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June 29, 2007
Stop and think about your favorite company or business. What comes to mind first? Is it the products and services that they offer, the building they are located, or their logo. More than likely, one of first things you thought of was the logo. Whether it was a car company, a shoe company, or a ..
June 28, 2007
The Most Powerful Retail BrandOf all the retail stores and super-stores in the US, who has the best brand? Which brand commands dominance over the competition and strikes fear into the heart of the market space? Just to stir up the pot a bit and to make a point, let’s include in our evaluation, all .
June 25, 2007
Promotional items and gifts have come a long way today. Companies have started using promotional items aggressively for marketing their company and offered products and services. More recently promotional polo shirts also joined the same bandwagon.For printing promotional polo shirts screen ..
June 20, 2007
This weeks article is Part III in a series. Visit my Small Business Branding Blog to access past articles!Once it sunk in that she did not have to work hellish hours, she did not have to be chained to her office and she did not need to have her business run her - she could run her business - Jane ..
June 15, 2007
Why Thermal Binders Instead of Comb Binders?Thermal Binders vs. Comb Binders– Integrity & StrengthLet’s start with the pages themselves. With comb binders, the page’s integrity is compromised by the holes you have to punch. Even if you order them pre-punched, that part of the paper has only half ..
June 15, 2007
Originality in logo designing can really set new trends for others to follow. Perhaps, we don't need any expert opinion for this. Of late, we come across the term, ‘X-factor’, being applied in almost every field. This factor is even applicable to the professional field- to take your business to new .
June 14, 2007
With Father's Day coming up, I have been on the lookout for innovative packages on products for dad. One of the most interesting was a head of iceberg lettuce wrapped in baseball graphics by Tanimura and Antle. I liked the concept and it made the “buy me" connection for me. With over 60,000 ..
June 10, 2007
Business large and small should consider hiring a professional branding company. A branding company brings a lot to the table. First and foremost they bring a third party objective point of view that a business is unable to obtain. The old saying holds true, you can’t see the forest through the ..
June 10, 2007
Once upon a time there were three businesses. They sold the same types of products in the same geographic area. But there were big differences in the way they presented themselves to their prospects.One positioned himself as the “high price / high quality / high personal service” vendor. His ..
August 29, 2006
You have to love the branding of the Gieko Insurance Company Gecko. Brilliant marketing and you have to laugh because it is so ridiculous and funny to listen to a Gecko with an Australian Accent no doubt tell you that you can save hundreds of dollars on your car insurance by switching to Gieko.If ..
August 19, 2006
During the good old days, a business could get away with scribbling a note or pecking on a typewriter long after the ribbon should have been replaced and sending it to a customer or potential one. The carbon paper placed between the original to make a copy for in-house records was acceptable even ..
August 11, 2006
When was the last time you were bored?Today? Yesterday? Last week? Last year?And when you were bored, what did you do?Eat? Watch TV? Doodle on a piece of paper? Spend an hour on www.boredatwork.com?I haven’t been bored since college. And you know what? I’m damn proud of that. It’s consistently ..
August 09, 2006
Just recently I went to order some business cards. I had no idea as to what I wanted I just knew that I had to have some. I was absolutely staggered as to the array of samples that I saw. I was still thinking of a plain card with my details on it. When I started looking it was a case of the more I ..
August 07, 2006
Customized silicone bracelets are a hit these days. We can see people from all walks of life wear them. But what are these customized silicone bracelets good for anyway?Manufacturers offer these customized silicone bracelets to people with certain causes that they want to make known to the public. ..
August 04, 2006
If you are a small business owner and have finally come to the decision that you company needs a letterhead then you are definitely going in the right direction. However, there are some things to consider before you make your letterhead. After all first impressions are important and you don’t want ..
August 01, 2006
Looking for a great fundraiser? Then maybe rubber bracelets are just the thing to promote awareness. Custom-printed rubber bracelets are a hit nowadays. These rubber bracelets usually carry colorful designs and names and slogans that relate to a certain cause.These rubber bracelets are available in .
July 31, 2006
Much new businesses start out needing to save costs and so they skimp on some of the perceived extras. They will often try to get away without spending for things like letterhead, stationary, and business cards. However these are very important and if you are serious about your business then it is ..
July 28, 2006
The young man who is running Hezbolla in Lebanon has told CNN news that he does not want his organization to be called an international terrorist group anymore. Of course I say how does it feel to Want? What are we supposed to call them? I got to thinking about this and doing a little brainstorming .
July 23, 2006
I remember, as a child, raptly watching a Saturday morning adventure TV show where the hero was captured by the “bad guys" who gave him the “Ancient Water Torture" in order to extract secret information. Seems our hero was tied down while an endless amount of water was dropped on his forehead, drop .
July 23, 2006
When studying brand name marketing and line extension on a product it is necessary to look at reasonable, relative and current case studies. Too often academia and business colleges that produce MBA students are too busy looking at the past and what worked then or did not work. Studying current ..
July 14, 2006
When looking at a web site, business card, brochure or logo, have you ever thought; “I really like the way that looks", but you didn’t know why you liked it? You probably said, “There’s just something about it". Well, that, “something about it" is what separates mediocre designers from experienced ..
July 14, 2006
Have you ever noticed that all of the Old Navy commercials on television all have the same look and feel? How about the mailers that you receive from Staples, Office Max or Best Buy? They’ll feature different products each week, but have you ever noticed how consistent their look is from week to ..
July 13, 2006
Lanyards have become extremely common nowadays. It is very normal to see ID badges dangling from a person’s neck on a short cord, and on the cord or small rope itself, is printed the name of a company, or a school or an event on it. All these prove the popularity of lanyards in business and ..
July 10, 2006
Learn From SuccessStealing Share is in the persuasion business, make no mistake about it. Our business category is brand development but our brand work must be, by definition, persuasive. Our goal for our clients is to create brands that grow market share by persuading customers who currently do ..
July 09, 2006
There they go again. Starbucks Corp. is on a mission to boost sales of glittery snow globes and other non-coffee items.Been there, done that, and not very well.I joined Starbucks in the mid-'90s, left to start my consultancy in the late ‘90s, but remain a committed believer in the brand and ..
July 08, 2006
It might be almost blasphemous to talk about letting go of old brand equity and laying an old brand to rest, but there are times when change is needed. Reformulating and re-designing, or even overhauling an old brand can be a wise decision. If sales are flat and show no sign of growth, you’d better .
July 08, 2006
The Internet is a ubiquitous Corporate communications and sales channel, however many companies are still not utilizing much of its power. That could be because of loyalties to comfortable old channels or that there aren’t enough Internet marketing experts to take their brands into the digital ..
July 07, 2006
You no longer have your name - you have your name, PLUS, what people say after it.I realized this axiom years ago during the first few years of wearing a nametag 24-7. See, while that time wasn't the most comfortable or productive, it was certainly the most interesting and enlightening. Probably ..
July 06, 2006
The idea of fire branding customers comes from my grand daughter, Taylor. She applied a tattoo to her shoulder and was pleased as she displayed a small peace symbol about the size of a peanut. Each time I looked at her shoulder, I was reminded of the little symbol and what it meant. It made me ..
July 05, 2006
As the manager of a business, you are constantly looking for ways to improve the many aspects of your company. Of course, there are a myriad of ways to accomplish this. To increase profit margins, you might look to lower product costs, make distribution more efficient, or lower overhead. No matter ..
July 05, 2006
“Got Milk?” is probably the most recognizable advertising campaign ever created. It was so good, in fact, that the star-studded print and television ads have become part of American pop culture. Clever t-shirts and bumper stickers arrived almost immediately after the campaign began: Got Beer? Got ..
June 30, 2006
Stop and think before you delete! If you don’t, you risk killing your brand and ultimately your business. In today’s marketplace, ignoring the e-mail inbox could shorten your business lifespan by killing your brand image.Think about it: Would you intentionally ignore your clients and send messages ..
June 30, 2006
Most entrepreneurs and senior executives completely miss out on one of the most powerful branding strategies available in today’s market…The creation of their own personal brand. Most people in business understand the need to build brand equity at the corporate level or for products, services, ..
June 29, 2006
Make it SIMPLE, but DEVIATE from the normThe question of identity is a major factor that must be rightfully defined so that one does not lose his/her head in the crowd. Those who follow the multitude always go nowhere and are usually lost in the crowd, most times, the multitude can be wrong. The ..
June 29, 2006
What a fascinating time we live in; hundreds of new products enter the marketplace every day. More books are published each year than used to be published in entire decades. We have access to a seemingly endless availability of news, television and radio stations, communication devices, and ..
June 28, 2006
Among all the significant areas in graphic design, logo design is considered to be the most crucial, thus making it one of the most challenging jobs to attain perfection. A good logo is unique, functional, follows basic design principles and represents the brand or company. One should always ..
June 28, 2006
This is the 3rd and final article in this series on naming. The fist article dealt with how to select a naming firm, the second article addressed the components that go into creating a great corporate name and this piece will deal with other venues within the naming field.A lot of focus and ..
June 28, 2006
This article is part two in a three part series on naming. The previous article in this series contained advice on how to select a naming firm and today’s article will cover the elements that go into creating a great name.Contrary to popular belief all of the great names have not already been ..
June 28, 2006
I was reading my auto club magazine a few minutes ago and I happened upon an article that really should be of news to no one.Auto manufacturers are engaging in “platform sharing,” it says. This is when the same basic skeleton of a Ford Explorer can be found in its sister model, the Mercury ..
June 27, 2006
What is a style guide? The style guide houses all of the relevant standards, requirements, and recommendations surrounding your brand. Covering from the tone of voice to the visual presentation all implementation aspects, specifications, attributes and elements you can think of. It is a complex, ..
June 27, 2006
There is no disagreement that effective branding through ‘use of a name, term, symbol or design, or a combination of these’ (Quester et al, 2001) can create brand awareness and recognition in the quickest manner. Companies use different kinds of ‘Brand Name’, that is, a word, letter or a group of ..
June 27, 2006
Having a bad marketing strategy or business image is a lot like a piece of spinach wedged in your teeth, a bad-comb over or leaving your fly open – everyone sees it, it looks bad, but no one will tell you to your face. It’s tough to know when you look good and when you need a little help. Your ..
June 27, 2006
When looking at a web site, business card, brochure, or logo, have you ever thought; “I really like the way that looks”, but you didn’t know why you liked it? You probably said, “There’s just something about it”. Well, that, “something about it” is what separates mediocre designers from ..
June 26, 2006
The disciplines of branding and corporate identity have long been personal passions of mine and nothing within this genre holds greater fascination for me than the practice of corporate naming. This article is the first in a three part series and will discuss whether corporate naming should be ..
June 23, 2006
Not many businesses can expect to create a perennial brand like Coca-Cola, but they can learn from Coca-Cola to try to create a rock-solid, lasting, recognizable brand. Why do some brands last for decades and continue to be strong? First, they must build credibility, recognition, track record, ..
June 22, 2006
Many marketing and account executives who sell advertising will ask the question do you want to increase your brand awareness or do you want direct response from the potential customer to come and buy from you tomorrow. Many of these account executives and advertising salespeople separate the two ..
June 21, 2006
A brand sets you apart from your competition. Your brand can send multiple signals to people who then make judgements on you consciously and subliminally about you, your product or service. This then forms a basis of opinion. This instinctive process is what makes your brand so powerful. The key is .
June 20, 2006
In today’s global economy everyone is searching for a niche to make more money. We have become so specific about how we do business that we have forgotten how to make money the old fashion way.As a speaker and business coach I found myself stuck doing the same types of workshops and keynotes all ..
June 01, 2006
Remember the old slogan that “children should be seen and not heard?”Clearly, that no longer applies to teens and tweens, prepubescents 8 to 14 years old. These days, teens and tweens are seen and heard, loudly and clearly.What should business people do about these two groups? Just wait until they ..
May 31, 2006
When talking about Internet branding, positioning is the key. Positioning is the act of fixing the exact locus of the product offer in the chosen market; it decides how and around what distinctive feature the product offer has to be couched and communicated to the consumers. While positioning its ..
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