Our team is trying to develop a theme for a major software conversion our company is undertaking. This theme should be relevant to our internal resources that will be affected by the conversion, as well as our external customers. The conversion will bring about great change for our staff and clients, and the theme should reflect that the new software is a valuable tool, and that we are undergoing this change to position us for the future, and to take advantage of the potential of all the functionality the new software offers. Additionally, our organizational brand centres on the view that our company is there for our client at every point they are at in their life – if this could be incorporated into the theme, that would be great.

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Jay’s Answer: Assuming that the conversion will help you for the future, why exactly should your customers care about your software conversion? Most of your customers are focused on short-term (their problems today) rather than long-term (the possibility that your change will somehow benefit them).

Since management has decided that the conversion is a good idea, you need to highlight why management bought into the process. Does the conversion save you money today? Will it pay for itself in short order? Will it result in the ability to sell your services for less? Do more with fewer employees? What will be lost? Gained? And finally, what’s the probability of success? Don’t focus on the cute or the simple (“we’re there for you”). Focus on the bottom-line benefits that people can perceive.

The non-profit I work for is celebrating its centennial next year and we are having a debate regarding how much we should brand our various non-centennial events/fundraisers with our centennial logo/look. I think we should only use the centennial logo as a replacement for our normal logo on none centennial events/fundraisers. Others feel we should use the entire look established for the stationary and kick-off materials for everything during the year.

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Jay’s Answer: As a minimum, use it on everything for the year – it’ll help reinforce your centennial message in all your marketing efforts (even if the event isn’t centennial-related).

I have a branding assignment from a mid-sized national trucking company. They specialize in time-sensitive marketing materials. The company, call them Ajax, provides superior transport services and has strong technical capabilities to support their operations.

Now, to my question. I want to run a branding exercise with executives and employees of Ajax. I want to talk about the target, benefits, develop a brand essence and personality. Could you please offer me your thoughts on the components of brand architecture and any suggestions you have to tease out from them expressions of benefit and essence, etc. that are rich and emotional and not simply a dull recitation of the obvious.

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Jay’s Answer: Instead of trying to get them to come up with branding thoughts, have them tell stories of things that they are proud of, or were told by others, or how a bad situation turned around. By analyzing the stories worth repeating you’ll get the emotional core of your branding/personality.

I am representing an eye surgeon who performs eyelid lifts and eyebrow lifts. The new set of services also include; botox, wrinkle fillers, micro-dermabrasion and medical grade skincare products. I need a brand and tag line for the cosmetic offshoot of the business. I would like a simple, elegant name. The doctors’ goal is to be a resource for those looking to refresh their look. We plan to only work on facial cosmetic solutions- not liposuction, etc.

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Jay’s Answer:

• Eye Appeal
• Eye Love
• Face Forward

I am designing a newsletter for real estate agents I want to work with. I am a mortgage broker and this letter will go out once a month, free, and be full of the latest up to date changing rules and guidelines for mortgage lending. Agents need to know this as it impacts their customers. Other competing brokers don’t always keep up with the rules nor bother to inform the agents. I see a chance to set myself apart. My first newsletter will tell about me and my credentials and include a photo; it will be in a newspaper format, with a header and columns and plenty of white space to make it easy to read. I will promise monthly mailings of the latest changes. This is a chance to brand myself as well…and I just cannot find the “perfect” name.

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Jay’s Answer: I’d suggest also a link in the newsletter back to your website and/or RSS feed to get any important changes that real estate agents need to know immediately.

• Real Lending News
• Lend Me Your Ear
• The Real Estate Lending Advantage

This is a service which has only 1 differentiating factor from other competitors which is its digital picture quality. It has only 18% market share till now. The market leader has a 51% market share. The major competitors are the traditional cable operators. Please suggest how to increase the customer base and different ways of communication with single minded proposition.

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Jay’s Answer: You provided what’s better (digital picture quality), but what about what’s not-as-good as the competition? If you’re as good as the competition, and still have something unique, you can have a side-to-side comparison and ask people to choose what they prefer (all other things being equal). As for the 18% market share – you get more customers when: 1) people leave existing providers or 2) new people choose you. If people are unsatisfied, then give them motivation to switch to you (free first month’s service with proof that they have been customers of your competition in the last 6 months). For new people, create a matrix comparing yourself with the others, and show how the choice is “crystal clear”.

Photo by Sherman

I read with great interest the article “Burt’s Bees, Tom’s of Maine, Naked Juice: Your Favorite Brands? Take Another Look — They May Not Be What They Seem“. Andrea Whitfil does a great job unearthing how many natural and organic brands that we perceive as being produced by small companies are in reality now owned by large multinational corporations. And she’s very bothered by the deception.

When you offer a product or service, you’re actually making two separate promises: a primary logical offering and a secondary branding promise. The logical offering addresses the reason someone would choose your offering: price, speed, cost, efficiency, resources, quality of life, etc. These benefits are easily measured: how much faster/cheaper/better/bigger is your business or life.

The branding promise is much more subtle. Purchasing the offering will create a feeling in the buyer. They’ll feel like they’re now part of a specific community. They’ll feel better about them self. It will create an emotional reaction to making the purchase. The emotion may not make logical sense, but the feeling it produces is real enough.

What Andrea is complaining about is that many products have broken the branding promise. Andreas felt that she was supporting small businesses that were working hard to make a difference to the planet. Purchasing those small business products made her feel better about herself (and a belief she was helping others continue this worthy mission), so she embraced the product and the mission of the business.

Let’s say that you’re selling a successful product with a primary (logical) benefit and also have a great branding message that goes along with the product. And something happens that changes the story (it’s now made offshore, etc.). The product is made with the same exacting standards. Should you now change the branding message and risk sacrificing your success?

The large corporations that Andrea mentions decided to keep the branding message and hide their affiliation. Andrea would probably not be as upset with the duplicity if the products had updated their story to say something like, “Making a well-intentioned product is only good if it also produces a good livelihood. We didn’t have the resources to share the product with the whole world, so we sold our company. We make sure that they are also putting the same quality into their product as we did (even at a larger scale). If enough people buy these high-quality products, increasing profitability, then companies will see the bottom-line and change their values as well.”

Remember that some buyers look for stories when considering products. Some buyers look for products when considering communities.When all things are equal with a product, people look for differentiators. Your well-crafted branding story can be a key differentiator to attract buyers.

I am working for a software vendor dealing with analytics and credit risk management in the financial services industry. At the moment we are working on a solutions tour and needs to brand that…..at the same time we need a theme ..for instance, our competitors has used “The Power of Analytics” as a theme ..we need to think of something along the same line..any ideas.

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Jay’s Answer: Think the key benefit that your clients get from using your software. “The Power Of Analytics” talks about the technology, not the benefit. For example:

• Top Ways To Reduce Credit Risk
• Protecting Your Bottom Line
• Lower Risk To Your Shareholders

I want to launch a retail engagement program (loyalty program for the trade). I work with a mobile company and the program will target initial 100 dealers and then take it to 500 next year. Any ideas on what points should I cover in this program?

We don’t want to make it a sales based scheme or a points program, but an overall brand engagement program..building a relationship of them with our brand…pls help

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Jay’s Answer: Here are some ideas in general:

• Make it easier for them to sell your product. Provide an easy program that compares/contrasts your product against the competition.
• Make it less likely people will return your product. Ensure that you’ve tested your product well (for ease of use, ruggedness, etc.).
• Make it so anyone can sell your product. Make the product sell itself: great/colorful graphics, compelling text, language based on extensive testing on target market’s needs.
• Make it fun to interact with your company. Don’t just be another corporate offering. Is your website entertaining/cool? Your receptionist/customer support amazingly friendly/patient?
• Presell the product for them. Do great ad and PR campaigns targeting the demographic. Your goal is to have people come in off the street and ask for your product by name.

My husband and I have researched the market and found what we hope will be a good location with good demographics and foot traffic to open an Upscale Furniture Consignment Store. We want to make the biggest impact as possible upon opening. Mainly, we are looking to create a brand. I have experience with furniture design and interior design, and will have a workroom in the back for making signature pieces that we will sell along with consignment pieces. What is your best suggestion to create good brand recognition for a company with NO Branding yet??

I basically want to be THE place for people looking to furnish their homes with a designer look for less. As of now, we have no name and no tag line either – so I’m wanting to come up with our branding ideas first and let that dictate where we go with the name….I may be doing this backwards – but my thought process is this – once the name is out there – it is out there – like it or hate it – unless you want to start “branding” all over again. Thanks for any help!

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Jay’s Answer: “Designer Look For Less” means different things to different people. So, before you start with a name & tagline & other branding-related tasks, focus on your target market first (even though you found a “good location”):

• Age
• Location
• Price point
• Competition (both local & Internet)
• USP – What makes you unique?

For example, you could place all your consignment pieces on your website and allow people to subscribe to your site to find pieces that match what they’re looking for. That would help both consumers and designers. Or, maybe you offer free room design consultations (bring in a photo and designers can show how to use the pieces you sell to “make” a room). Or even, rent out furniture to home-stagers.

Before you start spending money on branding, spend your time & money on your marketing strategy & plan. It’ll save you lots in the long run.