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>> SPARK!
Is a new marketing or PR identity on your list of
corporate resolutions in 2005? Here is Spotlight’s list
of Top Ten New Year’s Branding Tips
1.
Make a Resolution.
Recognize that "brand loyalty" is the goal of every seller,
so buyers will get to know, trust and prefer their
brands. Try to use this list to work towards the goal of
creating deep meaning and enduring loyalty between your
brand and its consumers for a longer-term and more
highly profitable business.
2.
Toast to Experience.
Modern brand-building is as much about creating a
customer “experience” as it is about the actual product.
Look at how Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz transformed the
coffee experience. (Expect the buzz words Tall, Venti
and Barista to have new meanings in the next edition of
Webster’s...)
3.
Silence the Noisemakers.
Brands are more than slogans and noisy jingles.
It’s true that a slogan or jingle can
make a brand more memorable, easily identifiable, and
recognizable. But they can also include a wide variety
of content messages, as to communicate the value of your
brand (think Bernie & Phil’s…). That’s NICE.
4.
Take a
Leap of Faith.
Brands
lose their cool when they lack the will to change, and
they abandon what made them attractive in the
beginning. AOL took a risk of losing subscribers when
the company moved to broadband connections from dial-up,
and Blockbuster is now playing catch-up to Netflix.
5.
Should
auld acquaintance be forgot
(Remember the 4 P’s).
Who is your target market? What values should they take
away? How should they be feeling about your brand?
Always perform the proper research to ensure that
the Product, Place, Price and Promotion communicate the
‘values' that your customers are seeking–but don’t
forget to integrate your brand in the process.
6.
Mix your drinks—not your messages.
Mixed messages in marketing and branding can prolong the
time it takes for your brand to catch on and build
loyalty. Create a marketing and branding presence that
delivers a consistent message about your products and
services.
7.
Always KISS. Whenever
possible, Keep It Simple, (Stupid). Companies and their
products need names or symbols that let customers
identify them quickly and easily. (Think: Target; and
“Snap! Crackle! Pop!”).
8.
Send in the Reinforcements (i.e.
Dick Clark's
Un-Rockin' New Year).
A brand must be consistent and constantly reinforced
at all times. Let your customers see your brand at every
opportunity. E-newsletters, press releases,
announcements and the occasional personal e-mail are
great types of brand reinforcement---but don’t try to do
too much if you can’t sustain a steady momentum.
9.
Don’t Drop the Ball too Soon…
Stick with it. Coca-Cola, Starbucks, BMW, American
Express, FedEx, and AOL were not born overnight.
Building a successful brand requires a lot of hard work
and a positive attitude.
10.
Keep a Tight Budget. Then Spend.
Strong brand names are important
confidence-builders, so
make sure you have a plan on how you want to exploit
your newfound brand loyalty in the marketplace. Then,
once you have built up your corporate capital in the
form of brand loyalty—spend it, keeping all of the above
rules close at hand.
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