See What I'm Saying

Sometimes just changing the way we say something creates a different perception of ourselves. As I consult with small businesses, many of the the solutions were arrive at are fuelled by a change in conversation. Businesses are naturally entrenched in industry jargon and direction. Their target audience over time only hear one-way conversations. From this they develop perceptions of brands that essentially all blend together.

To break out of this morass of discussion, you need only change the conversation. Sometimes is a yin yang sort of solution. Other times it's a dumbing down. Car guys dabbled in it years ago when they changed "used cars" to "pre-owned" cars. They attempted to raise the quality levels by staying away from the stigma a "used car" had with consumers.

Changing the conversation has many benefits, not the least being differentiating your brand.

Brand Icon Podcast

FREE podcast discussing "brand Icons."

Say What?

What is the conversation between your brand and your prospective customers? What is your brand telling them about you and your company? What ever their perception of you is it's the first indication of what that story is. Having a Linkedin profile recommendation is one way to hear that conversation. You know the story you'd like told but is it the story that getting out? Building your brand is all about the conversation. If if isn't exactly where you want it to be then you are going to have to change that conversation. The time to do it is right now.

I only mention Linkedin because people are accustomed to leaving a recommendation there. If you blog, you can pick up on the conversation by the tone of the comments you get. You can hear the conversation from any number of channels, the important thing is to hear what is being said and build on it. Use every channel available to you to stoke the proper conversation. Your conversation should accurately reflect your brand values. Your conversation should consistently reflect who your are.

Branding - it's all about the conversation

The New Company Brand

Starting a new company? Hey this is a great opportunity to develop your brand from the ground up. At this stage you are in the enviable position of not having any negative baggage to deal with. What ever brand values you bring to the table are the basis for the future of your brand. You can develop your brand image to reflect these values and you can also position your company to come out ready for the fight. One downside is lack of experience. Customers don't necessarily enjoy being the guinea pig. I believe that if your positioning strategy is powerful enough this short-coming may be moot. Confidence can also trump lack of a track record. The company might be new but chance are you have past experiences that compliment this new direction. Use them.

Since perception is reality in branding, keep in mind what perception you want your audience to have when they are first exposed to your brand image. When I develop images, it is absolutely important to know what gut feeling you what customers to have on viewing your brand image. Do you want to look young or mature? How large do you want to look? Is it a male or female audience? All of the touchpoints can be addressed if handled properly BUT remember that they must adhere to your pre-established brand values and personality.

When you've got a pretty good handle on your brand and your ready to hang out your shingle, remember that the consistency of your message and image is imperative to bringing your brand to life, to the point where people embrace you and want to see you succeed.

Presentation Branding Podcast

Important tips to remember when you have to give a presentation.

Who Knows What The Next Email Will Bring…

New business is what every business strives for. Every tool in our marketing tool-box is fine tuned to get results. Most of my marketing efforts rarely get immediate results because most are based on long-term results. The trick is to get started and keep the momentum going. The number one rule is to realize that just because leads aren't pouring in endlessly, doesn't mean your efforts aren't having some effect. Consistency of effort is what brings results. One of my pet lines is - "You just never know what the next email will bring you."

I market myself using email marketing (weekly tips and a monthly newsletter), Linkedin, and blogging big time. Offline I belong to professional networking groups, public speaking, PR and mentoring. I rarely if ever use print other than postcards to distribute at speaking events. Referrals from existing clients also generate new business. Every time I complete a project that I feel might inspire additional business, I brag about it on the multiple levels already mentioned. The most important thing to remember is to be aware of how you are presenting your brand. Every effort should be consistent and you should never compromise your image for a buck. Brand building is hard enough as it is, without complicating things and confusing your audience.

5 Steps To A Better Brand

One:

Determine your brand values and be sure that they accurately reflect your brand. One way to be sure is this scenario: if you took away any one of the values would your brand cease to exist as that brand? If not, then the value wasn't a true value.

Two:

Determine or develop a positioning strategy that makes your brand a leader in your category. This is not some fluffy slogan that merely inspires but is something that potential customers can resonate with and in many cases pay more for.

Three:

Own your color palette. Look to your competition and establish color as an icon that represents your brand exclusively. Think UPS.

Four:

Talk with stakeholders to be sure that their perception of your brand accurately reflects the reality of your brand. It is a good opportunity to validate your values as well.

Five:

Is your brand logo in sync with your brand culture? Does it need updating etc? Many graphic design firms and ad agencies believe branding starts here - pity. Your brand logo should reflect your values and also help to differentiate you. Your logo is essentially the face of your brand. It's how the public is able to identify with you visually.

Naturally there is so much more to branding. But, if you are able to build these five steps into a cohesive message you will be well on your way to strengthening your brand and make it easier for you to sell your products or services.

Succeeding On A Tack!

It seems to me that our comfort levels are our worst enemy. Once achieved, it's like hull speed on a boat - you can't go any faster. It is at this point that our brands stand still. You become so complacent that you catch yourself avoiding challenges rather than embracing them. Life on the edge keeps you sharp and opens doors that might not normally be in your path.

Have you ever had lunch with a peer entrepreneur and listened to them tell you that they're in a good place right now. They've got their duck in a row. "I'm good." But are they really? They could be just playing the business version of "duck and cover." It sounds good for the moment, but in reality there's no logic in it and chance are it will be bad for your brand.

For me, getting too comfortable scares me. I could get to like it. How are you with comfort? My highest achievements have always come from challenging myself outside of my comfort zone.
The personal pat on the back, once having conquered something that initially frightened me is so rewarding. They typically spin into additional business as well.

Find your tack, it hurts less than you think.

The New Brand Advantage

In a lot of ways starting a business and giving birth to a new brand can be an exciting process. No one knows who you are yet, so they have nothing to build an opinion on. On the other hand, since there is no formal introduction yet, everything about you is essentially rumour at this stage. A good place to start your brand is PR. Having a basic introductory website, and a weekly update to media, will help build interest and keep your information factual.

Any contact with suppliers and potential customers should alway be cordial. How you treat any contact at this initial stage, could set the tone of your new brand. Determine how you would like to be perceived and then strategize as to how you might influence this. Developing a positioning strategy that makes you the leader or the best at something will give your new brand resonance with your market. The worst thing you could do, is "follow the leader." In doing this your brand offers nothing to the marketplace. Why bother existing at all? Every decision you make should assist in differentiating your new brand.

In discovering your difference, your launch can be exciting. You could be on your way to building a remarkable brand. Dream big! Don't strive to be one of the best - strive to be the best. Just delivering good customer service isn't enough - deliver the best service. Discover ways to over-deliver. Never forget that every thing you do affects the success of your brand. Don't take designing your brand image lightly. An amateur attempt just reflects back on you. I've known some small businesses who took more interest in their decor than their brand image. Ultimately this shows in their success or lack there of.

Your brand is in your hands. Ignore it and the competition will step up to define you.

The Internet Allows A World Brand

Today I was fortunate to meet a designer ( Julie Pudlowski) who while based here in Dar Es Salaam, has clients and resources world wide. Her main business is The United Nations. Here I am doing a project in Dar Es Salaam. A little over a year ago I was speaking in Prague. I have clients, In Naples, the Czech Republic, Laguna Beach California, Saudi Arabia and noe in Dar Es Salaam. Julie agrees with me that the internet has changed the dynamic of our brands. We are not a localized company but one who's appeal has a world-wide audience.

Different cultures provide different challenges, but I am invigorated by being challenged. My branding process and design solutions continue to grow and deliver. If you take away the web, you eliminate an intriguing new business channel for me. Are you doing your brand a great favor by turning your promotional efforts to the web? The wider your scope, the less the local economy will impact you. Having a world brand is a terrific point of differentiation.

A Brand Needs To Influence The Message

I'm in Dar Es Salaam, in Tanzania on a branding project. In one of our meetings, a manager pointed out the fact that they are getting public criticism due to the fact that while progress on the construction phase of the project is commencing, the perception is that they are not being honest about the reality of the project. They believe that it will never happen.

I believe that the issue essentially is that the client needs to develop an information program that delivers regular factual information to various local on and offline media. No information only allows those who have much to gain from a failed project, control misinformation about you. Regular good news builds a natural interest in your project. While 100% control is a pipe dream, playing a leading role in your Brand story goes a long way in improving your perception quotient.

Mulligans in Branding

New article on "Mulligans in Branding," over at Start Up Growth Expert.com I just started writing for them. Lots of great information for start-ups.

Branding Abroad

I'm about to embark on a trip to Tanzania in eastern Africa to facilitate developing a brand for a transportation agency. This is my first trip to this continent. I will be there for several weeks. Preparing for the trip has been the biggest surprise. The medications you must take to protect us North Americans is amazing. My arms are sore from a day of inoculations. Preparing for a business visa is interesting as well.

I'm looking forward to meeting my new clients and moving forward on the project. With their permission I will blog about the progress in my blogging activities. It will be a branding adventure to be sure.

Stay tuned.

How To Be Found Online Podcast

10 Branding Cracks To Avoid

A brand by its nature has to be strong and stable. Owners of the brand have to be ever diligent to ensure its authenticity. Stake holders have an enormous impact on this stability. Stresses from the marketplace place a hefty strain on it. Lets have a look at some of the cracks that can form that if left unaddressed can result in brand collapse.

The Inconsistency Crack:

Take a look at all of your collateral materials. Are they consistent in brand image and message? Are all of the brand logos the same? Are all the colors part of your overall brand palette? Inconsistency cracks will cost you money.

The Authenticity Crack:

You say you are service oriented, - in reality you don't deliver. This is a crack that will soon be a chasm. Authenticity cracks can disgust a customer faster than almost any other type of crack. If you want to destroy your hard-earned reputation, allow this one to fester and grow. To patch this crack, you've got to walk the walk.

The Personality Crack:

Like the authenticity crack, the personality crack refers to the brand personality accurately reflecting the tone of the brand. If the Apple personality were to take on the personality of the PC, it would no longer resonate with its target audience. The relationship you share with customers, reflect the personality they have come to admire and embrace. Throwing this in disarray, forms a personality crack.

The Confidence Crack:

In branding, you must be ever diligent in pushing it forward. Letting the economy happen TO you, is allowing the confidence crack to weaken you. The tough times are the true test of your brand. Adhering to your brand values and pushing yourself forward fixes this type of crack. Ignoring it will take you down FAST!

The Learning Crack:

If you want to see this to go from a hairline crack to to a full blown canyon, stop looking for ways to grow your skill-set. Be curious, always be open-minded. The first time you heard the phrase, "social media" did you check into it to see if it held some value for you? Avoiding this crack means that you have to be tireless in your R&D.

The Culture Crack:

Does your brand image truly reflect the culture of your audience. If say, your logo looks as if it were designed for the 1970's, then it's time you had it updated to reflect the culture of today. If your image is supposed to look mature (in years) then you are being true to your audience. Contrary to your culture is the culture crack.

The Positioning Crack:

You've held a leadership position for years but the competition has copied it and broken it down. It's time you had a re-look at it. Positioning cracks form when it no longer differentiates you from your competition. Positioning cracks have a demoralizing effect on your sales staff.

The Stress Crack:

You know that there's problem, but you either choose to ignore it or at the very least try your hand at coming to terms with it. This is the time to look for outside assistance. For a few dollars you can benefit from a wide range of experience QUICKLY. Stress cracks can knock you off your feet if you're not careful. Depending on your management structure, having you under the weather turns control over to the stress crack.

The Rumor Crack:

Every organization has to communicate with its stakeholders. Rumor cracks form when you allow heresy to inform. Rumor is rarely, if ever true. When these cracks grow they make it difficult to lure fresh talent to your firm. These cracks also reduce the value of your company if you are looking to sell. Rumor cracks form a perception of failure regarding your brand. Rumor cracks are the dark side of business.

The This'll Never Work Crack:

Procrastination is the seed of the "this'll never work crack." If your brand is a true entrepreneurial brand, you are accustomed to risk. This crack works its way into your mind and works to keep you from ceasing opportunity. Doubt is the hairline version of this particular crack. It works to break you down and pass the concept to a competitor.

Once thing about cracks is that they are not isolated in their existence. They work to grow and join up at some point. It is at this point that they are at their strongest. It is the point of no-return as a groups of cracks ultimately cause the brand to crumble and fail.

It's time to pick up that mortar board and start filling those cracks. The longer you wait the bigger they get.

Do You Live Your Customer Service Promise?

I was just directed to a blog post on customer service. This article showed the effectiveness of social media in responding to poor service and the benefits that could happen.

It reminded me of a situation where I was being waited on, but was interrupted by a phone call that the attendant promptly answered. They then started to address the phone caller's request ignoring me. I was disgusted, having dragged my butt down to the store money in hand. I complained to the attendant AND manager but was told it was corporate policy. Stupid. They lost my sales that day as I walked out, never to return.

I taught me that customer service is something that be expressed equally. It also proved the old adage, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." When someone gives you their time, don't look over their shoulder looking for a better opportunity. Respect their time. Your professionalism will benefit you at a later date. Everyone shouts customer service, but real service is actually lacking in every industry and category. Customer service has become a cliché. It is your first opportunity to out-shine the competition.

Gift Your Services

This is a first for me. I recently had a client give a gift of consulting to a brother of theirs. They bought them, "one hour with Ed Roach."

This wasn't something that I encouraged or even knew about for that matter. They simply put a check covering the cost of the hour in a card and sent it to them for their birthday. I was humbled to say the least.

As an idea, it could be another avenue of promotion for you. Gifting your expertise is a novel way to spread your influence.

Paint Your Brand With Color.

A terrific way to differentiate your brand is through the use of color. Your corporate palette can become an effective trigger point with buyers. You only have to look to the marketplace to see the companies that are using color to their advantage. The number one company that comes to mind is UPS or Brown as many people know them. Another is ING Direct which uses orange very effectively. Everybody understands that color can be used for mood altering benefits, but it can also be used to distinguish your brand and used consistently it can be an identifier.

Over time people identify a company with its color palette. It helps to provide clarity in an otherwise saturated marketplace. The worst thing you could do is copy the color palette of the leader of your category. It not only adds to identity confusion but does nothing for your brand.

Color, consider it, embrace it and deliver consistently. It's golden.

How Rumor Affects Your Brand Podcast

Rumors have a terrible impact on internal communications and thus your brand. Here is a podcast outlining the hazards.

How To Manage Your Company's Brand

I was recently interviewed by Brenda Porter-Rockwell at Inc.com (the web devision of Inc. magazine). A number of branding professionals and I are featured in this informative article. I think you'll pick up some great tips and opinion here. Enjoy.

How Bad Do You Want It?

How many people do you know who long to be in their own business? They have lots of great ideas and yearn to "be my own boss." They put a lot of energy in dreaming and wondering if this will be their ticket to financial freedom. I had the opportunity (I use this word lightly) to meet one of these dreamers the other day. They had that great idea that was going to do it for them. We shared a conversation over coffee. Essentially it was a web-based business, lots of coding etc. I said I'd investigate and can back with a price for this dream of theirs.

(You probably know where this is going)

When I submitted the fee, the instant reply I got was... "If I had that amount of money, I'd buy a car."

I'd buy a car. How perfectly telling. No - they wouldn't finance their dream - invest in themselves - they would buy a car! I guess they figured this would cost very close to nothing. It showed just how valuable their dreams are. I believe you see this all the time with start-ups. They have lots of cash for office equipment and decorating - things that make them "0" amount of income. Weeks before launch, with their budgets very nearly depleted, they then see "what's left" to put towards marketing. The very thing that "makes them money." The sad fact is that in many cases, decorating is fun. It's dressing up the dream. Marketing somehow feels and looks like air.

The smart ones get it and realize their dream. The rest - well, they're out buying cars!

If they don't have faith in themselves, how can they ever expect to succeed? That person I was dealing with, should have considered the fee and found a way to finance the dream just like all of us. Sometimes that financing is time, sometimes it's money, and sometimes it's perseverance. Whatever it takes. When I started, I put up my house, everything to realize my dream.

How bad do you want it?

Barriers to Branding Success

Everything that touches your brand affects it. How you market it, is the voice of your brand. Positioning is the stand you take. Community involvement is the heart of your brand. Brand perception is reality to your audience. How stake holders describe and talk about you has some impact on your brand standing and the perception factor. With all these influencers (and more that I haven't mentioned) there are any number of barriers that affect your brand's success.

Your job ( and a mighty big one) is to minimize any negative impact these influencers may have. Some of these are external and internal barriers. External barriers are situations like compliance issues and not keeping current with technology - this impacts productivity, dragging you down. Uninspired marketing addresses nothing and flies under the radar of your audience. Lousy service and union problems are massive barriers to your brand's success.

Every day in business something pops up that challenges your brand. How you react to them or not, impacts the brand. Couple the stress of this with personal barriers. One would be your alertness. Depending on how you tackle everything, fatigue has a huge impact on your efforts. Family responsibilities are another influencer. Whether you have a positive or negative point of view is a barrier. Have you noticed that when you dwell on the negative, it seems to attract more negative things to you? Lack of education - upgrading is another barrier.

Barriers are a fact of life. How you plan for them and how you overcome them are the bench marks of a truly great brand. Don't allow barriers to overwhelm you, and view their challenges as just another way to improve your overall performance. As I hurdle each one, I take pride in knowing I am in control. Surrendering to barriers is just the top of the spiral down.

A good exercise is to list your own external and internal barriers and develop a strategy to overcome and build on them.

From The Horse's Mouth Podcast

Rumors Podcast

Brand Scent Podcast

Do You Have A Brand Scent Podcast?

Brandless At The Beach - NEVER!

Just because you're on vacation and lounging at the beach doesn't mean your brand has to relax too. Here are ten ways you can promote your brand when you're supposed to be relaxing:

1: Build a sand model of your store or office.

2: This one's for the ladies. Get a one piece suit and using an exact-o knife cut out a stencil of your brand logo. Next time you wear a two-piece suit your logo will be in a nice golden brown against your lighter skin.

3. Buy the beach volleyball team playing near-by some drinks and get them to wear your swag.

4. Stock a super-size cooler with free refreshments to share with your beach neighbors. Wear your t-shirt with the logo and website on it.

5. Put a sandwich board on your dog for that walk down the beach.

6. Whistle your companies jingle while you read your beach book.

7. Put that same jingle many times through out your music mix. Be sure that others around you can hear it easily.

8. Park your logoed vehicle next to the washrooms or refreshment stands.

9. Hire a plane to drag your sky advertising back and forth.

10. Be sure the whole family is wearing the corporate colors.

As interesting as these suggestions are, don't blame the writer (me) if your family and loved ones abandon you for another locale down the beach.

Jump And Grow Your Wings On The Way Down.

The headline to this article is a quote from a client of mine - Belinda Bond. Belinda is the visionary behind the Celebrity Mama Tour. I thought it was the perfect bit of advice for entrepreneurs. How many times have you sat down for a chat with someone and they are pondering the age old question, "When is the best time to launch my idea?" or "Is it the right time to go into business for myself?" As someone who has been on their own for some time now, I don't believe there is a right or wrong time to jump. The point is the jumping part. That action is what separates the true entrepreneur. It reminds me of a past article I wrote about planners and doers.

The wings referred to in the headline are really the passion and belief in yourself. The only way you are going to succeed is to DO IT. Nike had it right, "Just Do It." If you jump and crash, then your wings were not fully unfurled. But like any new life, you have to grow. You have to brush yourself off and get back up there and jump again. Each time gaining the confidence to learn from past errors and gaining ground.

Risk is simply part of the process. If you try and wait for the "right time." You will never jump, because there is always something that will give you reason to pause. We spend our whole lives trying to win. Most times we lose. We understand and recognize losing. Sometimes we are too comfortable with it. Comfort in the status quo keeps most of us from jumping.

If that sounds like your situation then my only advice is to STEP ASIDE, and let other visionaries start their journey. Not everyone is cut out to take the risk. Their role is to be the lightening rod for others. The key is to understand your role in business, and step into that role. Recognize your strengths and join the right team.

Belinda Bond is a ball of fire. Her comfort zone is in the risk taking. But don't kid yourself - she and thousands like her couldn't take that risk without key support behind her. But in the end it still boils down to jumping or not. If you want it bad enough you'll jump. Growing the wings is the fun part!

It's Not About You.

"It's Not About You" Podcast. How to solve your customer's problems.

Testing The Apple Brand

The new iPhone and iPad have a similar problem - antenna strength. I've been a Mac user since it's inception in '84 and I have never (knock wood) had any issues with it's new products until the iPad. Wi-Fi signal strength drops away the minute I step out onto my deck. I went online with the issue and found that it's a common problem which is hoped to be addressed in the OS update in the fall. Now we hear that the new iPhone 4 has a signal strength issue.

Depending on how Mac handles these situations will determine if its' brand is authentic or it too falls victim to arrogance like Toyota. It is my hope that they not ignore it and hope it goes away, but that they fix it before a back-lash occurs. My guess is that it's not simply a software issue.

Apple is my favorite brand so I think that they will take the high road. Of course time will tell.

Samaritan's Purse Are A Case History In Great Branding

This evening I had a follow-uo conversation from two gentlemen from "Samaritan's Purse". A little over a month ago, our neighbourhood endured three tornadoes and Samaritan's Purse were one of the aid organization who rushed to the town's assistance. They are one organization that practice what they preach. The three young guys who helped us worked like dogs and played a great role in the clean-up of our property.

Tonight they were just seeing if there was anything else that could do to help, either physically or mentally. I was very impressed. They exited by giving me a gift card to Tim Horton's (coffee shop).

Samaritan's Purse is an aid organization extending their hand world-wide. They are Christian but not necessarily any one denomination. Our volunteers happened to be Mormons from Utah. I know for a fact that they are very respected locally and have done an outstanding job building their brand in the eyes of everyone that they touched. They are a great case for authenticity. They do indeed walk the walk.


If you have any connection to Samaritan's Purse - I applaud you!

The Change Curve Conundrum

I was present at a short discussion on change management today. Essentially the premise was that once learning of some life altering change to your personal life or business, you at first fall from denial and shock, only to finally pull up and out due to your natural ability to see the bright spots and the way out. These traits are especially true for leaders. What we have to watch for and be sympathetic to is the people who play a supporting role in our lives.

Because they are adverse to change their journey on the change curve will be accomplished at a somewhat slower pace. We must recognize this and react to it. Employees who are most adverse to change may also be the mouth pieces of the employee pool. Recruiting these individuals and getting them to see and accept the positives of the change, make them "agents of change", thus part of the solution. Don't assume that because family and employees "trust" us that they totally understand or even comprehend the light at the end of the tunnel. Keeping them in the loop and reducing their fear will go a long way to getting them on board.

They may never be 100% there, but you can help reduce their anxiety as you guide them out of the change curve.

From The Horse's Mouth Podcast

From The Horse's Mouth Podcast:

Why Brand Values Matter.

Just what do you stand for? In order for you to grow your brand effectively, you have to know your brand values. What are the characteristics that define you? These values are such that without them it would fundamentally change your brand. Let's say that giving back to your community is a huge brand value. No longer giving back, would be way out of character. Your audience would not recognize your company as once they did.Your brand would be damaged as it would be viewed as more selfish. This is how brand values define you.

Scensory Branding

This week's podcast is on scensory branding:

Branding Voodoo That'll Smoke The Competition

There are lots of ways that you can approach your brand to make it more effective. Some can be
costly, while many are simple and relatively inexpensive. It is the latter that I will outline for you today. They don't take much thought or effort but can impact your brand in a big way.

1) Sponsor a local adolescent sports team.
This is not so much to get your logo on a jersey but it
is part of giving back to the community. Volunteerism speaks to your brand values. Not to mention that many of the organizers are also leading members of the
business community.

2) Join local networking groups.
Don't just join groups and wait your turn to say your
elevator speech, but take an active role. Join committees, offer your assistance where ever you see an opening. People are impressed by go getters.

3) Write a short eBook.
You are an expert in your field. Take that valuable knowledge and apply it to a subject your potential customers might find compelling. Offer it up on your website or blog for free. Doing this puts you on
the path to building a niche group to sell to.

4) Consistency of image.
Make sure that all your materials have the same brand image. Any deviation only causes confusion among your audience. I go to great lengths to be sure I stay on track with my brand, so should you.

5) Do you have a new product or service that needs attention?
Do a press release and spread the word in the media. Any pick-up is free advertising for you.

6) Do a color analysis of the competition.
See what colors the competition is doing and choose a color they are NOT using to own that color and differentiate yourself. Of course this is great if you're willing to re-do your brand image. If not, look at the attitude or tone of their messages and differentiate based on that observation.

7) Go on blogs that your audience is on and purposely leave constructive comments.
These comments will lead customers back to you. This is a great way to get the conversation started. It also works the same way in Linkedin groups, Facebook and Twitter.

8) Track your online visitors.
Be sure that your websites and blogs have analytic code installed so that you can see what keywords people use to find you. Use those keywords as the basis of links back to you rather than your company name.

9) Record podcasts/videos.
They don't have to be super professional, just decent so as not to cast any negativity on your brand. A/V adds a distinct tone to your online content and positions you nicely. It helps add a personality to your brand.

10) Lead don't follow.
How can you lead in your category? Determine a way to take the high ground from your competition. In Branding Voodoo, you MUST have the bigger pins, anything less is just doodoo.

10 Yrs. To Build, 12 Min. To Destroy

I have been offline over the past week due to a tornado touching down in our backyard. A terrifying experience. It came at 3:00 in the morning, waking us out of a sound sleep. Of course we had no idea of what was happening, only that the weather outside was continually getting worse culminating in a massive crashing , crushing sound. We live on 2 acres of lakeside property with 28 mature trees. We lost ALL of them and the house got hit a little.

Now the joy of dealing with insurance and the major disruption to our lives. The marvelous thing to come out of this tragedy is the incredible show of assistance from friends, family and strangers. What we thought would take months to clear up has been accomplished in just over a week. We had continuous day and night shifts of people chipping in to clear of our property. Friends and family pulled in favors from their contacts to speed up things. I had continuos emails on my iPhone on volunteers offering their help of labor or meals and moral support. Friends cried when they saw the scope of the destruction.

A fabulous volunteer group called Samaritan's Purse set up shop in town and provided us with three volunteers who worked like dogs to help. Two of the young people were from Utah. Everyone worked as a great team. We almost had a chainsaw shop going with sharpening and re-fueling. We went through countless cases of water as the heat was about 80 -90 degrees everyday.

We are now able to look ahead and to the future. Mother Nature dealt us a bad hand that night, but our human bonds were our ace in the hole. Our landscaping is a clean slate again and we are able to see more of the lake now. There were no injuries in the town and the community is closer. Where once there was darkness now there is light.

(In the photo we uprighted the barbeque to boil water as the power was out.)

How To Be Found Online Podcast

This week's podcast is, "How To Be Found Online."

Drew Gerber Speaks on PR and your Brand

As part of my interview series with "Thought Leaders," PR guru and author, Drew Gerber from "Pitchrate.com" shares his wisdom with us. I've been following Drew online for some time, so I was pleased as punch that he agreed to this important interview.

Ed Roach: How much does personal branding matter in Public Relations?
 
Drew Gerber: Personal branding is as important in the world of business survival as food, shelter, and water are to personal survival. If you want to set yourself apart from the competition you have to make a name for your products and services. Chances are someone else is doing the same thing you are, so you really have to find what’s unique about you. The goal of branding is to make it so your target market remembers you. When you’re giving an interview you have to make sure you deliver your message in way that forces people to take notice of your brand. You have to make it like a song they can’t get out of their heads.
 
Ed Roach: Whenever I speak of corporate branding, I believe a company is smarter to lead than follow. Taking their PR efforts into consideration, how important is "being the leader"?
 
Drew Gerber: Being a leader is definitely important, but you also have to know what others are doing. I would never advocate following or “riding the coat tails”, but with the Internet and social networking, ideas and thoughts are being exchanged at a very rapid pace. It really comes down to progression these days. How far you can take an idea and how you can leverage it to really make a difference in you company.
 
Ed Roach: Drew, I've heard you say, "When it comes to small businesses, PR is in everything you do." Since your PR is a part of your brand would you agree that the tone of your brand should be reflected in your PR initiatives?
 
Drew Gerber: Definitely! The tone of your brand should be reflected in all your PR initiatives. Your brand is who you are. It’s counterproductive to deliver a message in an interview that doesn’t align with your branding. You have to be memorable, not confusing.
 
Ed Roach: Let's say a company is in crisis, how can PR play a role in re-establishing brand reputation?
 
Drew Gerber: PR can be a company's most effective tool-- as long as they are willing to take responsibility and be vulnerable. Crying on camera seldom hurts either. We all watched as Toyota launched a huge PR campaign after all the recalls. They had to reestablish trust with its current and potential customers. They went hard after their long history and track record, and even brought emotion into the campaign, which we don’t see too often from large corporations. When a company's relationship with the public is tarnished for whatever reason, PR is the most effective way to get the shine back on.
 
Ed Roach: As a Public Relations expert, how do you believe the Drew Gerber brand is perceived?
 
Drew Gerber: Well, I always think it's hard to be objective about yourself, even if you a branding expert. Ever try cutting your own hair? I hope I'm perceived as approachable, passionate, and, above all else, committed to making a difference.

L. Drew Gerber is CEO of Wasabi Publicity, Inc. (www.PublicityResults.com) and creator of www.PitchRate.com, a free media tool that connects journalists, publicists, and experts. Gerber's business practices and staffing innovations have been revered by PR Week, Good Morning America and the Christian Science Monitor. His companies handle international PR campaigns and his staff develops online press kits for authors, speakers and companies with Online PressKit 24/7, a technology he developed (www.PressKit247.com). Contact L. Drew Gerber at: AskDrew@PublicityResults.com or call him at 828-749-3548.

Ask and Discover A Stronger Brand Inspiration

The next installment of my eInterview series is on it's way to this blog. The next interview is with PR guru Drew Gerber and his perspective on the value of your brand in relation to public relations. I am enjoying this effort. It's fun to have people I admire give me their thoughts on branding. What I find especially rewarding is the fact these individuals are so open and willing to share their thoughts with us.

It speaks highly of their brands. How about yourself? Are you willing to provide value when called upon for your assistance? Myself, I mentor and provide other forms of guidance to young business people at the starting line of their business careers. As they say, give first and it all comes back to you. I enjoy listening to other opinions on branding and that is where I got the notion of asking personalities of note or of interest to me for their opinions. We can all learn from asking questions. Every day I do a little more to push my business forward. The web allows me to spread my influence to a global audience. I love what I learn from each new client and from each new bit of information I discover.

Have your read a great book or article recently? Why not take the time and contact the author and share with them what you got from their writing. It could even generate a great new point of influence for you. I know from my own experience with blogging, some of my regular commenters have become familiar to me and we have shared notes from time to time, and promoted each other's services. That to me is the best kind of networking. The kind where I'm not conscientiously trying to network, but where it happens naturally.

Teaching A Dog New Tricks

I heard a great speaker on SEO (search engine optimization) yesterday during an event I spoke at. My topic was social media marketing. The SEO speaker was Jim Beretta from Communitech. Jim put much of the SEO spin into perspective and cut out all the BS.

After listening to Jim, I got inspired and hit the Kindle store with my iPad in tow. I found a great little book that I have already put to good use. I'm hoping that by the end of June I will see if all I have been learning will bear fruit and see my numbers and ranking surge. The book is called, SEO Made Simple by Michael Fleischner.

If you have an iPad or a kindle, the ebook is 30% less that a hardcopy version. AND you get it instantly.

iContact Special Offer

I personally use iContact for all of my email marketing and I think you should benefit from using it too. From May 26 – May 31 2010, they’re offering up to 20% off their email marketing prices when you use coupon code MAY2010.

With iContact, I can easily create, and send my email newsletters or promotions. Everything about iContact is easy and makes my email marketing really efficient. I've been using them for more than two years now, and I like how simple it is to use and track the results of each mailing.

To sign up today visit iContact right now to benefit from this special by the end of the month!

How To Discover The Social Media Fit!

Every week it seems there is another channel we can use to market our companies. Social Media for one appears to be leaping on to the stage at every opportunity. My inbox is constantly pushing out new sites to sign up to in the promise of delivering to us a new and exciting piece of business. I'm sure, like me, you wonder is it worth all the hype and will they get me any more notice than what I am experiencing with my current nest of sites.

All I can advise is that it is extremely important that you do your research and see what "appears" to be a good fit for you. By that I mean, how much effort you have to put forth to get the results you hope to achieve. You can't do them all and be effective. As long as you realize that social media marketing is unlike any other traditional channel, you will appreciate what it takes to build audience. That difference of course is that social marketing is not about selling but is about the conversation. Branding loves social marketing because that conversation leads to relationships.

Social media also can be powerful in the right hands. Would you enjoy knowing when a key person in a business you have been aching to do business with leaves, opening the door for a new relationship, quite possibly with you? Trolling social sites can harvest this type of information. Developing a social media guide for your employees, can establish points of reference and alert them as to how the company wants them to identify themselves when ever they comment on the company online.

How ever you use the medium, finding that great fit, reduces unrealistic expectations and allows you to connect with your audience in more meaningful ways.

Survey Your Team

This week's podcast looks at surveying your brand team to discover what environment it exists in.

Social Media Marketing Smarts

As I sit here putting together the graphics for a presentation I'm doing next week on Social Media Marketing to a small group of auto industry stakeholders, I'm wondering at what awareness level they are at.

Typically, businesses don't even have online marketing on their radars. They all have profiles on the various sites and a basic database of opt-in emails, BUT they are not even aware that they are walking around this environment with their eyes closed. Granted the whole point of this event is to open those eyes.

What I'm hoping for is that not only their eyes are opened by their minds as well. Online marketing is an entirely different mindset than traditional marketing. Where they are similar is the determination and strategic thinking that is needed to exploit the opportunities. They have to understand that it is more important to speak to 15 highly targeted people with a compelling conversation than to speak to 15,000 people with a sales pitch and no direction.

As a colleague of mine puts it, " Social marketing isn't really about marketing, it's about the conversation."

Be A Message Tailor

By guest writer, Maurice Marwood.

When selling yourself, your product or your service, always focus your discussions on the features that will be beneficial to your potential customer. And a feature that's a benefit to one customer may not be a benefit to another. Therefore be prepared to tailor your message to the specific needs of each customer. And, of course, in order to do that you must know your customer and his/her needs.

Brand yourself as a "Total Solution Provider."

Shout It Out Everywhere!!

Have you figured out a powerful brand positioning strategy yet? Well, let's say you have. Now you have to develop a brand image that reflects that position and roll it out across every touch point of your brand. Your website needs to reflect the positioning. Your business cards and marketing materials do too. If positioning was just a slogan change, it could probably wait until the materials run out. But a positioning strategy is too compelling a message to ignore due to design/printing costs.

When ever I'm asked, "do I have to change my cards?" myself and my client know that the answer has to be "yes you do." When the message is consistent across all channels, sales and marketing are then working hand in hand for your success. Since the positioning strategy is a compelling reason to buy from you, it puts your business out there as the leader. You can't afford to roll it out slowly at the risk of underwhelming. It's time to shout out that difference you've worked so hard to discover.

How Dare I Expect Payment!

It never ceases to surprise me how people feel no remorse in using you at your expense. As any reader to my blog can attest, I pay huge attention to my brand. I believe that bad practices can hurt me financially, but more importantly it can damage my hard earned reputation. If you ever want to find out just how branding badly harms you, do something stupid that damages your reputation. See hard it is to change that negative perception once the word gets out. Trying to get it back is like trying to herd bees with your hands.

Recently, a client whom I did a project with under a tight time restraint called me quite indignant at the tone I took in my email regarding a long over-due payment. They were "quite insulted" with my approach that I was willing to take interest-free installments or off to collection we go. Didn't I understand , that they hadn't been paid by their client yet, so this should be explanation enough for my dilemma.

Small business people every where work very hard at building their businesses and are more than willing to cut people slack if they show, "a willingness to pay." In my 30 years in business, I have NEVER stuck a supplier because I've not been paid. If I engaged your services, I am liable to pay you. Period. Without suppliers/contacts who trust my brand I am no where. When ever this happened over the years, my "willingness to pay", has provided me suppliers/contacts who helped me through it.

But... in the end they still got paid in full.

Over the years I've heard it all. Happy clients until the bill arrives - then there's issues. Sad thing in this case is that this is a young person starting out in a new communications service. I've had several lunches, imparting my experience to them in an effort to help them avoid pitfalls I had experienced coming up. This mentoring has obviously fallen on deaf ears.

What bad business practices practices get your dander up? I'm offering you the opportunity to vent here, share your wisdom and show my readers that everyone has to deal with unfortunate situations.

How To Make Your Best Impression?

What impression are you making on people? When you meet them for the first time - after you've given them your business card - then they get back to their offices and decide to check you out. What are they going to discover? Will they see a professional image that compliments their impression of your personality? In person you talk a great game, but if your support materials including your web presence were done on the cheap, you may be torpedoing your brand from the very start. Consistency of presentation is so important in taking the lead to the next level. Even after reading my articles, potential leads ALWAYS check out my website to get a read on who I am.

It is important that what they discover compliments and even surpasses their expectations. I can't afford to have a communication channel back-fire and miss the positive perception I want to leave with a potential lead - and neither can you. Everything that I do has a common theme and message.

You are not doing your brand any favors, when your brand doesn't stand for anything. If your brand image is telling a weak story then you are going to work harder to land that sale. This is a common mistake I see when coaching small businesses with their brand strategies. They all understand what I'm recommending, but they have difficulty implementing it. Once they roll it out properly, their brands take on a renewed confidence and from there they are on a journey that makes their brand stronger and stronger.

Public Speaking Podcast

Look at public speaking as a great way to build your personal brand and get leads.

Mistakes. Little Business Lessons.

Guest writer: Karen Behune Plunkett

So- how do you make right decisions? Frankly, in one word – EXPERIENCE, and through experience we will make mistakes. They play a pivotal role in growing and learning about our business, brand and our life itself. Mistakes should be looked at as the “learning curve”. I always say, you remember your mistakes much more vividly than your successes. The true mistake would be if you didn’t learn anything from that mistake and just kept duplicating it.

While striving to achieve our dreams, life shows us that that through a series of set-backs and comebacks, sometimes overnight successes takes years. Perhaps the real danger is too much success very early in the game. You have missed the lessons needed to be learned for correcting or repositioning from the mistakes, and left less equipped to handle the inevitable challenges that will surely come. Call me crazy- but I believe there is great value in a business person who gets that….someone who understands that making a mistake, is just another opportunity to do it again-more successfully.

Contact Karen Behune Plunkett

How To Put Color To Work!

In your never ending quest to make your business more successful, you no doubt have considered what images to use, how your logo positions you, what words are just right and most importantly what tone does your brand take. All of these elements are incredibly important, but there is one element that flies under the radar of many companies. That element is COLOR. Can can be used to great effect as an icon that represents your brand. It is powerful and more memorable than a photo. If I say for instance, "What can brown do for you today?" What company instantly pops into your head?

Exactly.

Color can differentiate you on a sub-conscious level. Used consistently AND from a strategy of differentiation, color can be powerful. Branding allows you to own a color.

How To Bring Down Your Personal Brand

Your personal brand should be the poster child for positivity. Everything about you should say that you are likable and a pleasure to be associated with. Inspiring those around you should be your goal. Every entrepreneur wants to associate themselves with influential people, because referrals are the best form of lead. If a person finds you likable, always seeing opportunities and beaming with a positive attitude, they want more of you. Don't you find yourself getting pumped when you share a lunch or coffee with positive people? They're contagious!

Or the flip-side, negative people who always whine and complain and blame their failings on everything but themselves can bring you down faster than anything. Negative people where negativity like a badge of honor and they excel at it. The trouble is that it leads to massive failure. This is a sure fire way to drag down your personal brand. To make matters worse, negative people attract other negative people. It becomes a spiral down.

Look around, are people you associate with complaining about the economy consistently? It's time you pulled back, and actively search out people who see negatives as a positive source of opportunity. You know the old quote - "when one door closes, another one opens" - this comment is alien to negative people. Your brand is in your control, IF you are pro-active and are open to opportunity. If not - YOU lose, it's pretty simple.

Tear-Off Tags Podcast

A grass-roots advertising channel with a cleaned up image.

Shout Out To Oceans & Fisheries

From my stats I see that I have someone from Oceans and Fisheries visiting here at my blog. Being originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, I'm curious about them. If you happen to read this, how about leaving a comment and introducing yourself. I still have many ties back east, and it being a small world, I always wonder who is visiting.

I appear to draw an audience from everywhere really. Some weeks for instance I might get a good number from India. Why some weeks, I get more from one area is unknown to me. But, it happens that way it seems. The great thing is that my information appears to resonate with small business people no matter where they live. It's a universal message. If you're up to it, why not tell us all where you're visiting from? The web is a fascinating portal. Commenting is an optimum way to promote yourself as well.

Over Delivering Is Good Brand Medicine

If you'd love to make a great impression on a new customer, all you have to do is over deliver on the promise. If you've already quoted them a fee, surprise them with rolling some of the lesser costs into the main one. If delivery is not usually free, make this delivery free. Going above and beyond in your service to them and you will see a loyalty to you begin to grow. Nobody enjoys being nickel and dimed to death, so small things make big impressions. They are noticed more than you might think.

Even when volunteering to help someone out, over deliver there as well. Giving more always comes back to you in a positive way. More is always good, and more is great for your brand.

Job hunting? Look At Yourself First.

This afternoon I'll be speaking to a young group of newly arrived immigrants to Canada. My message will be that when they are searching for employment or looking to start a new enterprise, they should start with addressing their personal brand. I know for many of my colleagues, they don't hire from a resume but by referral or personally knowing someone.

Their strategy to strengthening their personal brand should have an online and offline component. Online, all social networking and professional networking sites should have a consistent profile and have flattering material to witness. Offline, I will be encouraging they join networking and professional associations. I will also suggest that they give back to their host communities by giving of themselves by volunteering. All of these activities will go a long way in distinguishing themselves in their community.

By consciously trying to stand out they have a greater chance of reaching their career goals AND their self-confidence will spike as well.

Survey Your Team Podcast

This week's podcast discusses speaking to brand stakeholders.

Fix It. Brand It. What Comes First?

The title of this article is rather a trick question. The fact is you have a brand already. Everything does. If your brand is essentially your reputation, then your brand is created through the relationship it has with it's audience. Small businesses don't consider their brand unless they think there may be a problem, and something is holding them back.

Issues like:
• an unmotivated staff • lack-lustre sales • poor customer service • a tired brand image • bad PR
... to name a few.

In order for your brand to grow strong you have to fix the broken parts. Taking a hard look at what your brand stands for and determining what your differentiator is will correctly define your brand. Leaving it broken compounds the problems. So to answer the question posed in the headline, I'd recommend a little of both, because they really can't be separate issues. Solving one, strengthens the other.

Radio As A Branding Channel

Guest Author: Tim Fenn

Radio has been proven time and time again as one of the best mediums for branding due to the intrusive nature of sound as opposed to the passive nature of visual mediums.
 
You have to look to see, but don’t have to listen to hear.
 
This is why might typically pay little attention to a print ad unless you are in the market for a product or service.
 
It’s the reason you have committed to memory the words to hundreds of songs without trying, yet can’t tell me the colour of the car in the driveway 5 doors down, though you pass it several times a week.
 
Therefore, radio is better at creating a pre-disposition for your product or service, winning hearts and minds and “branding”  BEFORE a consumer is in the market for the product. Brand awareness.

www.blackburnradio.com
 
My question is this:
 Why isn't radio part of your marketing mix?

Brand Trust...

Do you have a trusted brand? Listen in on this week's tip for more on this...

Photography Can Be Hurting Your Brand

Guest Post by Mariano Pastor

Vision is the most advanced of our senses. We understand the world through our eyes and images play an exceptional role in human perception-we evolved to make fast decisions based in what we see. To determine friend from foe at a glance.

In the modern world we grow looking at sophisticated images created by the entertainment and advertising industries. By the time we leave college we had been exposed to millions of these pictures and they become the criteria to cast opinions - in a blink of an eye - about what is good or bad. inferior or excellent. To purchase or to take a pass. There is no underestimating the power of first impressions.

The photography you use creates an immediate impression as to where your company stands in terms of professionalism, attention to detail and quality control. Or whether you employ inferior standards in return for lower costs.

When determining the price of creating the photography that helps you sell your product, step back for a moment and consider the larger picture. Does the image you use reflect the way you want customers to perceive your brand?

In this belt-tightening economy, it’s easy to fall to the temptations of using cheaper alternatives anywhere we can. Cheap stock photography floods the web, technology makes possible to have your own in house studio and employ a staff that will crank out pictures. You may even consider doing it yourself.

But does doing things cheaply have to mean cheapening your brand?


About the Author:
Mariano is an advertising photographer based in NYC. He is also the founder of Via U!—a revolutionary online photography studio that delivers quality photography at extraordinarily affordable prices.