To Build Your Brand, Know What Questions to Ask of the Data
THINGS LOOK GREAT IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR!
With instant access to seemingly endless amounts of data at your fingertips, it’s tempting to think that you can answer any question or solve any problem with the click of a mouse. Questions? Maybe. But solutions may be another thing. Most difficult problem solving requires more...
4 Rules of Consumer Brand Building Success
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
We often see aspiring brand builders fall so much in love with their concept, logo, label, and catchy phrases, that they forget the elephant in the room - distribution management. We did. When people commented on the success of our brand, they usually thought it was...
National Brands are Built from Strong Regional Brands
WALK BEFORE YOU RUN
There’s something romantic and powerful about the aspiration to own a big national brand. When our clients say they want to build a national brand, we respond with, “You have to walk before you can run.” Building a strong regional brand is hard enough, and this...
Brand Image Can be Tainted by a “Made in China” Label
WHAT'S THE REAL COST
Can having your products made in China hurt your brand image? We often say a brand is only as good as its product and reputation. Over the past decade, producers of branded products from machines to clothing, from toys to tools, and from eyeglasses to iPhones...
Successful Brand Building Requires Successful Entrepreneurship
THERE'S A "SHIP" IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
So much of successful entrepreneurship is brand building that when you finally go to monetize your business, it’s your brand equity that figures so prominently in the value of any acquisition or merger. This is why we focus on entrepreneurship. It is through entrepreneurship that many...
Search Engine Optimization is Essential to Personal Branding
THEY CAN’T BUY YOU IF THEY CAN’T FIND YOU
When it comes to search engine optimization, not all sites are created equal. Ecommerce sites require a different structure than informational blogs. Community message boards require different strategies than a simple landing page for a business. Before placing the first building blocks of your new digital home,...
Na Lei Hulu Puts On Some Moves!
BRANDING THE HULA
Several years ago, our national sales manager, Randy Arnold, took us to the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco for a Hula Show. He knew how much we loved Hawaiian culture, and especially the Hula. The hula is more than a dance form. It's...
Brand Builders Save Money with Worthy Cause Marketing
A DIFFERENT FORM OF ADVERTISING
Deductions for charitable giving will be significantly reduced in the coming years. Does this mean that the worthy causes that are the recipients of philanthropy will have to get by on less? How can companies afford to support non-profits given this situation? Even without the existing...
Build Your Brand by Partnering with Non-Profits
ONCE IN A BLUE MOON
The Blue Partnership Blue Moon Brewing Company, part of Miller-Coors, has partnered with the non-profit League to Save Lake Tahoe. The co-promotion takes many forms and is a comprehensive co-branding program. It includes in-store display pieces, on-line videos, beach clean-ups, and even a sweepstakes for a...
Consumer Brand Building Takes Tenacity and Vigilance
HERE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW
Building a consumer brand faces many challenges, especially in the early days. Many inexperienced start- up producers get the idea that if they can just get their product on the retail shelf, then they have succeeded. But nothing could be further from the truth. We found...
The Ten Commandments of Brand Stewardship
ACQUISITION IS JUST THE BEGINNING
Companies that acquire a brand may think they “own” it, but they are really brand stewards. They are responsible, like parents, to protect and grow the brand so it will continue to thrive under their stewardship. Many brands have survived multiple owners. Many have died in...
5 Principles to Monetize Your Brand Equity – Advice for Start-Ups
START AT THE END!
We recently spoke to the “Sandbox,” a start-up incubator at the Tech Garden in Syracuse, New York. The 16 aspiring entrepreneurs there had different business concepts, but all had this in common - they were in the research and developmental stage. This is the right time...
Rebranding a City
COLD STEEL TO HOT BRANDS
Rebranding Syracuse, NY Can a city rebrand itself? That's the question Syracuse, New York is answering in the affirmative. The post-WWII industrial boom that fueled its economy for nearly a half century has all but disappeared. It left this historic city with big challenges, including unemployment,...
Distinguish Your Brand with Unique Packaging
THE REPUBLIC OF TEA RULES
When it comes to consumer products, packaging can distinguish your brand from your competitors. Like most consumer products, there are many choices and lots of competition for space on the shelf in the marketplace. So, how does your product stand out? We are big tea drinkers....
Why Real-Time Face-to-Face Communication is Essential to Sales
PASSION AND STORY TRUMP FEATURES AND BENEFITS
People buy with their heart and justify with their brain. If you believe that, as we do, you must be sincerely excited about what it is you are selling. Sure, you can get excited about the features and benefits, but what captures people's attention is your...
When it Comes to Creativity, Let Sales Direct Marketing
RESPECT THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE MARKETPLACE
Creativity in the Real World We were recently asked by an MBA marketing grad, “How can I successfully use the creative skills I have learned in the real world?” We responded with the biggest lesson we learned while building the Barefoot wine brand. It’s the lesson...
7 Elements for Successful Merchandizing Materials
WHY SHOULD I BUY THIS?
Whether you call it point-of-purchase (POP) or point-of-sale (POS), interpretive signage that distinguishes your brand is a must. Especially in consumer goods, these signs are the final chance you have to sell your brand’s products. Some are located on the shelf (known as shelf-talkers), or on...
Seize the Moment to Build your Brand!
ON-TIME TRUMPS 'PERFECT'
For new brands, seizing an opportunity when it presents itself is key to success. One of the big advantages small start-ups have over their big, corporate counterparts is their ability to quickly take advantage of openings in the market and time-sensitive circumstances. We have found that...