I’ve had the good fortune to speak to a number of business groups for the past several months on the subject of “Brilliant Branding.” From all the interactions, I gleaned an important insight… Branding is not for everyone! Brilliant branding requires that you shine, stand out from the crowd, and highlight your strengths. It means…
How good are you at telling a story? Not so hot? Well then it’s time to brush up and hone that skill because your business, every business, is basically a story. And how well you tell that story will determine if people (i.e. your customers) will continue to listen or politely walk away. How do…
Many business owners sincerely believe they understand their company brand. They can describe it, quantify it and explain its place in the market. They can recount corporate history and accomplishments and detail future plans and goals. These are all necessary items for communicating a company’s brand message, but they are also the most superficial ones.…
When Cingular decided to create a cellular phone for young children, they needed a name that would resonate with both them and their parents. The result was Firefly – a name that not only fits the product (it lights up when in use) but also one that has deep meaning. Many parents can fondly recall…
Just what is a name worth to a new company? It is really all that important? And why not use the employee suggestion box and simply give the winner a free lunch or a day off? (Hey… sometimes it works!) In fact, a lot of time and research has gone into defining the exact monetary…
Each week frustrated business owners call me, exhausted from their latest company naming marathon. They’ve spent dozens, (if not hundreds) of hours in valuable staff time churning out endless lists of ideas, suggestions, brainstorms, etc. The results? A hodgepodge of names with no rhyme or reason to them, little or no group consensus, a lack…
The one constant in business is change. Nearly every product, service or solution gets replaced by something newer, better, and “different-er” than before. Take mobile texting for example. All three of my teenagers live on it, spelling out each cryptic message in a matter of nanoseconds. They prefer it to email, or worse yet, utilizing…
So perhaps these aren’t the best economic times. Business is off and you’re feeling a bit frantic. You wonder if you should slash prices across the board, make new offers, lay off staff, or just hibernate until next spring. First of all, realize you are not alone. A great number of business owners nationwide…
After the wild ride that was ’08, many business owners are asking themselves just where to invest their time, energy and money in the new year. From dealing with hundreds of business owners each year, here are a few suggestions… 1. Listen More. For many businesses and industries, this past year was more than a…
Central to the business of naming and branding is the core issue of identity. And never has this issue been more relevant than in the past several months. Most of the time we give our identity, both corporately and personally, very little thought. We offer a product or service, people buy it, and we move…