Velocity Blog
3-3-08 :: WHAT IS BRANDING, AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
Quite simply, branding is about who you are. It's your identity expressed to the world. But it's much more than a name or a slogan, and it far exceeds the scope of a unique selling proposition.
Branding is dynamic and intangible, but altogether very powerful, because it resides within the hearts and minds of your customer, client, or prospect. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, most of which you can influence. How people interpret their world determines what they buy, and why. Products that sell are inspirational, because unspoken emotional needs are powerful motivators. Therefore, a product or service must be branded relevantly within personal, social and cultural contexts; not just from masses of statistics and bullet points.
In the end, it's not about reaching the most people, but reaching the right people with the right message, and building trust. Therefore, it's important to spend time investing in researching, defining, and building your brand. After all, your brand is the source of a promise to your consumer. It's a foundational step in your marketing efforts and one you definitely can't afford to be without.
Think for a moment about Starbucks. If ever there was a company that understands marketing, this is it. Consider that this company built an empire (that continues to expand) by selling coffee. Coffee! It's not cheap coffee, either. In fact, it's among the highest priced on the market. And selection? They offer many different coffee drinks, along with a few tea drinks and other miscellaneous items, but overall their menu is very limited. They stick to what they do best and, well, it seems to be working.
So if you're still stuck on price and selection, we need to get you to expand your scope a little. When people perceive something to be of value, price quickly becomes a secondary concern.
If you're just competing on price, you're a sitting duck.
1. Ask her friends for recommendations
2. Start calling businesses out of the yellow pages
She would then drive to a local supplier if one was available or order and wait six to eight weeks for it to arrive.
These days she can go on line and compare every brand made, price it from every supplier available, order it in any size or color and have it delivered overnight, or even the same day in many cases.
Today's consumers simply don't need you. It's a point that must be understood if you want to reach buyers. You don't have a stick any more, so you'd better figure out how to use the carrot.
So why you?
Are you giving people something to care about? I don't mean something that's important to you or the people in your industry, but something that they really want to hear? Does it make their lives better in some recognizable way? Or are you saying that people should come and give you money for no real reason?
3-3-08 :: WHAT IS BRANDING, AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
Quite simply, branding is about who you are. It's your identity expressed to the world. But it's much more than a name or a slogan, and it far exceeds the scope of a unique selling proposition.
Branding is dynamic and intangible, but altogether very powerful, because it resides within the hearts and minds of your customer, client, or prospect. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, most of which you can influence. How people interpret their world determines what they buy, and why. Products that sell are inspirational, because unspoken emotional needs are powerful motivators. Therefore, a product or service must be branded relevantly within personal, social and cultural contexts; not just from masses of statistics and bullet points.
In the end, it's not about reaching the most people, but reaching the right people with the right message, and building trust. Therefore, it's important to spend time investing in researching, defining, and building your brand. After all, your brand is the source of a promise to your consumer. It's a foundational step in your marketing efforts and one you definitely can't afford to be without.
2-25-07 :: Looking beyond the obvious
Most business owners think in very limited terms such as price or selection, when in fact there is no limit to the areas where you can establish yourself as the consumer's choice. Price and selection are good advantages to have, but they're not the only ones.Think for a moment about Starbucks. If ever there was a company that understands marketing, this is it. Consider that this company built an empire (that continues to expand) by selling coffee. Coffee! It's not cheap coffee, either. In fact, it's among the highest priced on the market. And selection? They offer many different coffee drinks, along with a few tea drinks and other miscellaneous items, but overall their menu is very limited. They stick to what they do best and, well, it seems to be working.
So if you're still stuck on price and selection, we need to get you to expand your scope a little. When people perceive something to be of value, price quickly becomes a secondary concern.
If you're just competing on price, you're a sitting duck.
1-16-08 :: Why should anyone care about your business?
Here's a question that startles a lot of business owners when I ask them: "Why should anyone care about your business?" You're asking people to give you their hard-earned money, their trust and their long term loyalty. That's expecting quite a bit. Why should they do it? That question is almost an insult to some business owners, but it's one they need to address head-on. What most businesses haven't adapted to is the fact that they're not in control of the buying process any more. The consumer is. There was a time not very long ago that sellers had the upper hand. There was less competition locally, the internet didn't exist and the consumer had very little information at her fingertips. When Sally Q. Consumer wanted to buy something in 1990, what were her options? She would most likely do one of two things:1. Ask her friends for recommendations
2. Start calling businesses out of the yellow pages
She would then drive to a local supplier if one was available or order and wait six to eight weeks for it to arrive.
These days she can go on line and compare every brand made, price it from every supplier available, order it in any size or color and have it delivered overnight, or even the same day in many cases.
Today's consumers simply don't need you. It's a point that must be understood if you want to reach buyers. You don't have a stick any more, so you'd better figure out how to use the carrot.
So why you?
Are you giving people something to care about? I don't mean something that's important to you or the people in your industry, but something that they really want to hear? Does it make their lives better in some recognizable way? Or are you saying that people should come and give you money for no real reason?
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