick visit to the printer's web site showed me an unfamiliar face. So I sent her an e-mail.

Long story short: this relatively new sales rep got my name, probably from their database, cruised my website and saw links to knitting websites.

I met her this past Wednesday and we had a wonderful conversation about knitting. She's really great and a go-getter. I think she will probably get my business when I have a printing job.

This was an "Awesome Marketing Strategy" for many reasons. First, the message delivery method was different which made her stand out in a pile of mail. Rather than send the typical envelope or a postcard, this sales rep sent a box, something that would stand out and would not be thrown away. This is a technique I have used myself and I often encouraged clients to "think inside the box" when it come to direct mail.

Why? Because a box guarantees your direct mail piece will be opened. Boxes, big or small, always end up on top of a stack of mail. Gatekeepers would never open a box addressed to someone else and the "little kid at Christmas" in all of us ensures that the intended recipient will be compelled to open a box to see what it is.

The second reason this was an "Awesome Marketing Strategy" was that her message was creative, compelling, and left the recipient wanting more. The rep wetted my friend's appetite and did not overwhelm her with capabilities brochures, samples or special offers. This marketing piece didn't try to do too much. It did what it was supposed to do; it introduced the company, the rep and extended an offer to begin a dialog. But more importantly, this piece made an offer to begin a relationship based on something other than doing business together.

This is great example of how to begin a true relationship with a prospect. Instead of just marketing at my friend, the rep marketed to her, while setting the stage for a potential friendship. By doing her homework, this rep found a basis for a friendship and who wouldn't want to do business with a friend? They now have something in common besides a potential order and when my friend needs a printer, she will call this rep.
So this rep has taught us how to stand out and catch a prospect's attention, but more importantly the lesson from this story is that instead of looking at a prospect in terms of just a sale, we should ask ourselves "Why can't we be friends?"

EMOTIONAL BRANDING – HOPE IN A JAR

Forget about Oprah's latest "Eat..Pray...Love," phenomenon book. This week I am personally enjoying "Advanced Brand Management,"by Paul Temporal...and I have to say it is quite wonderful;) Even more wonderful if you're really trying to define your brand. One of the most crucial decisions a company can make.

Author Temporal urges companies to analyze what business they are really in....for example a brand like Volvo is not selling cars they are selling "Safety" and a brand like Donald Trump is not selling books, suits or even real estate he is selling "Success." To translate this concept into the style industry we sometimes drift a little bit more towards the superficial.... Although the same principle applies.

A lot of jean companies want to sell a "great butt." A luxury handbag company may sell "status"... while a shoe company sells... "long legs." Each of them with an undertone of confidence. Perfumers are also famous for using images and scent to sell sex.... glamour... and passion. To be fair an organic tee shirt company may sell a "clean environment,"...and a product in the"Philosophy," beauty line... literally sells "Hope in a Jar." (now that sounds good).

Getting to the core of what your customers really want allow you to speak their language and positions a want as an absolute need. It sounds cheesy but deep down inside we are all just looking to buy things that at the end of the day make us feel good. Good branding gives us something to stand on...something to turn to in times of doubt and insecurity.

The other great thing about branding is that when you can take the emotional value of what you're selling...combine it with what you're actually selling and then sell it for all that it's worth it can be priceless. So cut out the guess work and paint a pretty picture of a desirable result......if you actually pull through and deliver your customers will love you for it.

Ralinda Harvey is the owner of Gloss Marketing, marketing and merchandising firm specializing in contemporary fashion companies. Ralinda has worked in merchandising and marketing for Michael Stars as well as Gap Inc. brands Gap and Old Navy. She has also served as an adjunct marketing instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

IMPORTANCE OF RELIGIOUS LOGOS

Just as business organizations need quality logos to represent their business and state their business objectives, in the same way religious groups and organizations need descriptive yet simple logos to present their ideals and thoughts. However, as compared to logos or other organizations and businesses, religious logos are more conservative and make use of sober and formal designs to give an aura of seriousness and earnestness.

In this regard, not only the logo design, but the font, style, colors as well as the symbols give an outlook of simplicity and solemnity. It has been noticed that most of the religious symbols make use of crosses, angelic symbols like angelic symbols including Mary and Jesus or palm tress while Satan, fire, dove and sun are some more of the symbols used in religious logos. However, it is to be noted that these symbols, fonts and styles depend on the religious group or the organization making use of these logos. While some of the organizations are related directly related to religion such as church or church group, others might be of a more public nature offering spiritual guidance or help.

A large number of religious institutions and leaders have been noticed using crosses and angelic symbols to denote spiritual faith and heavenly guidance that can help people in time of need. In most of the cases, Eucharist and other related symbols are used to represent the Christian faith.

The colors used in religious logos are strong and vibrant ranging from red, green and yellow. White and black in some cases are very appropriate depending upon the theme and the images used in the logo. These colors represent a contrast of life and death as well as faith and strength in religion; spiritual healing and harmony among the Christian believers. On the other hand, many religious institutions use light and bright colors like pale pink or yellow to give a sense of light and uplift in their logos to make them more attractive and eye-catching.

As religion is a force that binds people and unifies them, a religious logos need to be done in such a way to give a vision of oneness and seem like driving force. As religious logos do not aim to earn profits and money, they are not supposed to look hi-tech or entertaining, but one thing is essential, they should be good-looking and attractive for people looking at them. They should have the power to draw people towards religion and salvation. No matter if the logo belongs to a ministry, church, outreach group, religious event or a religious activity; it is the most important aspect.

Fonts are also a very important part of these logos; straight and bold fonts are very suitable for such logos and altered to match with color they complete a religious logo. Religious as well as spiritual logos are conservative in nature and a font such as Times New Roman or Corisva or any conservative looking fonts add to this look.

One very important thing for designing religious logos is that they should not offend any religious group or people belonging to any faith. Being a serious issue, it should be sober and give an impression of being a simple design. Just as religion is for all, in the same way a religious logo should look appealing and inspiring to all and give a message of spirituality and unity. All religious logos should be designed very thoughtfully giving special consideration to the message they want to convey through their imagery and fonts.

POLITICAL LOGOS

Political logos are very important for political parties as well as the candidates who are contesting elections. Along with this, political logos are significant for a country and its political agenda. In most of the cases, a political logo has to be a registered trademark that no one else can copy or cheat, rendering it useless.

Political logos help to convey a party's ideals and their standards to the general public who will vote for them. A political logo can also belong to a political leader as well as a group representing them in the political arena. One of the most important things to be considered in political logos is that they should be very powerful representatives of a candidate's or a party's agenda.

As seen in political logos from all over the world, it has been noticed that they are as trendy, colorful and promotional and as attractive as they can be. Take for example the logos for US presidential logos; all of them urge people to vote for their candidate in the strongest possible ways.

Along with this, these logos should be patriotic and have the colors of the respective country where the candidate resides, to give it a homely touch and make people believe in their sincerity to country and nation.

Another very important feature of political logos is that they should be inspiring. They should inspire people to come forward and either vote for them or join them for the betterment of the country. One of inspiring aspects of political logos is use of any symbol that represents progress and development. In this regard eagle, soaring and high rise buildings and a national monument or joined hands are some of the commonly used features. Many political logos also make use of playing children, people standing together and other such images that portray a friendly environment that the candidate promises to provide once s/he is in power.

As the political logo will be used on a variety of places for promotional purposes such as brochures, TV campaigns or badges, it should have elaborate image or graphics. The logo should be clear and decipherable with a meaningful message that is understood in the first glance. These political logos play an important role in attracting people, thus they should be designed very astutely and wisely keeping all the important aspects of an eye-catching and alluring logo design in mind.

Along with the image, a catchy tagline can also help a great deal in promoting a political logo. A small but a very intelligently put tagline can be used to convey the core ideals and principals of a candidate or a political party and cover all the spoken communication by putting the meaning across in few words. All this helps to bring more popularity and as a result more people in the political arena.

8 SECRETS TO BOOST YOUR BRAND – AND YOUR SALES

As children, we learned the adage, "It's what's on the inside that counts." While that theory teaches a valuable lesson to youngsters, it doesn't tell the whole story. As far as your business goes, there's something else that matters just as much as your service or the quality of your product. It's your image: how customers view your company.

Look at a few of today's top corporations: Starbucks, Nordstrom and GE. Companies with stellar images illustrate that it's not enough to be the best. Your customers must also see you as the best. Before buying from you, clients must view your company as one that:

· Understands their problem or need
· Is competent to help them
· Speaks their language
· Deserves to be trusted

matter what the truth is. That's because, to reach your potential, clients must hold the same opinion of your company that you do. But here's the good news - you can significantly improve your image in 8 simple steps:

1. Assess your current image. You may also use the terms "brand" or "reputation." In any case, compare how customers see you right now with how you want them to see you. Find out their honest opinions by conducting a survey or asking clients directly.

2. Put yourself in your customers' shoes. What do your clients really need or want, and how can you give it to them?

3. Speak your clients' language.

· In today's world, you must stand out - or you won't get noticed. The average person is exposed to 300 to 5,000 marketing messages per day. You have less than 3 seconds to catch their attention. Take yourself as an example: How many direct mail pieces do you actually open? How many newspaper articles do you read from beginning to end? People pay attention to what interests them, so make yourself interesting.

· Get rid of acronyms and jargon unless you know your audience understands them. Just because you comprehend it doesn't mean they will. Talk in terms of problem/solution. Remind customers of their problem or need. Then show how your company is the solution.

4. Toot your horn loudly! Go ahead, it's okay to brag. Tell customers about awards you won, notable accomplishments and testimonials from satisfied clients. Let them know about promotional offers, and give them advice in your field of expertise. Constantly communicate what sets your company apart. The more good your customers hear, the quicker they will forgive a rare bad experience.

5. Tell them until you're blue in the face. It's a hard truth - you are usually more interested in what you have to say than your customers are. Most clients won't read, hear or understand your message the first time around. So emphasize your main points on multiple occasions. As a rule of thumb, if you're tired of your message, it's probably just starting to sink in with your customers!

6. Be consistent.

· Confirm facts. (You would be surprised how many people skip this step.)
· Use spell-checker, but don't depend on it! Or you may end up with sentences like these (taken from actual communications):

o "Our massage treatments help relive your pain."
o "I know judo, karate, jujitsu and other forms of marital arts."
o "We proudly feature some-day shipping."
o Typos can cause customers to question your credibility, so proof your materials carefully.

· Make sure the image your clients see in one vehicle (e.g., your Web site) coincides with what they see in another (e.g., direct mail). Notice the font, logo and colors. Most collateral should keep the same general look-and-feel. Remember, a beautiful home is not built in a day, and neither is your image. You must invest years of hard work to develop an admirable brand, so keep it up.

7. Give your customers a reason to interact. Communication is a two-way street, and clients who feel involved are more likely to be loyal.

· Reality TV typifies this concept. Have you (or your teenager) ever posted a comment on a TV show message board? You would be amazed at how invested viewers become in a weekly reality program. And interactive tools only enhance that loyalty.

· Another example: Many e-commerce Web sites now offer customer reviews.

· How could you incorporate interaction into your communications? Perhaps you should answer a "question of the month" on your Web site, or include a coupon with your direct mail piece. Use your imagination, and add "customer-to-company" communication to your plan.

8. Live up to your promises. Image is (almost) everything, but your service still matters. Don't get so caught up in promoting what a remarkable company you are that you stop doing what made you that way.

Remember, your brand will make or break you. The opinions of your customers can mean the difference between failure and topping your revenue targets. Which will you choose? If you implement the steps shown here - while still offering your clients impeccable products and service - nothing can stop you. You'll have customers for life!

BUSINESS BRANDING

Whether you are just starting a new company, or have been around for a while and need some marketing tips, branding your business should be on the top of your list. Marketing your business by building a brand name isn't just for large companies. Branding your business is essential for growing your company, no matter what size it is. Repetition, consistency, and visibility are the key to success in achieving brand power.

What is branding?

Wikipedia defines brand as including a name, logo, slogan and /or design scheme associated with a product or service. If you are in business today, it's imperative that you brand your business first-rate including logo, website, business cards, letterhead, print ads, television, radio and signage.

Let's break down the key elements for branding your business:

Logo

An effective logo should reflect your business. If you examine successful brands that have achieved instant recognition, you'll notice they all have one thing in common - simplicity. It's important that your logo design can be used in many different forms, not just on your website design, letterhead and business cards. Think of how you may want to advertise in the future - will you want to place print ads? Will your logo reproduce well in black and white, and in varied sizes? What about apparel? Will your logo hold up when printed on the t-shirts you'll be passing out at the next trade show?

Website

Your website is your online business card. Your logo should be presented on each of your website pages. Your website design should have intuitive navigation, clear navigation and valuable content. Once your website is up and ready to go, you should promote your site online via press releases and business networking sites. Don't forget to register your site with Google and most importantly, your contact information should be visible on every page - especially your phone number.

Business Cards

Business cards should have a clean, uncluttered design. Make sure they display your logo and present a professional image of your company. Include all forms of contact, and don't forget your web address! Some people choose to purchase double-sided business cards, and print just their web address on the back, so it stands out. Business cards are often your first point of contact with a potential client, and we all know first impressions make all the difference.

Letterhead

Your letterhead should also include your logo and contact information. Use your company letterhead for all correspondence with potential and current clients. All of your branding elements should coordinate with one another and present a consistent reflection of your company.You now have all the tools you need to project a professional image and start getting your company name out there. Don't try to cut corners and save money on these paramount items. Remember, you're building a company brand!