| |
| |
|
Branding Information |
|
|
|
Does Your Message Pass the Test?
Develop an effective benefit message and you're well on your way to building your company's entire marketing program. After all, you need focus to create success. Without it you can wind up expending effort without getting the reward (income, that is) you're looking for. Start with these three ingredients:
Gather the information and chart it. What you're looking for is a hole where there's a customer need that you address and hopefully, the competition doesn't. Found it? That's the core of your message. Found several holes? You'll need to prioritize. Now, write alternative introductory sentences. Remember, they need to be customer-benefit oriented, that is, they need to explain what the customer GETS. Got your alternatives ready? Here are seven questions to ask of potential benefit messages. They'll help you find the promise or message that will get you the most mileage: 1) Is it meaningful? This is where knowledge of the customer comes into play. Your benefit message should be based on the real needs of the people who use your products or services. 2) Is it sustainable? Establishing your unique position doesn't happen overnight. The message you choose should be based on what you can deliver long term. 3) Is it believable? Can you keep the promise you're making? For example, if your benefit message centers on "superior service," do you understand what your customers' expectations are? Are you committed to making good on this promise over time? 4) Is it unique? Often there are many providers of a product or service. How do you set yourself apart from the rest of the pack? 5) Is it concrete and easy to understand? If you ask your audience to think too hard, they probably won't! Simple, straight-forward messages work best. 6) Is it in your own words? If you're going to be saying this as an introduction to your business, you need to be comfortable with the words and phrasing. Practice saying messages out loud to test them. 7) Is it attention-grabbing? You can't bore someone into buying! Use words that demonstrate your passion, your understanding of client needs. Use words that engage interest. Test your message with prospects. Watch for their reactions. Ask what they like and don't like. You might get stuck. If that happens, a marketing and communications consultant can craft alternative benefit statements, provide an objective viewpoint, even handle the up-front research. About The Author Claire Cunningham, president of Clairvoyant Communications, Inc., has 20+ years' experience developing and implementing successful business-to-business marketing and communications programs. Sign up for Claire's monthly newsletter, Communique, at www.clairvoyantcommunications.com. Claire can be reached at 763-479-3499 or e-mail to claire@claircomm.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Joint Venture Pays Dividends For Steel Advertising & Interactive ... - Business Wire (press release)
Branding - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Why Branding? Having a concise, clear image that you project to your clients and customers is important in today's market. More and more people are leaving the job market and creating their own business, whether by choice or necessity, so the competition continues to expand. Counterfeit Branding - Representing True Globalisation! From cigarettes to fashion accessories to food products to medicines, more than 50% of the global market are filled with counterfeited products. Do you realise that the Nike t-shirt that you are probably wearing right now may not even exist in the design portfolio of Nike Inc. How To Create A Brand That Sticks Most people, when they hear the word branding, think logos - but in fact, branding is really much more than that. A brand involves blending the image, purpose, and focus of your business, with your core marketing message, and coming up with something which will stick in the minds of people who encounter it. Positioning and Branding - Brand Identity Guru Where is your brand positioned in the marketplace? How is it perceived, both positively and negatively? Can you identify your brand's core strength's and equities? What are the barriers or threats standing in the way? A brand strategy company will provide you with an objective assessment of your brand.They can deliver specific solutions that will allow you to reach your strategic business goals and objectives, and clearly differentiate your brand and identity in the marketplace. What Make Us Unique and Different Starting a business can take a lot of time, money, and energy. And because we don't want to completely re-invent the wheel, we often want to copy (legally) other techniques, strategies or processes used by others. Importance of Branding - Whats in a Name? Branding is perhaps the most important facet of any business--beyond product, distribution, pricing, or location. A company's brand is its definition in the world, the name that identifies it to itself and the marketplace. Donald Trump On Branding - Brand Identity Guru Love him or hate him, one thing is certain: Donald Trump is a successful guy. We don't have to sum up his accomplishments for you, because his name speaks for itself. Why Having A Niche Automatically Boosts Your Credibility - Become The Expert by Getting Focused Yes, yes, we've heard it all before.. Build Brand Identity - Brand Identity Guru Successful Guru marketers have a secret weapon that they use every single time they communicate about their businesses. It's one of those intangibles that are easily misunderstood. The Brand Called You The best brands always try to do the right thing, so that their reputations will remain unsullied. But beyond that they grow, evolve and get better with time, while maintaining their special qualities from the past. Brand Lo-o-o-o-o-ve... So.. Strategic Moves In The Branding Gamble! The so called 'globalisation' has cluttered the world markets with so many products and services that nearly 90% of the marketing managers in competing companies do pretty much the same to sustain in the market. There is not much difference in the way P&G operates as compared to how Unilever gets its products to the market. Brand Your Name! Have you ever thought about branding your name? Does the idea sound too egotistical for you or does it make good business sense? Let's examine personal name branding and how it can help you achieve the recognition you need for your business and put you quickly on the path to success!Promptly upon receiving my layoff notice from my position of nearly eleven years, I decided I needed to venture out on my own. I formed a limited liability company and named the concern after my name. Brand Image - Brand Identity Guru Having a brand image is not a "have or have not" proposition. Everyone has one. Brand Awareness - Brand Identity About once a month a few of us at the office get together during lunch for what has become known as a SWAP meeting. We share thoughts, stories and sometimes play Pictionary. Notable News - The Branding Myth How many times have you heard of seen advertising for a graphic design company that states that they do branding?If you think branding is a logo, letterhead, or web design with all the same look, and colours, then it's true.. The Keys to a Great Logo Logo, graphic, icon, logotype, typogram, logoform, image?call it what you will, a logo by any other name is the group of letters and/or symbols used in a consistent and unique way to identify a company. It is the most prominent and stable element of marketing, and should be planned carefully to fully reflect your brand. Branding Mistakes - Brand Identity Guru 1. It "sells itself. Are You Brand Worthy? Are You Brand Worthy? Branding is a one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood. To make things even more confusing, branding is often tossed in the same basket as marketing which makes its application to an entrepreneur or sole-practioner even more unclear. The Importance of Branding - Can It Really Make a Difference? As consumers, we don't really think about the importance of branding. We just seem to go with the flow of brand names that have become synonymous with our daily living.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |