This month I want to talk about "branding." When you think about Charmin, do you see Mr. Whipple squeezing the tissue paper? Or how about "Just Do It" launched by Nike. What do you want people to think of when you advertise your business on the web? I decided on a "handshake" logo for the Virtual Executive Coach to conjure the image of sealing a contract or to indicate agreement between two parties. Companies spend millions putting out their name out there to beat the competition. "It's a Chevy" means "heavy duty" or "Ford Trucks are Tough." Now the low carb craze is being pasted on every fast food menu in America today to attract new "dieters" and to keep their current customers from leaving. Branding is all about name recognition. Remember the movie, "Ghostbusters" and "Who'll ya gonna call?" The movie spoof is an excellent example of branding. We have a furniture salesman in the Houston area who pulls out dollar bills from his back pocket and says "Save you money." He has made a fortune and everyone knows "Mattress Mac" whose claim to fame is "buy it today and deliver it tonight; no more back order slips."

 

Last month we talked about niches. Think about what you offer your customers that is unique from anyone else. Why would people want to come to you before anyone else? Is it because you're the most competent, the most charming, the most engaging? I don't think so. You want to SELL YOURSELF FIRST. In order to make this happen, you need to be enthusiastic about your product or your service. Your website, e-newsletters, letterhead, business cards should each reflect your credibility and position in the industry. Everyone wants to receive services from the best, so make yourself the best you can be (to paraphrase from the U.S. Army Recruiting Office).

 

Some things you can do to make yourself more visible is to brand your image. To do this you have to strive for three factors according to Dr. Steve Barnett with Global Business Network: 1) your brand should represent you as your authentic self; 2) your product or service should delight your customers; and 3) define your unique skills. Branding can be reactive or proactive. The Accenture brand was an attempt to resurrect the defunct Arthur Anderson consulting group, tainted by the Enron scandal; this was proactive to develop a new image for a once tarnished company. Conversely, adding "low carb" to fast food menus is reactive in the sense that it may protect from potential litigation if someone dies from obesity from eating McDonald's hamburgers (don't laugh, a lawsuit was filed).

 

So think about your business. What can you do to distinguish yourself in a positive way from the competition, truly represent you authentically, and define your skills? We have many executive coaches, so how would your logo or brand drive folks to your website or get them to email you? I wish I could say my website does this with the "vision plus accountability equals success," but this is pretty generic and how many handshakes does one see in business meetings? Although the look might be formal and polished, it is trite, now that I think about it and there is nothing on my webpage to "whet the consumer's appetite" for more knowledge. On my next major web redesign I will pay more attention to branding as you should.

 

 

"Helpful Hints" is a monthly feature of The Executive Connection. In this section of our Newsletter, we will discuss accountability structures necessary to stay focused on your business plan and objectives.

 

"This Month's Helpful Hints"

 

1. Think about what uniquely defines your company; experiment with logos and symbols that reflect originality, delight, and your services.
2. Go through various magazine ads and see which ones you attend to. What is it about the ad that compels you to want to learn more?
3. If you were a consultant to your own company, what changes would you make to your existing logo or signature lines that uniquely capture the essence of your services or products?