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Should B2B Businesses Invest in Brand?

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:40:00 +0000

It happened again this week. I was reading a copy of BtoB Magazine, and a CEO from a struggling B2B company was quoted as saying: "Brand is for consumer products; B2B is all about relationships and people, not products - because most of the B2B products category is made up of commodity products and services anyway."

Not so. It's just as important for B2B customers and prospects to know what brand of manufacturer, supplier, distributor or professional services provider you are as it is for a kid choosing a pair of basketball shoes. It's all about differentiating your company and products from your competitors. And if it's well done, buyers will pay a premium price for that distinction. It's a proven fact that purchasers perceive brand name products to be of a higher quality, more reliable and worth more!

B2Ber's have historically relied on direct sales relationships to move products. They assign sales reps to an area, give them some sales materials and encourage them to start calling on prospects. To increase sales, they must bump their competitors by developing a personal bond, expand their area, offer concessions or make special deals. But the successful B2B's are sending their salespeople out with more than sell sheets - they're arming them with a unique, deliverable claim of distinction.

According to some recent Harvard Business School research, B2B marketers are realizing that developing an awareness of a brand's distinction among their customers' customers can capture a larger share of channel margins and build loyalty that can protect them against lower priced competitors.

Consider these examples: Intel makes no sales to end consumers, yet the company built consumer demand pull for its chips that required every PC manufacturer to incorporate and advertise "Intel Inside" on their products and in their ads. Would Dupont's shareholder value be the same today if it had not made consumers aware of nylon, Lycra and Stainmaster and linked these innovations to the Dupont name? Definitely not.

Do you think that brand building is essential for B2B companies? Have you seen other benefits in successful B2B companies that have invested in brand development?

Join the discussion. We'd love to know what you think.

The Easiest Way to Ruin Your Brand

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:56:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Patty told me about a terrible experience she had with AT&T - and how she'll never do business with AT&T again as a result of her four week battle with customer service.

I never suspected that I'd have a similar story. But I had a run-in with AT&T customer service this week that has left me unwilling to do business with the company anymore - and I've been a loyal AT&T customer for a long time.

But our experiences aren't isolated. According to MSN Money, AT&T customer care ratings, as measured by J.D. Power, plunged from 4 out of a possible 5 stars in 2003 to 2 out of 5 this year.

AT&T is a pretty strong brand - one that has been around for a long time and spends incredible amounts of money on online and offline marketing. Yet it seems to have forgotten one of the basics of brand building: you have to deliver your brand promise at every touch point. And there are so many ways that your brand interacts with and makes an impression on customers, employees and other stakeholders. Every action, tactic and strategy that your brand uses to reach customers and stakeholders - whether through advertising, a cashier, customer service call or referral - represents a brand touch point.

AT&T's promise to its customers of continuous innovation, embodied in its most recent tagline, "Rethink Possible," implies that you'll get state-of-the-art service to go along with your technology. But clearly that isn't happening at one of its most important touch points - customer service.

So even if AT&T's advertising, offers, bills, website, technicians and R&D people deliver the brand promise but the customer service touch point doesn't, AT&T will continue to fail to deliver its brand promise. And the company will continue to lose customers - like Patty and me.

It's important for all organizations to realize that all brand touch points leave an impression of their brand on customers, employees and stakeholders - whether they want them to or not. So the question every organization needs to address is: Do you want to reinforce or strengthen what your brand stands for by identifying and controlling your brand touch points? Or do you want to risk ruining your brand and its promise?

Even big companies like AT&T can forget how easy it is to ruin their brand.

Should you consider mobile marketing for your brand?

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:10:00 +0000

I saw this question online this morning and thought it might make an interesting blog topic.

We believe that it's a good time to consider mobile marketing as part of your brand marketing mix - as long as your target market uses mobile phones and devices. Chances are that they do, since the U.S. alone has 250 million subscribers. And text messages to mobile phones have a read-rate of 94% - which is better than print, TV, e-mail or direct mail.*

After all, we're a mobile society; the mobile device is the fastest growing communications device in history, with twice the reach of the Internet. Smart businesses are saying about mobile marketing: "Why wouldn't we communicate with our customers the way we communicate with each other?"

Brands like Jameson and Nestle are using mobile brand marketing because it provides direct interaction and direct response from consumers - and provides a good return on investment. Quick service restaurants like Subway, Pizza Hut, Arby's, Papa John's, Burger King and McDonald's all have run successful mobile marketing campaigns and intend to run more.

Jiffy Lube ran a successful mobile campaign contest with a keyword-short code call-to-action to win a year of free oil changes. Non-winners were offered a mobile coupon, which had a unique code for tracking at the point of sale, for discounts on wiper blades, a tire change or an oil change.

Mobile marketing gives brands another highly targeted marketing tool and an opportunity to engage and interact with customers on the move.

So if you haven't considered mobile marketing yet for your brand, you really should. What are your thoughts about mobile marketing for your brand? Have you done it and, if so, what were the results? We'd love to hear from you.

*Mobile Marketing News, February 2009

Power to the People Will Build Your Brand

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:53:00 +0000

The president of our firm told me an interesting story about one of her shopping experiences last week-end. She and a friend went to Nordstrom's to do some Spring clothes shopping and met a wonderful salesperson who gave them terrific service and made their shopping experience fun and memorable. Not surprising since Nordstrom's brand promise is exceptional customer service - every time.

What did surprise her and her friend was that, after they were done shopping, the salesperson asked if they'd had lunch, and when they said they hadn't, she gave them passes to eat free at the Nordstrom Cafe. Both of the ladies were so impressed and grateful that they sent her an e-mail thank you. And both of them have been talking about it to their friends and colleagues ever since.

What a great brand ambassador that salesperson is for Nordstrom's! And you can bet that those ladies will come back - with more of their friends. Not only did this salesperson deliver on Nordstrom's brand promise, but she also exceeded her clients' expectations. And in the process, enhanced the brand's image and built customer loyalty.

What Nordstrom's will get in terms of brand building is well worth the cost of the two free lunches at their Cafe. But none of this would have happened if Nordstrom's hadn't empowered this employee and given her the tools to deliver the brand promise of exceptional service - in this case, by offering her customers free lunches.

Visionary marketers, like Nordstrom's - and Kraft Foods, XM Satellite and John Deere, to name a few - are building their brands by involving and empowering their employees because they know that brand value, and therefore, increased company value, is created and delivered by employees. How about you?

The #1 Reason to be an "Undercover Boss"

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:08:00 +0000

I've watched a few episodes of the reality TV show "Undercover Boss," and one thing about the show rings true. It's critical for the head of a company - and the rest of upper management, for that matter - to understand how their employees deliver the company's brand promise every day.

Why? Because a brand is built from the inside out. Brand value, and therefore the company's value, is created and delivered by employees. They can positively (or negatively) affect your brand's perception and acceptance. One of my favorite stories that illustrates this point comes from a friend who was looking for a conference room at a Ritz-Carlton hotel. A busboy noticed that she needed assistance, put down his tray and led her through the hotel to the right room. When my friend thanked him, he replied, as all Ritz-Carlton employees do when thanked: "My pleasure."

That employee knew exactly how to deliver the Ritz-Carlton promise of anticipatory service - reflected in the hotel's motto: "We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen."

Over and over again on "Undercover Boss," heads of companies discover that there's a disconnect between upper management and the people who deliver the brand promise on a daily basis; that there are some employees who deliver that promise consistently and others who simply don't buy in. And once they gain that understanding, they're in a better position to do something about it.

Employees are your company's brand ambassadors and your best advocates. Their buy-in, cooperation and collaboration with each other and willingness and ability to deliver your company's brand promise can make or break your business.

So whether your company is big or small, get into the trenches and start working on understanding how your employees deliver your company's brand promise. It's the first step in ensuring higher customer advocacy, productivity and profitability for your business.

How Social Media Can Build Your Brand

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:28:00 +0000

With more than 74% of the U.S. population using social media,* more and more businesses are coming to the realization that social media can help them build their brands and customer relationships. And that's a good thing. When a customer has a good relationship with your brand, it's an opportunity for predictable and sustainable growth.

But simply using social media isn't enough. Smart businesses view social media as another communications tool in their arsenal and use it to convey messages that support their brand image and promise. The key is consistency. Whether it's a TV spot or a tweet, messages must reflect the core values of the brand, its distinction and brand promise.

An example of a company whose social media messages support its brand image is Whole Foods Market. In addition to offering coupons and deals on natural and organic foods through social media, Whole Foods Market reinforces their brand promise of promoting healthy food and a healthy planet by offering their customers healthy recipes, by providing tips about how to protect the earth and by inviting them to company-sponsored events that support communities where they operate.

Social media can be a great way to build brand awareness and develop long-lasting relationships with customers - as long as you stay true to your brand and think of every brand messaging effort as mutually supportive. This is critical for building trust in your brand, positively influencing consumers' perceptions and awareness and ultimately motivating them to choose your brand - again and again.

*"Using Social Media to Deepen Your Customer Relationships," Infor, 12/08

Top 3 Qualities of a Good Brand Tag Line

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:07:00 +0000

The results are in on many of the new brand tag lines - a large number of which were introduced during SuperBowl 44. As expected, there were plenty of good and bad. Brand tag lines are those phrases that summarize your brand (and what makes it distinct) so perfectly that everyone inside and outside your organization can't forget it.

Since brand tag lines carry such serious business weight, it's important to know the three major characteristics of a good one.

So here goes. To be effective, a brand tag line must:

Mean something important to your company and your audience. It needs to set you apart from your competitors. In fact, it has to communicate the single most important thing that makes you different.
Be memorable. This is achieved by creating an emotional connection with your audience and is sometimes aided by unusual word usage or music. However it is conveyed, it should evoke nearly universal recall and linkage to your brand.
Be brief. Some experts believe that an effective brand tag line should be no longer than five words. Whether or not that's the magic number, it should be as concise as possible - without sacrificing meaning or memorability.

If you're thinking about creating a new brand tag line for your business or organization, don't accept a phrase just because it's "catchy". Be serious about identifying your brand distinction, and make sure that it fits the criteria outlined above.

A great brand tag line truly can drive your organization forward (think Nike's "Just do it"). A poor one is a lost opportunity.

How Customer Brand Loyalty Will Help Your Bottom Line

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:45:00 +0000

In these times, it's surprising to come across businesses that operate as if they expect customers to magically show up at their stores or online. But I see it every day - and I'm sure you do too. What's worse is that many of these businesses do little or nothing to ensure that the customers they have will keep coming back.

With competition for new customers getting tougher every day, it certainly makes sense for companies that hope to survive and grow to start focusing on creating loyal customers. In fact, creating customers who are loyal to your brand is one of today's most important strategies for business sustainability and growth.

And here's why. When customers are highly loyal to your brand, they will:

Give only slight consideration to similar brands when they're deciding what to buy.
Request it by name.
Recommend your brand to anyone who will listen to them talk about it.
Accept only your brand.
Be more open to your new product and service offerings.
Travel farther and longer to get your brand.
Pay more for it.

But the most important reason to develop customers who are loyal to your brand is also the simplest and most practical: it costs about five times more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep one. If you're one of the businesses that isn't doing anything about customer loyalty, you might want to think about that.

How to Destroy a Brand

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:25:00 +0000

There are plenty of articles about the Toyota recall situation. And I'm sure that there will be a lot more.

A recent Cleveland Plain Dealer article stated: "In a few short weeks, Toyota has done what GM, Ford and other automakers have failed to accomplish for decades: erase the perception that the Japanese automaker's cars are of much higher quality than those of its rivals."

The jury is still out about whether Toyota has truly erased its brand perception of high quality. But one thing did stand out when I read that excerpt - that a strong brand must consistently deliver its brand promise. And when it doesn't, it must be up front and honest about it. Waiting to address an issue - as Toyota did with its recall - and, in fact, as Tiger Woods did with his infidelities - can be a critical mistake.

Whether the Toyota brand will fully recover depends on many factors. But one thing is evident. It takes a lot longer to build a strong brand than it does to weaken it. Smart organizations protect their brands because they know that strong brands add value and increase their revenues.

Brand Tip #1: Don't Confuse Brand With Branding

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:40:00 +0000

You hear the words "brand" and "branding" a lot - especially when people are talking about marketing or advertising. In fact, I've heard a number of "experts" using the terms interchangeably.

But the terms are different - and it's important to know what each really means if you're involved in marketing and want it to be effective.

Brand is all about differentiation. It's who your company or organization is, the unique characteristics that make you stand out as more valuable than your competitors to your customers and the evidence to support those unique characteristics. It's what the purchaser of your product or service can count on from you. It's the promise you make.

Branding, on the other hand, is about tactics - creating the tactical marketing plan to communicate your brand's unique characteristics to influence your customers' purchasing decisions. Branding tactics can include the consistent use of graphics, spokespeople, typefaces, colors, logos - all of the tools used to communicate your brand's distinction.

But don't think the graphics or spokespeople are your distinction. Those branding tactics could change with your next campaign and are not the ultimate reason for purchasing your product or service.

Understanding the difference between brand and branding is important because, in order to build your brand, you need to understand who you are before you can create tactics that will make your brand a success.

Why Non-Profits Should Invest in Brand

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:39:00 +0000

The other day a client - who happens to be a principal in a non-profit organization - asked: How can non-profits maximize their fundraising efforts during an economic downturn and position themselves for the upturn?

I understood where she was coming from. After all, when times are hard, it's tough to decide where donors' hard-earned dollars will go. Haiti? The American Cancer Society? Go Red for Women? Susan G. Komen Foundation? The list is endless - and there are a lot of good causes.

Donors Still Give During Recessions

Historical data shows that donors will continue to give during recessions, and non-profit organizations can continue to raise funds - provided that they talk to people about their programs and goals by making a CLEAR, COMPELLING CASE.

People don't give just because there's a need; they give when there's a connection, when the message is clear, easy to understand, grabs their attention and is substantiated. They make decisions based on how closely aligned the organization is with their values and how much trust they have in what the organization is doing.

Making a Connection is the Key

This applies to making donations to non-profits as well as buying consumer products. And just like the for-profit companies' consumers. . .it's the BRAND and its "delivered promise" that connects donors with the non-profit organization. It's what makes that non-profit organization stand out and ultimately creates the emotional connection with the interested party - in this case, the donor.

When a non-profit organization truly differentiates itself and communicates a clear message to those who care, people will perceive it as higher quality and a better investment.

The Top Thing You Can Do To Retain Employees

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:03:00 +0000

As the economy continues to move towards recovery, and companies become healthier, the threat of losing good, productive employees looms large. For the past few years, employers that were forced to reduce their workforces did so by getting rid of the dead wood - those who were troublesome, not performing, etc. - and kept the workers they considered the "cream of the crop." Many employees were simply happy to have jobs and continued to perform for their companies - even with additional workloads and pay cuts.

But as more jobs become available, some of the best employees will update their resumes, poised to find better, higher paying jobs somewhere else - unless their companies give them a reason to stay. It's probably already happening in a lot of companies.

Don't assume that money is the only solution. Research indicates that companies that have made their employees feel worthwhile and appreciated will have more loyal employees and less turnover.

That's why this is a crucial time to look inside your organization and honestly determine whether you're making your employees feel worthwhile. They need to know that what they've done for the company during the past few years has made a difference and that their efforts have helped the company deliver its brand promise. If your employees feel this way, it will mean more job and company satisfaction and reduced turnover.

And if you decide that your employees don't feel this way, it's never too late to get started. It's a new year and a new decade.

How to Ensure That Your Brand Survives

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:10:00 +0000

Recently, the local newspaper ran a series of articles on companies that almost went out of business in 2009 but made modifications that got them back on the path to success. The brands represented in the articles varied greatly and spanned different industries; a few included a builder, consulting firm, lighting company and manufacturing business.

The home builder switched from building million dollar, custom homes to slightly smaller, less expensive homes with many of the luxury materials of his million dollar homes. The fiber optic lighting company changed its focus to energy efficient products for existing rather than new buildings. The consulting firm expanded its business consulting services and its market by offering training, while the manufacturing firm overhauled many of its processes and slashed profit margins.

Despite the range of tactics these organizations employed to survive, they all had one thing in common. They changed how their brands approached the market to adapt to the economic environment and were successful because they retained their brand essence, who they were.

Once an organization knows who it is and what its unique claims of distinction are, it has the solid foundation it needs to grow its brand and make it strong. That foundation doesn't change; it allows an organization to build on it and easily make adaptations when the going gets tough. It's what every organization needs to survive - and grow.

Top 3 Ways To Get Your Brand In Shape

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:07:00 +0000

Traditionally, January is the month for making resolutions - especially to improve your health and fitness. Every piece of workout equipment is on sale, and every type of media is promoting how to get fit and healthy in the New Year.

After the tense economic climate of 2009, this January also seems like a good time to focus on improving the health of your brand in the New Year. Like many of us who want to get in shape, though, a lot of companies want to do too much too fast without taking into account what's truly important to their overall health.

The most effective approach to getting your brand in shape is to focus on the basics. Here are three that you should consider if you'd like to get your brand in shape for 2010.

Know your organization's unique claim(s) of distinction. If you don't know what they are, or your upper management can't agree on them, you need to do some work with your brand to discover them.
Be sure that your business objectives match your brand objectives. Until these are in sync, your marketing efforts will be frustrating, and you won't see a good return on your marketing investment.
Don't rush to execute your marketing plan or tactics until you've resolved numbers 1 and 2. It's important to get your marketing efforts started, but not if you haven't established a firm brand marketing foundation.

Remember, getting your brand in shape takes the same time and dedication that it takes to become personally fit. But the results are worth it. Here's to a healthy, prosperous 2010!

Why Brand Differentiation Is So Important

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Though I'm like many TV viewers who DVR programs and speed through commercials when I watch my shows, I admit that I still watch a few commercials when the mood strikes me. One of the most recent that I remember touted a fabric softener whose main point of differentiation was smell.

I couldn't help but think what a blast from the past that was. Fifty years ago, it was common for packaged goods brands to differentiate themselves through product performance - whiter, cleaner, softer, "lemon-fresh".

In today's global market, when competing brands perform at parity levels and most product improvements can be matched by competitors, true brand differentiation is critical. After all, the definition of a brand is "a claim of distinction."

To become differentiated, a company or organization must identify its unique and deliverable claims of distinction. It's that simple, and yet it's everything. Your claim of distinction is what separates your brand from your competitors - what makes it stand out as extraordinary. . .what makes it really different.

Every business or organization can differentiate itself in some way that's signifcant to the marketplace. No matter what your size or industry, there's something significant to prospects and customers that your competitors don't offer.

When your brand isn't truly differentiated, it's susceptible to price competition and low margins. In other words, it becomes a commodity.

If the only thing that differentiates your product is smell, you might want to rethink your brand.

10 Clues That It May Be Time To Re-Energize Your Brand

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:35:00 +0000

As the year draws to a close and the economy continues to pick up in fits and starts, there's been a lot of marketing industry press about the need to re-energize brands that have suffered during the recession. There's also been a lot of discussion about how to get started - since there's so much to do, and as always, resources are limited.

So here are some clues that signal it may be time to brush up your brand. Many are related, so don't be surprised if more than one applies to your business or organization.

1. Have you lost your position in the marketplace?
2. Are you experiencing diminishing returns on your marketing investments?
3. Are you unhappy with your name?
4. Are you dissatisfied with your logo?
5. Have you changed your business strategy?
6. Have you gone through a merger or acquisition or shed some of your divisions?
7. Have your revenues stopped growing?
8. Has your market changed?
9. Have you restructured your senior management team?
10. Has your company or organization turned 20 years old?

If your answer was "yes" to more than a couple of these questions, this could be the perfect time to start developing a better brand - understanding it, delivering on your brand promise, communicating it effectively and measuring it. After all, your brand is your most powerful asset, followed closely by your employees - who deliver your brand promise every day.

The Key To Building An Authentic Brand

noreply@blogger.com (Cam Mordaunt) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:03:00 +0000

This week, an article in my local paper by New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd caught my attention.* It made some interesting points about how superstar Tiger Woods and White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers hid and remained silent when confronted with problems rather than dealing with them head on. Tiger and Desiree thought they were protecting their respective Brands.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Whether you're trying to build - or protect - your personal or corporate brand, one of the most important elements is honesty.

Your brand is the promise you make to your customers about who you are, your values, your differentiation and what you'll deliver. When you're clear about what you're offering and consistently deliver against your brand promise, your customers will trust you - because their expectations have been met.

If and when there's a problem with your brand, honesty is critical. Classic case in point - Tylenol. Even though it's been 27 years since Johnson & Johnson faced the death of 7 people due to pill tampering with their Extra-Strength Tylenol brand, it remains a textbook example of how facing the crisis with integrity is the best solution.

If you want to build an authentic brand and, in the process, something goes wrong, don't stonewall your stakeholders - as Tiger and Desiree did. Think it through, respond with truthfulness and be true to your brand. This is the only way to strengthen your brand and continue to build it.

A Tiger or a Snake?

tom@btzbrand.com (btzbrand) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:53:00 +0000

Depends on your point of view, but one thing is true. . . the Tiger Brand certainly carries a different kind of promise than it used to. Before the current situation, the Tiger Woods Brand stood for the Gold Standard in sportsmanship. He was an icon to golfers and a role model for youth.

Now, when you see the TW interlocked logo on a golf cap, what does it mean to you? Two women? A terrible womanizer? A liar and a coward?

It used to mean a lot of positives, but now, whether you like it or not, the well has been poisoned.

Think that can't happen to your brand? Think again.

In today's world, everyone communicates with everyone about everything. Pay attention to your social media, and make sure you're protecting your strongest asset. Take control. Limit exposure. Manage the message. Don't let the tiger out. It just might hurt something.

Such as your most important asset - your brand.

The More Brands You Have - The Better Off You Are. Right?

tom@btzbrand.com (btzbrand) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:06:00 +0000

Yes. And no. It's not how many brands you have - it's what you do with them, their strategic importance, the investment behind them and the logic of their place within your company or organization.

Take a look at your brands. Then ask yourself these questions:

Do they provide clarity?
Are they synergistic?
Do they leverage one another?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you need to take a deeper look and probably spend some time doing a bit of brand architecture.

If you're not familiar with the term, it's exactly what it sounds like. It's an examination of how brands within your company's portfolio are related to, and differentiated from, each other other. Brand architecture will define how the different categories of the brands within your organization relate to each other and support each other - brands and sub-brands alike.

The process needs to:

Fit your company's vision and business
Prioritize your markets and segments
Support those that fit and eliminate those that don't
Provide a foundation for new and extended brands - either self-created, acquisitioned or merged.

Done properly and conceived with the organization's brand promise built into everything, brand architecture will focus your resources on the brands that best support your business goals - driving financial performance and efficiency.

How Has the Recession Affected Your Brand?

tom@btzbrand.com (btzbrand) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:01:00 +0000

According to most economists, the Recession is winding down, and the economy is starting to recover. It may be slow, but at least things are beginning to improve.

As you look ahead to 2010, how has the Recession affected your brand? What has it done to your marketing plan and products?

As you think about the answer, consider some of these realities that many companies have faced and will need to address moving forward:

Out of necessity, you may have cut or eliminated your marketing budget, resulting in little or no marketing of your brand or products and services.
Your staff may be a little leaner and meaner.
Employee morale may be low.
You may have had to cut some of your production or services.

Most importantly, ask yourself:

Is your brand reflecting who we are now?
Is our difference still compelling enough to motivate action?
Can we still deliver our brand promise?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, it's time to consider some brand development. It' s time to become introspective - to look inside your organization and identify what separates you from your competitors, makes you more valuable to your customers and motivates them to select your products or services. It's time to re-energize your brand and your employees and move forward towards success and growth.

Don't Forget to Let Your Employees Know the Score

tom@btzbrand.com (btzbrand) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:22:00 +0000

I read an article this morning about an area bank that's acquiring 24 branches of a bank in Chicago. That's good news all around - for the financial community, Northeastern Ohio and the economy in general. Another sign of recovery - all good.

There's plenty of work ahead for that bank - especially in marketing communications.

In addition to the myriad of legal, compliance and operational communications that are required during an acquisition, there are communications to current and new clients that are not only mandated but a good idea. It's critical that current customers retain confidence in the brand and that new customers feel comfortable enough to give the new bank a chance.

While all this is going on, one of the bank's biggest assets often is neglected: employees, especially those in the acquiring company. After all, they should be happy. Their company has acquired a new bank - more customers and the prospect of better stock prices and satisfied shareholders.

But in reality, this group also needs consistent, constant communication from management about what the acquisition will mean to them and what behaviors may need to change for them to continue as ambassadors of the brand. No matter how good the acquisition is for the company, change is stressful and needs to be managed.

When it is, and the internal communications are as good as the external, the rewards are significant.

Morale is higher
Turnover is reduced
Employees are more productive

And who wouldn't want that?

Jumpstarting Your Brand for Growth

tom@btzbrand.com (btzbrand) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:32:00 +0000

Even though economic experts are reporting that the end of the recession is near, these are still challenging times for businesses. You may have had to cut personnel and budgets, including your marketing communications budget, just to remain solvent.

According to a McKinsey article published last year: " Economies may be sluggish, but this is no time to hunker down and wait it out." Now is the time for smart businesses to get back out there and market their brands to lead the economic turnaround.

Here are five brand strategy guidelines to help you get started:

Go back to your business' roots, and establish - or reestablish - a unique distinction for your company and products that you can actually deliver. That's your brand promise to your customers.
Involve key leaders in your organization, who will be responsible for delivering your brand promise to the outside world.
Transform your employees into brand advocates.
Make sure that your company is set up to deliver your brand promise and that your brand goals are aligned with your business goals.
Communicate your distinction clearly, consistently and creatively.

No one said it was going to be easy. But the results will help your company move from survival mode into growth mode.

As a spokesman from the Prophet Corporation once said: "You can't escape your brand. Either you make the customer experience, or it gets made without you."

You Can't Hurry Change

tom@btzbrand.com (btzbrand) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:45:00 +0000

When a President or CEO of a company comes to the realization that the company's employees need to become ambassadors of the company's brand to move the business forward, that's a pretty startling discovery. Like everything else in business today, once the decision is made, he or she wants it to happen fast, right now. After all, companies are supposed to be nimble.

But the fact is that transforming employees into brand ambassadors takes time. That may not be what the President or CEO wants to hear, but it's the truth.

Building brand ambassadors is not a 90-day program. It's a lifelong commitment that takes at least 3-4 years to truly seed. Efforts to create brand ambassadors within a company must be constant and consistent - and when you think you're there, you need to redouble your efforts.

It's critical that everyone involved - especially the President or CEO - be patient because the ultimate goal is sustainability. Remember: everyone in the company is a potential ambassador - and each and every one of them is the most powerful marketing tool a company can have. They are the voice and tone of your business - and can be your best advocates and evangelists.

So when you're ready to build brand ambassadors in your company, don't expect the change to happen quickly, and abandon your efforts. Believe me, if you take the time to properly develop your company's brand ambassadors, the reward will be great: better morale, reduced turnover and greater productivity.

Thanks, Miss Patton

tom@btzbrand.com (btzbrand) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Earlier this week, I had a surprising experience with the United States Post Office. If you're anything like me, the mention of the Post Office conjures up some mixed perceptions. Let's face it. The Post Office is not a brand with a consistently positive brand image - especially when it comes to its employees.

I was putting together some business correspondence, was interrupted but finally put it in the mail bin in our lobby. Not long afterward, it occurred to me that I'd forgotten to put postage on the envelopes. No problem. The Post Office is so slow in picking up our mail that I could just retrieve it.

Well, not that day. The mail was gone, and I had a problem. I certainly didn't want the intended recipients to have to pay postage on my letters. But what could I do?

When I called the Post Office, either no one answered or could help me. One employee told me, " You might as well forget it; it's like finding a needle in a haystack."

But then I got lucky. After making at least 20 calls, someone referred me to Consumer Affairs, and I reached Miss Patton, the most helpful, considerate Post Office employee I've ever met. Within a couple of hours, my business correspondence was retrieved and back on my desk. It was actually delivered by ANOTHER Postal employee who said it was his pleasure to bring it back to me!

Needless to say, I thanked Miss Patton, her supervisor and anyone else I could. The moral of the story? Next to your brand, your employees are your organization's biggest assets. Because brand value, and therefore increased company value, is created and delivered by employees. When they deliver on their brand promise, they can positively affect the perception of your organization. I know Miss Patton did.