Brand Dots

Archive for June, 2009

One thing that’s obvious is that the world was shocked by the unfortunate death of Michael Jackson.  I haven’t seen such an overwhelming amount of media coverage about the death of a celebrity since Princess Diana died in 1997.  The cultural outcry shows how strong Jackson’s brand was.

How Michael Jackson Became a Brand Icon is an interesting article that I came across today that contains some very insightful information about how Jackson became such an influential brand.  Michael was many things to many people.  He may have been eccentric or just plain odd but one thing that’s certain is that his brand will outlive him. And although he will never embark on the sold-out 50-city tour of Europe, his records will continue to sell and our society will forever remember the iconic, self-proclaimed, “King of Pop.”

What does Steve Jobs’ health have to do with Apple?  EVERYTHING!  He is not only the CEO of Apple, he IS the Apple brand.  When there is a possibility that the leadership of a company is facing a life-threatening illness, it could mean serious speculation about the strength of the brand.

Steve Jobs has intrigued me ever since I watched the Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005 on You Tube.  His speech was amazing.  It was an inspiring story about the many ups and downs in Jobs’ life.  He is an amazing storyteller.  This speech builds trust in him and the Apple brand.

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech

In his speech, he was candid and open about his heath struggles.  So, why the change of heart?  Why is he so secretive about his health now?

Because the possibility of Jobs leaving the company could mean a HUGE loss for Apple-both physically and financially.

Yes, there are laws to protect employee privacy when it comes to health.  However, from a PR standpoint, withholding this information could be detrimental to the health of the company.

With the launch of the new iPhone convergence, Apple would be taking a huge risk by disclosing Jobs’ liver transplant.  (Mind you, he received this transplant because HE was the sickest person on the transplant list.)  I agree with Laura Ries’view on the iPhone craze.  Apple may dominate the market right now, but they still have strong competition and Jobs’ health could stop the juggernaut in its path.  The mere speculation of Jobs’ health could cause problems for Apple.

The SEC is currently trying to pass laws that force companies to disclose the health of CEOs.  This is controversial, but could be necessary if companies want to please their shareholders and improve brand equity.  If CEOs choose to be the spokespeople for their companies, they should be prepared to live in the limelight in all aspects of their life.  After all, they are a direct reflection of the brand!

Flyers are a popular and effective way to market your company. However, there is a right and wrong way to create and distribute flyers. Over the many years that I worked in the property management industry, after trying countless methods of generating traffic, I found that one of the most successful ways to get prospects in the door was by distributing flyers.

This seems pretty basic and low-tech in today’s society, but it works! Nothing beats pounding the pavement, networking face to face, and getting the word out about your company with a small piece of paper.

I’ve created a list of dos and don’ts to guide you:

Do

• Distribute them in a place that will reach your target market.
• Have them printed professionally to ensure quality.
• Include a special promotion that is advertised on the flyer so you can easily track its effectiveness.
• Be consistent. Use the same theme, colors, and words as the rest of your brand messaging.
• Research your competitors and determine what is working for them.
• Include your phone number and website address.
• Use striking graphics. Use lifestyle photos and realistic images.
• Organize the content with boxes that have contrasting colors.

Don’t

• Include anything that is discriminatory (If advertising housing, fair-housing laws apply. You must advertise all sizes, kinds, and types.)
• Annoy potential clients. Beware of parking lots.  Most people hate getting flyers on their cars so if you must distribute them that way, consider putting a small flyer on the driver-side window, so it’s not as inconvenient and makes a better first impression on the customer.
• Go overboard on the verbiage. Keep the flyer simple. Include the top two to three features/benefits.
• Forget to proofread and double-check to make sure all of the information is accurate before your have them printed.
• Forget to include attention-grabbing headlines.
• Use hokey, cartoon images.

If you’re looking for inspiration and a few tips on how you can get your flyers noticed, check out this link.  UPrinting.com has several really creative designs.  In addition, HP offers some pretty nice templates that you can use if you don’t have a graphic design background and can’t afford to hire someone that does.

According today’s Reuters’ article: US recession takes bite out of brand loyalty-study, the recession has forced consumers to make yet another huge sacrifice: brand loyalty.   In a study done on more than 32 million shoppers, only four out of 10 brands kept their extremely loyal customers over the last year.  Iconic brands, such as Green Giant, Advil, and Jif peanut butter, lost more than 7% of their devoted customers between 2007 and 2008.

This is a hard pill to swallow for brands that have worked hard to build customer relationships.  Brand loyalty is what most brands are counting on in today’s economy.  Companies are cutting back, slashing wages and 401K matching programs, laying off employees, and finding it harder and harder to afford advertising.

Here’s one more reason for companies to put a huge focus on building strong customer relationships, implementing customer reward programs, creating a sense of community, and offering exemplary customer service.

We can’t give up!  And we must do something to get out of this downward spiral, without sacrificing our long-term relationships!

Personal branding is the rage these days.  If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, you should.  Otherwise, you’re going to miss out on huge career-making opportunities!

The Brand Called You is an article that could change your life!  Thanks to the author, Tom Peters, an increasing number of professionals are branding themselves.  And take it from someone who helped hire hundreds of sales professionals, if you’ve branded yourself correctly, you WILL get hired over the next guy that hasn’t taken personal branding seriously.

As I researched this topic, I determined that the most important steps of the personal branding process include:

1. Become an Expert! Follow great leaders, find your expertise, learn everything you can about it, and fake it till you make it!
2. Social Media is King! Start a blog.  Create profiles on social media sites such as Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, and more.
3. Letters of Recommendation Rock! Collect testimonials, articles about you, and endorsements from other credible professionals.
4. Write all about it! Write about what you know.  Share your knowledge.  Write articles for newsletters, magazines, your blog, and industry publications.
5. Be Heard! Speak at meetings, seminars, and workshops.  If this scares you, overcome your fear by joining a local Toastmasters International group.

The best part about this process is that as you network, blog, and establish your own personal brand, you’ll learn a lot about yourself in the process.  You’ll find your niche and gain confidence, ultimately giving you a greater advantage in the workplace.

What have you done to establish your own personal brand?