Notable News - The Branding Myth

How many times have you heard of seen advertising for a graphic design company that states that they do branding?

If you think branding is a logo, letterhead, or web design with all the same look, and colours, then it's true...they can "do branding".

Let's take a look at one of the world's best-branded companies, McDonalds. You may not like the food, but if someone says "golden arches" you know what institution they are talking about. Mickey D, McCoffee and Big Mac all bring the same familiar name to mind. You each may have a different reaction to the thought of eating there, but any one of the many product names will trigger the bigger picture.

Think about the things you know from each of your McDonalds experiences: You know they have salty fries, the food is fast, and there is a system to everything they do. The staff often says the same things to you. You can get the same core menu items all over the world. If you take the time to think about it, you can up with a huge list of features you can count on at McDonalds.

Doesn't that make the term "branding" when applied to logo, look and colour seem a bit of a misnomer?

We know that the concept was born in a single location in small town America. How do you think that McDonalds developed their brand? You can get the book and read all about it, but you don't have to do that to figure out how to build your own brand.

There is no secret. It's all about organizational culture. Brand is the personality your business has developed through your leadership and the systems you put in place. It's having a customer know that each time they go into your business, they will be treated the same way they were last time they were there. They will see some of the same products. The staff will say hello just like they always do. The business will have the same policies and procedures...in other words...a customer can count on you to be who you were during their last experience.

No one else can create a brand for you, ...unless you hired a CEO to run the business, set the parameters and standards, and writes the operational procedure manuals. Many businesses start small, with the owner doing most of the work...that's the time to write the procedure manuals, when the person with the vision is actually doing the work and can see what works best to achieve their pre-defined results. If everyone ran their business like a well-run franchise, there would be fewer business failures and many more strong brands..

Having a strong brand means that everyone who works in your business has a clear picture of why they are there. The business could run without you, because everyone would know what they were supposed to do and how they were to treat co-workers and customers alike.

Decide who you are as a business and be the best you can be at it every day. Write down the things that you do. Decide what your goals are. Share it with your employees...and you will create a brand.

Oh... and don't forget...you need a logo, letterhead and a web site that all convey the same message....but they are not the brand....YOU ARE!

Nancy Fraser - Nota Bene Consulting Results Driven Advertising and Marketing www.notable-marketing.com

You are free to use material from the Notable News in whole or in part, please include credits, including live web site link. Please also notify us where the material will appear.

____________________

Advertisement: Honest Riches - Click Here!

Advertisement: Lost AdWords - Click Here!

Advertisement: Get $1 Million A Month In Google Pay-Per-Click Ads Free! - Click Here!

Advertisement: Who Loves Money? - Click Here!

Advertisement: SEO Elite, the GrandDaddy of SEO Software - Click Here!

---

Attract More Clients With A Brand Identity

You've probably heard that people buy products and services from people they know, like and trust. And, as I have done, you've probably wondered how you can... Read More

Quality and Service - Yeah, Right!

One of the critical drivers of business success is having a unique competitive advantage. Most managers understand that to attract a larger share of the market, or... Read More

How to Work with Your Graphic Designer

As a graphic designer, I can tell you something right here, right now, right off the bat without blinking?.the graphic design process is a pain in the... Read More

Branding Your Products Is Important

I was chatting with a couple of friends, all of us are either copy writers or graphic designers?or both?.in the advertising industry, so, naturally, our conversations leaned... Read More

Donald Trump On Branding - Brand Identity Guru

Love him or hate him, one thing is certain: Donald Trump is a successful guy. We don't have to sum up his accomplishments for you, because his... Read More

Picking The Design Company Which Is Right For You

So you've decided to go for it-you're ready to choose a design company to create your logo and other marketing materials. It seems easy enough. After all,... Read More

Go Ask Alice

One of fiction's finest marketing minds, The Cheshire Cat, once told Alice in Wonderland something all business owners and marketers should remember:"If you don't care where you... Read More

Living Your Brand on the Web - Part 1

OK, so you took the plunge and purchased your internet domain. Good for you! Now what? According to Google.com there are about 8,058,044,651 current web pages. That's... Read More

The Positioning of Success

Many businesses of today are often driven to compete striclty on price, quality, and features of their products and services. Companies who prosper over the long... Read More

Brand Building For Profit: The Colour Behind the Brand and Why I Wear Red Ties!

Colour is essential to building a strong brand.Many of you know my passion for wearing red ties. I believe congruency with your personal and corporate brand is... Read More

Brand Extension; Going from Consumer to Commercial

As more and more home pressure washers are sold at leading retailers such as Wal-Mart, Sears, Home Depot, Cosco, etc. We are seeing companies offer products in... Read More

Naming Names... How to Name your Business

Sometimes the best inspiration comes from hearing about the deconstruction of other company's names. For you, I am happy to share how I came up with "Slice... Read More

The Secrets of Starting Business Successfully

Starting Business Secrets will help you to start your own business successfully. The American Dream is, and always will be, to come up with an idea,... Read More

Importance of Business Branding

Branding is very important to a business, whether it is an online or offline business. Your brand will be the first impression the public has of your... Read More

Strategy and Tips for a Successful Logo Design

Visual processing is the most important way for gathering information for all human beings. A good design or graphics work is remembered for ages and that is... Read More

Creative Branding Increases Sales Through Company Recognition

The one thing that everyone has in common is that we are all consumers; we all buy. Every day, from daily small purchases, like your morning coffee... Read More

My First Year In Cyber Space

My first year as a Cyberpreneur was a steeplearning-curve. I was an academic beforestarting an online business, so I had a lot to learn.But even if you... Read More

Strategic Moves In The Branding Gamble!

The so called 'globalisation' has cluttered the world markets with so many products and services that nearly 90% of the marketing managers in competing companies do pretty... Read More

Don?t Overlook Your Email When Considering Your Brand Identity

You wouldn't skip letterhead when sending out a sales letter - Or would you?How many emails do you send each day? If you are anything like me,... Read More

Eye On The Pie: Branding From an Investors P.O.V.

When building a business as a brand it's important to avoid a myopic view and consider another important aspect of the business game as well-- investing. After... Read More

Value Proposition Writing - Brand Identity Guru

Your Value Proposition, or as I usually call it, your Core Marketing Message, is still misunderstood by most professionals. It's not just a tagline, sound bite or... Read More

Britney Spears Branding

How would you like to sell as much in one year as Britney sells in one day or in one hour? Have you put much thought into... Read More

The Role of a Visual Vocabulary in Brand Identity Design

Visual elements are a major part of your business's brand identity design. The keystone of that design is the logo, but in many cases, the logo isn't... Read More

The Trust Issue In Marketing

One of the prime motivating factors in the purchase decision making process is "trust". A consumer will at some point for however long or short of a... Read More

How A Crazy Branding Stunt Can Bring Results For Years

As a beginner, you would be forgiven for thinking that marketing is simply advertising your product or service, how wrong you are.Marketing is the art of allowing... Read More

Measuring Return On Investment

...or Is My Brand Working?To measure the impact and effectiveness of marketing and branding on the bottom line alone is a mistake. There are far too many... Read More