| The real question is can Kmart and Sears together work enough magic to pull in new customers? And can they together establish two viable store brands that stand for something distinctive in consumers’ minds? Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing’s for sure: It won’t be easy.
Every company has a personality. While the people inside the company have personalities, the company itself has a personality. For example when you think about Starbucks, you think a fun place to meet and “hook-up” with people. It’s casual but trendy. On the other hand when you think about getting a cup of coffee at Denny’s, the personality is altogether different. Denny’s is a place to have a good inexpensive breakfast. It’s great for one-on-one private meetings. Their personalities or “brands” are very different from one another.
The Branding Statement
Everything that we do and say both internally and externally should revolve around our Branding Statement. For obvious reasons I will NOT refer to the Branding Statement in its acronym form as BS. I think we are all sick of hearing BS from the sugary sweet-talking of those slick marketers. The last thing we want to do is have some contrived little sound byte that makes our ads and brochures read like proto-typical marketers. We should use our branding statement internally to help us construct our marketing message that will be communicated in every aspect of our business. Then when we do deliver the branding statement in our material, we do it in the course of highly targeted marketing material.
We are Influencers, NOT merely Marketers
Our goal is not to SELL or, market to our customers, but rather to influence them. When we SELL them, they move away from us, because they are fearful of being coerced into making the wrong decision. We must earn the right to influence them by aligning ourselves in a way that sets us apart as a friend, advisor and confidant. Then we will become the ONLY solution to their needs.
Speak in Terms of THEIR Interest
As the great master of human relations, Dale Carnegie, said, “speak in terms of the other person’s interest.” We need to be willing to give a little. The reason people are running away from you is that you are trying to TAKE. Be willing to give. What can I give, you ask? It doesn’t have to be about tangible items you give away- in fact, it is best if you don’t give away trinkets, but rather knowledge. If nothing else, give them an education. That’s right. EDUCATE your prospect, and you will create a customer for life!
Here’s a great example of how a branding statement works: http://www.sbanetwork.org/articles/articles_view.asp?id=53
10 Key Criteria for Developing the Branding Statement
- Express your exclusive marketing position
- Targeted to specific audience
- Let them visualize you in action
- Express a benefit oriented solution for the prospect that alleviates some pain
- Positively influence the customer rather than try to SELL them
- Align yourself with the customer
- Speak in terms of their interests
- Educate the customer
- Deliver the branding statement in a friendly way
- Give examples of client successes
The bottom line is “who we are” or what people perceive we are is far more important than what we do. This is true for K-Mart as well as Sears and it is true for you and I. Chances are your competitors are doing the same thing that you are doing but they can never be the same person or have the same personality as you. As with individuals, companies have personalities. Is your company’s personality bland, unrecognizable or “me too?” Or is it bright, vibrant and hard to forget. I hope the latter.
Developing Brands – Monday, Nov. 22 at 1pm
While this article may just begin to address the subject of branding, I will be conducting a Tele-Clinic on Branding next Monday, November 29, 2004 at 1pm during which I will focus on the steps to creating a powerful branding strategy and how to put a branding campaign into action in a practical way. During this 30 minute Tele-Clinic I will be referring to numerous case studies and I will take questions as well. We will only be able to accommodate a limited number of participants for this telephone clinic so act now. Tele-Clinics are held over a standard telephone line during which I present detailed information on ways to improve your business performance. They are a great way to get your specific questions answered directly by me. The cost is only $29. To read more go to www.deoteleclinics.com, and to register, go tohttps://www.sbanetwork.org/learning/signup.asp.
BACK IN PRIME TIME!
Thanks to you, our loyal listeners and readers, we’re back in prime time! Check out the Small Business Hour every Saturday at 3pm on 97.1FM in Los Angeles. You can still hear us on the internet at www.smallbusinesshour.com.
Have a great week!I hope that this “Business Update” has been helpful in assisting you to improve the performance of your organization. For more information on how the Small Business Advisory Network assists companies in improving their performance, please feel free to contact us at 310-320-8190 or email mark@markdeo.com
Mark Deo |