WHAT IS A BRAND? { BY DAVE HILE, PRESIDENT } Can the essence of a brand be summed up in a single sentence? That's a tough task, but Marty Neumier, branding guru and author of The Brand Gap, does it beautifully: A BRAND IS A PERSON’S GUT FEELING ABOUT A PRODUCT, SERVICE, OR ORGANIZATION. We like to think that the products, companies, and charities we identify with and support are the result of our analytical, left-brain scrutiny. But in reality, at least during our initial contact, we use our intuition and emotion to judge the people we meet and the products and companies we patronize. FOR EXAMPLE… Say you walk into a meeting with four strangers: 1) a well-dressed woman with a pen and notepad 2) a young man slouched in his chair with a skull and crossbones tattooed on his forehead 3) a woman who is slumped over and has a bored expression on her face 4) a man donning horn-rimmed glasses, an earring, and contemporary clothing. Boom! Instantly, you’ve analyzed them (hey, you can’t help it) … 1) Organized 2) Untrustworthy 3) Apathetic 4) Creative Consumers judge brands in much the same way. According to recent web-user research*, organizations have up to 10 seconds to either gain or lose the attention (and the potential business) of prospective customers. I’m referring to web statistics here because an organization’s website should represent the fullest embodiment of their brand. With people, we make these microsecond judgments based primarily on physical appearance. For companies, we take a bit more into account — their name, logo, tagline, overall look and feel, and the content and tone of their messaging (mainly headlines). Perhaps taking in all these factors is why we are willing to grant them up to ten seconds of our attention. If we like what we see and give them more of our time, we also consider other factors, including their corporate values, social responsibility, and the reviews of others. Mr. Neumeier says — and I agree — that what we are really looking for in a brand is a company or product that we can trust. That’s why major brands spend so much money communicating their product attributes, corporate messaging, values, and culture. *www.nngroup.com/articles/how-long-do-users-stay-on-web-pages BIG BRANDS, BIG MONEY Let’s make a game of it — can you match each brand with its advertising budget? AT&T Apple Home Depot Chevrolet Verizon Target Pfizer A) $662 million B) $958 million C) $1.59 billion D) $659 million E) $1.43 billion F) $762 million G) $468 million Yowza! That’s $5.05 for every person in America. Successful companies understand the immense power of branding, so they’re willing to shell out big … but their returns on investment are really big. AT&T: C Apple: A Home Depot: G Chevrolet: B Verizon: E Target: D Pfizer: F Amounts are based on 2012 data. Source: adage.com 4844 Jackson Rd, Ste 125 /// Ann Arbor, MI 48103 /// phone 734.995.1245 /// fax 734.995.5173 /// hilecreative.com NEWSFLASH! YOU ALREADY HAVE A BRAND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST The truth is, all companies and organizations have a brand. If you’re thinking, “Gotcha Hile! We’ve never spent any significant amount on our branding and we’re doing OK,” I would say you have an accidental brand, or a brand by default (and if you’re doing OK, you’ve been lucky so far). Just like you expect your friends to be honest with you, your customers expect that the brand you present to them is authentic from the inside out. Again, I’ll tip my hat to Marty Neumier: “It’s not what you say it is. It’s what they (your customers) say it is.” If company leaders don’t invest in creating a unified, authentic brand — one that is consistent across all customer touch points — then they’re confusing everyone, including their own staff. They’re also neglecting the most important aspect of what brands do: they offer a clear choice. Many companies fail to clearly define how they’re different from competitors, and don’t offer people a reason for engaging with them. It’s like choosing between vanilla ice cream and vanilla ice cream … what’s the difference? Consumers are too impatient and have way too many other options. Today’s customers are perceptive. They can sniff out a phony in an instant, and are more than willing to either praise your company (and its affiliated services and products) or stomp on it. It’s always been the case that word of mouth is important to businesses, but with social media, the ability to share an opinion with tens of thousands of people is but a few keystrokes away. That’s why having a clear social media strategy for your brand is so important — it allows you to monitor feedback, stay fresh in customers’ minds, and reinforce the positive qualities of your business. Here are some well-defined brands. When you hear their names, you get a gut feeling about them. Do people get a gut feeling about your brand? Do you know what that feeling is? With strong branding, you can provide the clarity and consistency that customers crave. IF YOU BRAND IT, THEY WILL COME By now, you know what a successful brand is and why it matters. But what about your brand? As you work to create or refine it, keep these things in mind: BE AUTHENTIC: Develop and advocate corporate self-awareness, which lays the groundwork for an honest, purposeful brand. DEFINE YOURSELF: Clearly define internally — and then communicate externally — how your company, service, or product is different from its competitors. STAY CONSISTENT: Build consistency throughout all customer touch points, including your name, logo, identity, messaging and tone, website, social media, videos, brick-and-mortar facilities, and anything else that portrays corporate culture and values. When your brand is authentic, clearly defined, and consistent, you’ll make a great first impression. People will stick around to find out more about you, and then do business with you, tell others how great you are, and grow to trust you — which is every business’ dream come true. Want more information about what it takes to build a great brand? Go to hilecreative.com/brand to learn about Key Discovery, our in-depth branding process. 4844 Jackson Rd, Ste 125 /// Ann Arbor, MI 48103 /// phone 734.995.1245 /// fax 734.995.5173 /// hilecreative.com
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