Business Rocket: Branding

Showing posts with label Branding. Show all posts

Friday, June 26, 2009

Value Proposition - How to Get on Target

We live in a world of overcapacity, where consumers are empowered to choose. With a market-driven approach you can stay focused on delivering outstanding value to your consumers to weather the downturn and be in great position for the upturn. It all begins with an on-target value proposition.

While a value proposition may sound complex and intimidating, the framework is quite straightforward. We focus on 3 questions: Who? What? Why?

The framework is simple (explained in more detail below), but getting it right, and making it stand out from the competition, is the hard part. Market-driven organizations should be constantly garnering feedback from customers and prospects through interviews, focus groups, quantitative research, competitor visits, shop-alongs, and web analytics. The more feedback you have, the more you understand your customers, and the stronger your value proposition can be.

For illustrative purposes, our team has imputed the value proposition of Apple in the following series of statements:

Apple

Convince (Who?): For talented creatives who aspire to share their story

That (What?): Apples offers creative expression through human technology that is easy-to-use

Because (Why?): Apple consistently innovates with breakthrough, well-designed products...iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iMac.

Below, we have outlined the questions you should be thinking about to help you develop a value proposition. This exercise should facilitate good discussion among your team, and can be repeated and refined over time to incorporate more market feedback.

Who? Your statement should read something like this: "For (target customer), Who (statement of need or opportunity)." Use the below questions and tips to guide you and read through our advice on customer segmentation.

* Develop a comprehensive list of your audiences and prioritize the top 2 to 4 audiences that you need to deliver against in order to succeed.

* What is your customer's "statement of need" or opportunity (what do they want)?

What and Why? The structure of your "What" statement: "The (product / service name) is a (product / service category) that (statement of key benefit - that is, extremely compelling reason to buy or use)" The structure of your "Why" statement: "Unlike (primary competitive alternatives, including "doing nothing"), our product / service (statement of primary differentiation)." Use the below questions and tips to guide you.

* What are current and future market trends (innovation, keys to success)?

* Who are competitors and why would they be selected?

* What are the key benefits -- the extremely compelling reasons to buy or use your company's product / service?

Once you have an on-target value proposition, align your team and organization to deliver on your promise. Beyond revising your marketing messages, you should think about the implications for product strategy and customer experience. If you have done it well, your value proposition will help clarify your organization's objectives and enable your team to rally against a clear vision.

Sparxoo

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Capece

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Branding Marketing Guide

By Richard Dennis

In order to really get the value, attraction, and recognition of branding, you need to understand exactly what it means to spotlight your brand. It's a different consumer effect and response than regular advertising, and it's important to have a firm picture of what makes it so visible and unique.

Maybe the easiest way to clarify is to ask: What is the first thing you think of?

What is your first thought or awareness when I say, "Walmart"?

For me, I think of the short mission statement motto that has engraved recognition into my brain: "Save money. Live better." Second, I feel the presence of the smiling greeter when you walk into the store. You can depend on that Walmart tradition - someone is always there to welcome you. And third is the phrase, "everyday low price." Lots of stores use that positioning now ... but to me, it will always mean Walmart. That is a stand-out promotion for them, when I see those words in some competitor store, but still think of Walmart.

The second example that comes quickly to mind of a brand that has really creates an impression is Scott Ginsberg. You can find Scott at the website, HellomynameisScott.com. Several years ago, Scott decided to brand himself as the owner of the word "approachability." His goal was that anytime someone wanted to learn to be more approachable, they'd think of him ... or find him. The Wall Street Journal did a front-page article on approachability and featured Scott. If you Google "approachability," the #1 listing is a signature EzineArticles.com article written by ... Scott Ginsberg. And the article, of course, leads to his unforgettable website.

So branding is actually owning an idea in people's minds. Once you understand that, you can then work out a targeted plan to achieve it for your own business, online or offline.

Only results count. Richard Dennis submitted 20 short articles in 10 days. Result? Google lists 18 of the 20 articles in its top 4 search results. In fact, 14 articles are #1 ... against many millions of competing pages. See the proof at http://ArticlesByRichard.com, and get your free step-by-step plan for how you can do the same.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Dennis

Thursday, March 12, 2009

15 Tips For Better Marketing That Will Revitalize Your Business

By Andrew Ballenthin

After reviewing over 200 business responses to Groups on LinkedIn we picked 15 of the strongest themes and boiled them down to the bare bones of inspiration that with some daring and leadership can change your business's future. Regardless of competition, the economy, your customers or your financial position it is possible to reinvent or reshape your business.

1. Think Extra Gigantic - Instead of watching the numbers shrink or scraggily signal digit growth ask, "How can I reach 10x more customer than before?" There are customers out there but they may be further away. If you market to a city, talk to 10 cities, if you promote to a province/state talk to the country, if you talk to a country go global. Response rates are a percentage game, change the odds.

2. Rip Up The Marketing/Business Plan - What your business model was 6 and 18 months ago may not be right for the next 18 months. If you are successful, rip it up anyways, there are gigantic changes going on in social, economic and industry structures. If you are struggling, step outside the box and ask who's doing better then you and find a way to imitate and do what they do even better.

3. Find Your Suppliers Hidden Ace - Ask them how they can pull out all the stops to help your growth. It may be credit terms, price reductions, exclusivity on a new product line, or co-op advertising dollars. They probably have an ace up their sleeve you haven't capitalized on yet.

4. Ruthlessly Look For What Customers Want - Your customer's know what they want and what will motivate them to take action. Interview one-on-one, hold group discussions, survey, throw a social, run a contest. Your next biggest successes are in your customer's needs not met yet. Don't stop searching until you get a powerful breakthrough. If you can't find it you're not looking hard enough.

5. Demand to Know Why Prospects Aren't Buying - Within this simple and obvious search an astounding revelation will emerge about what they are looking to buy and from who if not with you. Do not stop until the pattern emerges. When it shows up find a way to give them what they want know matter what you have to do.

6. Mimic Another Industry - A lot of companies get stuck in, "but that's what our industry does". A close study of an industry that is healthy will reveal different ways to market, brand, sell products/services, manage financials, handle inventory, etc. Or look at a very successful business similar to yours in another country and bring those ideas back home.

7. Create Mega Contact Databases - With so many advertising budget cuts there are a lot of businesses that compliment what you sell and will be open to co-promoting to your database in return for you talking to there's. With 3 or more companies working together your reach expands exponentially.

8. Throw Out Everything You Know About Traditional Advertising - A number of major media channels are seeing up to a 40% drop in ad spend and yet customers are still buying. Fearlessly consider any media you may have overlooked. Online spending of every type is steadily increasing. Don't let your competition gain dominance that you can't afford to compete with later.

9. Create A Ruckus People Will Talk About - Break out of what was safe advertising before, chances are you are nearly invisible by doing what you did 18 months ago. A huge amount of business is circulating by word of mouth. Swallow the fear and try something dramatic so people talk.

10. Mercilessly Rip Apart Your Product/Services - Part of what is stopping your success is lethargic lines. If your customers are happily buying or occasionally buying, get rid of those services. Do whatever you have to do find out what your customer's are demanding and watch sales take off.

11. Learn How To Do Right Brain Marketing - This is a new term we've coined to help all the traditional marketers look at the world differently. An undeniable social trend is emerging for mass micro marketing where customers want real time transparent, human, non-selling relationships. This online relationship defies the old rules but pays off by gaining interactive brand loyalty.

12. Become Crazily Visible - As competition cuts back on advertising spend customers hold off on spending as everyone says "these are bad times". Don't pay attention. Find every way to be visible more often, in more places, with more interesting things to follow than anyone in your industry. If budgets are tight there spectacular ways to go online and get exposure to millions of customers without spending a penny in cash, but it will get spent in time building a "cashfree" visibility.

13. Do A Shiny Brand Makeover - It's possible your customer's don't see you because they literally don't see you. As your customers revaluate who they want to buy from they may have crossed you off the list. But... if you simply repackage with a bright new shiny look (appropriate to your market) you may change their perception of who you are and give you another chance.

14. Get A PHD in Basics - A spectacular number of businesses are going back to good old selling relationships, retraining, CRM (customer relationship management), financials, cost management, etc. Guess what - they're actually kicking but and making money with really simple ideas.

15. Give Bad News the Boot - Ever notice that when you want to see a silver car it suddenly seems like everyone is driving one? We are our own worst enemy at seeing with the wrong perspective. Ask yourself repeatedly "where are the big wins?" Ask everyone around you; ask staff, customers, and other companies. Literally within days a totally different picture will start emerging.

Article by Andrew Ballenthin, President of Sol Solutions. When you need to stand apart from your competition talk to Sol Solutions for your competitive branding, advertising and marketing strategies. For more information go to our blog http://www.communitymarketing.typepad.com or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/solsolutions

My passion has been driven by the enjoyment of blending creative with need for practical application and results orientation. Having worked with international corporations, national businesses and entrepreneurs it's easy to switch hats and scale for the vision and budget of the organization.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Ballenthin

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Essential Elements of E-Mail Content

- Improve your content and improve your email campaign results:

1. Tease the offer in the Subject Line.
Let your customers know what value they’re going to for reading your e-mail in the subject line. As your customers scan their e-mail, have yours stand out with a creative and compelling offer. It’s important to remember to make sure that your subject is relevant to the body copy.

2. Pay it off early.
Get to the point. Don’t wait to the end of your note to explain the offer. If you wait too long and put the offer too far down in the copy, then you risk losing the customer beforethey’ve even read what you want them to see.

3. Ask for the Sale.
You’re not going to sell anything if you don’t ask for the sale. A good rule of thumb is to make the ask at least twice. Once above the fold, and again later or in closing. If you’re talking about a specific product or offer, then you should link directly to the product page not just to the home page.

4. Keep it short.
You should use paragraphs to break your e-mail into digestible pieces but try to limit it to three or four paragraphs.

5. Encourage forwarding.
People like to share great offers with their friends, ask and encourage them to forward your message. But make sure you make it easy to opt-in and out out in the event that the person receiving your e-mail.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Build a brand, not a slogan.

– Establish your brand and set yourself apart from the competition.

Why is building a brand important? When all other things are equal (or viewed as equal), your brand is the differentiator. Building a distinct brand that resonates in the consumer’s mind should be one of your company’s main objectives.

Here are five basic ways you can begin to build a brand that makes a difference:

1. Think long-term
Building a brand begins with a consistent approach to communicating who your company is and what you stand for. The words that you select to use to describe your company will be used by the consumer to form your brand image, so they should be selected carefully. Your companies brand or slogan of the moment will not become recognizable overnight, over several months or even over several years. You need to expect and commit to use them over a long period of time. Once you’ve committed to brand building.

2. Use Research
The best way to find how your company is perceived is to conduct research. Start your research with your customers. Find out why they selected your company over your competitors. What are the attributes you possess that elevate your company in the mind of the consumer? You need to also talk to potential customers to find out what are they looking from companies in your space. You’ll garner just as much if not more insight from the people who aren’t doing business with you and you do from those who are. Use this research to help you identify your companies, strengths and weaknesses.

3. Recognize your Faults
Now that you’ve used research to find out what your strengths and weaknesses are, take a hard look in the mirror and see your company through the eyes of your customer. Are you really delivering on your promise of outstanding service or huge selection or whatever? If you are great, but chances are your customers will tell you that your not as cool as you thought you were. That’s a good thing. One of the best ways to overcome objections is to know what the issues are. Once you know where the issues are, you can be prepared to overcome them and you’ll also know what things your company is really good at.

4. Play Up your Strengths
Hopefully, the research and review have shown you that your customers view you differently, than you view yourself. The next step in build a brand is to take the things you do well -- customer service, high quality materials, low price, whatever -- and

5. Don’t over-promise and under-deliver.
This one’s pretty simple: Your brand and brand promise will be built on your companies ability to give the customer exactly what you say your going to give them. If you don’t, then customers will discount your brand to the benefit of your competitors who are or are perceived to be delivering on their promises.