The rapid march of technology has opened up the power of branding to all companies, organizations and entities, from the sole proprietor, to the regional service provider, to the North American manufacturer. You can stand apart, have a voice and go for your share of the market, regardless of company size or communications budget.
Big brands have the luxury of being big. As a result, they can get away with a lot when it comes to branding . . . vague messaging, missing the audience, open-ended communications, being risqué, over-extending. But not smaller brands. Not when every move and every dollar counts. Smaller brands have to stay focused, be urgent, and deliver with impact. Here are four key elements of successful branding that we use to help our clients keep it R.E.A.L.
R - Remarkable E - Easy A - Actionable L - Legit R is for Remarkable. A remarkable brand is one that’s literally worth remarking about. People like to talk about brands, both in the office and at home. They love to talk about bad brand experiences. They sometimes talk about good brand experiences. They NEVER talk about average brand experiences. Deliver a delightful experience with your brand communications – strike an emotional chord – and inspire people to remark.
E is for Easy. A brand message that is easy to understand, is easier to internalize, certainly easier to share, easier to remember, easier to buy . . . you get the picture. There’s nothing worse than a communication from a smaller brand that’s complex, hard to navigate, or hard to get the gist of. Keep it simple. Make it easy.
A is for Actionable. When you get to the size of Nike, you can throw a white swoosh on a black billboard with no explanation or direction, and call it a day. Smaller brands need to TELL their readers, viewers and audiences what to do. If you want people to call in response to a mailer, tell them so. If you want them to sign up for a seminar, ask them. Offer multiple ways for recipients of your message to take immediate action. We live in a do it now society. “I see. I like. I buy. PERIOD.” Don’t make me beg or jump through hoops. Let me take action. Let me be your customer.
L is for Legit. If you can’t prove it, you can’t say it. If you can’t do it, you can’t promote it. If you can almost do it, you can’t promote it. If you’ll have the capability in six months, you can’t promote it today. Be honest with yourself about your brand. Challenge your brand messaging with a simple question . . .”How So?” And make sure you can answer that question with absolute certainty.
Follow these four guidelines for each and every brand communication you make and you will be certain of taking your brand and organization to a higher level in 2008.
And if you hit a wall, give me a call (908-534-9044).
For Samples of Our Latest Work. Go Here
Keeping it R.E.A.L. when it comes to branding. - To learn more about this author, visit Ed Delia's Website.
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Ed Delia
(Visit Ed's Website)
Ed Delia grew up in the dynamic world of
marketing, and was named president of
Delia Associates in 1998, assuming full
control of the company his father founded
in 1964. Under Ed’s direction, Delia
Associates has directly contributed to the
growth of a variety of clients.
Ed is committed to the welfare of the
local business community and donates a
significant portion of his energies to the
economic development of the region. He was
a board member of the Hunterdon County
YMCA, and acting PR/Marketing Committee
Chair. He is also active with the
Hunterdon County Polytech Academy.
Ed is president of the New Jersey Chapter
of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO).
He was a founding member of Hunterdon
Young Professionals & Executives (HYPE) in
addition to the Flemington Chapter of
Business Networking International (BNI).
He served as board member of the Somerset
Business Education Partnership and the
Hunterdon Economic Partnership (HEP).
Delia graduated high school from the
Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, NJ).
He earned his BA in English from Dickinson
College. Ed is a frequent speaker on
branding, marketing, and creative
thinking.
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