We hear the terms branding and brand thrown around all the time in reference to a logo or visual representation, however a brand is the total image or personality of your business. It is built from a collection of perceptions as a result of exposure to EVERY aspect of your communication with the world. Keep in mind, consumers will determine your brand based on how it makes them feel and their perception is everything.

Here is a sample list of things to keep in mind when evaluating your brand:

- Customer Experience
- Packaging
- Customer Service
- Advertising messages
- Communication via social media
- Pricing
- All aspects of design (colors, fonts, layouts)
- Your logo
- Your name
- Your employees
- Your reputation
- Your physical location / environment

As marketers it is our job to find and focus on the attributes that make each brand different. Every successful company has a unique selling proposition, but it is not enough to simply say that you have one. Every piece of marketing and communication should answer the HOW question. We are different because…

image courtesy Halton Region Small Business Centre

This, of course, is not mis-calulated, foolish risk-taking. Instead, it involves careful discernment and preparation. Even more so, it requires courage to try, go against the norm and say “why not?” when others have stopped at “why?”

Steve Jobs was not satisfied with the status quo and his life will continue to be an inspiration.

In business and marketing don’t settle for good. Push boundaries even if they are uncomfortable. Try something new. Do something great.

According the the “Social Break-Up,” a study that surveyed 1,500+ consumers about their online behaviors and motivations for unliking or unfollowing brands on social media, the number one reason a business page will get “unliked” is as a result of posting too frequently. Other deterrents included, boring and predictable content, overcrowded newsfeed, and only taking advantage of a one-time offer.

This chart from mashable.com gives a great visual breakdown of why a business will get unliked on Facebook. Check out this fantastic post entitled, Top Reasons Why Consumers Unsubscribe Via E-mail, Facebook & Twitter by Erica Swallow.

So how much is too much? This is a debated issue and is truly dependent on your particular audience and brand. For one brand, one post per day may be plenty, but for another 3 is a good number. No matter what, be sure to space out your updates. Nothing is more annoying than a crowded newsfeed filled with updates from one particular brand!

The site has been designed to be ultra sleek and simple. We want you to be able to get the information you want right away. If you have some time to look around, though, please browse through our blog for some great marketing-advice filled posts.

Please let us know if there is anything you would like to see or have explained in more detail. We are always up for a marketing discussion!

The end-user has the ability to “Check In” at your business through apps available for all smart phones. You can offer incentives and promotions for checking in and/or, your location’s mayor (the person who has checked in the most).

Those who check in also have the option to offer instant feedback about your business through the “Tips” feature (ie. try the french fries!). With the world of advertising going more social by the minute, it is hard to determine which networks work and which do not. Foursquare has cemented its place as a necessity, especially in a time when consumers rely mostly on customer feedback to make their buying decisions.

Foursquare has carved out their niche very well; you can tell because Facebook released a competing service (Places) this fall. Regardless of their efforts, Foursquare is still the king of geo-location and probably will be for quite some time.

In virtually any discussion about social media this point is bound to come up- Social Media for business = Conversation. Is this correct? In part, yes, but it’s time we move past this idea and get to something deeper.

How many of us see the posts on Facebook coming from a business something along the lines of “What are you doing today?”, “What’s your favorite color?”, “We like strawberries, do you?” …you get the idea. I applaud the companies efforts at facilitating conversation, but why force it? In my opinion, forcing a conversation is worse than no conversation at all. In some cases, what I mentioned above can be beneficial. Companies asking relevant questions and allowing the members of their Facebook communities to disccuss amongst themselves is awesome! What I’m talking about here are the seemingly forced conversations. Do I really want to tell Joe’s Bike Shop (made up business) what I’m doing on New Year’s Eve?

The point is-  give me exciting, relevant content. Give your customers and social media audience something of VALUE to chew on. If conversations happen as a result, then great! If there is a crisis to solve or an issue that needs customer service provided through SM, these portals provide a seamless way to do so. But don’t try to force us to talk just because you feel that a “conversation” must be happening at all times.

Here is Mr. Kearny’s letter:

Your editorial (July 21) against the “clever” idea of opening up highway emergency signs to advertising was too tepid and cautious. The genius of that idea is how many other openings for easy state funding it opens up.

Think of fire engines — those lights, those sirens, those long sides cluttered with ladders instead of ads. And why should they make that god-awful screech when they could be playing a Pepsi jingle instead?

And the roadways themselves. Those endless 10-foot-wide ribbons of boring asphalt and concrete could be jazzed up with the genius of Madison Avenue.

Or how about a two-track 911: “If you would like to expedite service, please press 1 and have your credit card handy. Otherwise, stay on the line and one of our dispatchers will be with you shortly”?

Our highways are befouled by too many billboards. Instead of adding more, we should tax them by the square foot, using the money to remove obsolete and unprofitable signs, to beautify the roads and to promote the tourist industry. Instead of privatizing yet another public asset, we should charge private industry when it encroaches on the commons — our beautiful Penn’s Woods.

To this I responded with the following:

I love the idea of the jingle playing when the fire engine is coming down the street! But Pepsi? Why not make a local tie in with the Hershey “Sweetest Place on Earth” jingle. That way we’ll be reminded how great this area is during times of tragedy.

Lastly, I think you forgot the annoying cross-walk sound. Instead of “beep beep” it could be “Metro bank gives you dog treats” or “Capital Blue Cross-we care about your health, so cross cautiously”. You sir, are a genius!

Think "outside" the box.

Mr. Kearney,

Unlike a lot of people are able to do in this day and age, you THINK outside of the box. Without knowing it (or maybe you do), your demonstration of marketing thought processes should be rewarded (no matter how tongue-in-cheek). Too many businesses these days care more about painting inside the lines and copying their competition, that truly imaginative advertising is few and far between. I commend your ability to brain storm and I hope you are involved with the advertising industry.

Business owners take note, be creative, don’t just “run an ad” — turn some heads!  I bet a fire-truck blasting “ba-da-da-da-da, I’m loving it” would get a second look.

The new Prius Billboard in Times Square gives iPhone users the chance to upload their drawings to be displayed on the board. This is a fantastic wave of creative advertising that breaks the boundaries of interactive. Out of the box ideas, like this one, get you noticed, get you viral and build up brand loyalty. This kind of advertising can be done on any level and at any scale.  Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean you can’t think out of the box.

It is easy to get caught up in the trap of focusing TOO heavily on the “glitz and glam” of advertising and not enough on what your customer actually experiences. Attention getting and effective ad campaigns only work when they are paired with a positive customer experience.  Follow through is critical! Your ads are designed to draw people into your doors, but once they are there it is no longer the responsibility of the advertising.  Now is the chance to really wow your customers and turn them into word of mouth promoters! (The ultimate goal!)

Here are a few quick tips to help you determine your customer experience strategy:

• Go above and beyond: People expect to be happy – word of mouth occurs when those expectations are blown away.
• Communicate with your customers: Invite your customers to give you feedback and take their responses seriously (even if it’s not what you want to hear!)
• Take an objective look: Being in the midst of the business, this is sometimes very difficult to do. If so, hire a team of professionals to assist you in determining what needs to change and tweaks that can be made.

I would love to hear your thoughts about customer experience. What companies are doing a superior job?