Brand Yourself For Unstoppable Success
We are at session 2 now at the Office Depot Success Strategies event in Chicago. Now we are talking about Branding Yourself for Unstoppable Success.
Here are highlights of hot branding tips from the panel:
1) Your brand is more than just a logo, it’s every touch point you have with the customer including logo, color, brochure, website, customer service, etc.
2) Make sure your message is consistent across all your materials
3) A good place to do research and get inside the heads of your customers is to visit blogs written by your target audience
4) Stick to the “bones” of your brand even if you are rebranding so that the customer can still recognize it as you
5) Add that unexpected touch that surprises customer expectations.
6) Dare to be different. Look at the messages and branding that your competitors are using and see how you can be different.
You have to be willing to throw a pie in people’s faces and be a bit noisy at first
Be a little different - for example Starbucks rather than selling a cup of coffee, they sell a coffee drinking experience
7) Positioning: Reframe the conversation.
If everyone is talking about the experience of how your hair feels after the shower, talk about the experience of using the shampoo in the shower
Example of Herbal Essence
Be polarizing - even edgy. It’s better to have passionate followers than
Make it repeatable. What is the one thing you really need to say. Keep it simple. Tell the “Sesame Street Version”
9) Consistency across organization. Make sure everyone can articulate your brand name back
get the whole team on board being ambassadors of the brand
10) Be the brand wherever you go. Keep business cards in every purse you have.
Here are some of the Biggest Lessons Learned from the Panel in Business:
A) Nice girls do win! The relationships you establish with people are key. Your success is directly related to the strength of your relationships. There is power in NICE.
b) Really know your clients
c) Have a well executed plan and strategy
d) Networking. Know people. Give referrals, do favors. Connect with as many of people as possible.
Posted on March 21st, 2007 at 4:41 pm. About 'Brand Yourself For Unstoppable Success'.
I really like this post Kristie! As someone who has studied branding, I can’t stress CONSISTENCY of message enough.