branding Archives -

How Do Your Customers Perceive Your Brand?

It is not uncommon for me to be approached by a client or a potential client who wants to “develop their brand.” They are often surprised to find that they already have one—we all do.

You may also be surprised to learn that, whether you realize it or not, you have a brand identity. You may not know what that identity is, but you have one!

Many business owners believe that they define their brand. In truth, a brand is defined by your customers or clients. The definition is based on Continue reading “How Do Your Customers Perceive Your Brand?”

When Branding or Rebranding Don’t Get Stuck on Names

Throughout my career I’ve been involved in numerous naming and branding initiatives and am always struck by not only the intrinsic challenges of getting a group of people to agree on a particular name/brand for a company, product or service— but also by the enormous amount of angst and emotion that becomes part of the process.

In truth, the process of coming up with a name—whether for a company, a product, a campaign, a department, or whatever is a process Continue reading “When Branding or Rebranding Don’t Get Stuck on Names”

Why Your Company, Product, or Service Name Doesn’t Really Matter

Throughout my career, I’ve been involved in numerous naming and branding initiatives and am always struck by not only the intrinsic challenges of getting a group of people to agree on a particular name/brand for a company, product, or service—but also by the enormous amount of angst and emotion that becomes part of the process.

In truth, the process of coming up with a name—whether for a company, a product, a campaign, a department, or whatever is a process that is virtually destined to be an emotional and difficult one from the get-go. Why? Because everybody has an opinion, everybody has an emotional stake in the outcome and everybody wants their brand to be the next Nike.

Continue reading “Why Your Company, Product, or Service Name Doesn’t Really Matter”

Things You Can—and Can’t…—Do to Upgrade Your Brand

Brand audits and brand evaluations are two areas that we particularly enjoy when working with clients. Why? Because, when done well, it’s very high-level and very strategic work. And, because having a clear and well-defined and well-executed brand is fundamental to everything a business does and its ultimate success.

Continue reading “Things You Can—and Can’t…—Do to Upgrade Your Brand”

Important Marketing and Branding Takeaways From Krispy Kreme and a Youthful Entrepreneur

by Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

Every once in a while, a real-life situation comes up that lends itself nicely to some core marketing concepts. These serve as great teaching tools and discussion points because they actually happened, and they’re relatable. Here’s a recent example involving Krispy Kreme and an entrepreneurial college student. Continue reading “Important Marketing and Branding Takeaways From Krispy Kreme and a Youthful Entrepreneur”

When Your Brand is the Victim of an Epic Fail

by Justin Grensing, Esq., MBA

Companies spend big money on celebrity endorsements. Nike alone spends billions of dollars on celebrity endorsements each year. Sometimes, the endorsements simply serve to bring publicity to a brand. Or they may entice consumers who want to emulate celebrities they respect. “A Taiwanese study shows that consumers show greater recall of products that have been endorsed by celebrities—regardless of whether they are actual fans or not,” says Guided Selling. Continue reading “When Your Brand is the Victim of an Epic Fail”

Understanding, Managing and Communicating Consistently Across Customer Touchpoints

In an article for Harvard Business Review, Adam Richardson discusses the concept of customer touchpoints, which he broadly defines as “any interaction point between the customer and your brand.” If we think about this definition, it truly is quite broad, not least because it invokes the concept of the brand, which is itself extremely broad.

Does an online ad reflect on your brand? What about a discussion with a billing agent over a discrepancy on an invoice? While the answer to the first question is probably obvious, the second might seem like a stretch at first. But in truth, both are examples of touchpoints. And touchpoints have a direct impact on consumer brand perceptions. Continue reading “Understanding, Managing and Communicating Consistently Across Customer Touchpoints”

The Potential Perils of Tying Your Brand to a Real Person

There are numerous examples of company names tied directly to an individual. That person is often the founder but could also be a key personality. Even our current president achieved a great amount of fame by attaching his name to everything from hotels and golf courses to steaks and an online university. Naming a company after an individual can add some personality to the brand and make potential customers feel a more personal connection to that brand. We know who the frontperson is; we know what they look like; and we know a bit about their personality and character.

But that isn’t always a good thing. Continue reading “The Potential Perils of Tying Your Brand to a Real Person”

5 Branding Missteps You Should Avoid

Branding is an area we explore regularly with clients – conducting brand audits, developing brand positioning, etc. Some of the most common errors we see are: Continue reading “5 Branding Missteps You Should Avoid”

13 Branding Skills From the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC)

An Entrepreneur.com slideshow discusses the 13 skills that will help improve branding efforts. This is a subject area we are particularly focused on, so we wanted to take a look. The list was compiled by members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). The 13 skills they recommend are: Continue reading “13 Branding Skills From the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC)”