by Scott JeffreyJul 08, 2010
When was the last time you heard someone say, Did you see Random House’s latest book release? Or, That CD by Sony Music really rocks!
Most breeds of publishers—book, music and film—have little brand equity with their customers. Why? These companies don’t stand for anything; they haven’t made any clear declaration or pledge to their customers.
Without a clear brand promise that’s meaningful to us, why would we care about them?
Marketers are hesitant to clearly define what their brand represents. They don’t want to risk alienating potential customers who don’t like their brand.
But with clear differentiation you also attract a special breed of customers who love you.
All customers are NOT created equal. Your Brand Lovers generate more positive word of mouth and stay loyal to you. They are your most profitable customers. Why would you want to cater to less profitable customers?
Businesses that stand for something generally have a balance sheet to prove it. We know what to expect from a Disney film, for example—family fun with a dose of magic and limited violence.
Most publishers, however, are in a precarious position, lingering in No Brand Land.
What happens when the Long Tail fully catches up with publishers and product distribution becomes ubiquitous? Why would an author—any author—publish with a major house when they can just as easily self-publish through Amazon and other digital channels without losing distribution advantages and keeping the lion share of book sales?
The lesson is clear: Make sure your brand stands for something meaningful to your customers and serve them better than anyone else.
by Aaron ShieldsJun 11, 2010
Waiting for a friend outside a rest-stop bathroom on the way to Miami I spotted a sign: “The most creative and fun restaurant on earth!” Now way! How lucky was I to stumble upon this hidden treasure?
I looked over and saw the ingenious name of this amazing find: Cheeburger Cheeburger … Express.
I peered into the kitchen to get a glimpse of Thomas Keller or Ferran Adria or Heston Blumenthal, but I didn’t even see Rachel Ray.
Don’t expect to see Cheeburger Cheeburger winning any awards from Gourmet or being knighted by the Michelin guide with three stars.
The problem with Cheeburger Cheeburger isn’t the place or food, it’s the disparity between the brand promise and the reality.
If Cheeburger Cheeburger isn’t the most creative (I doubt they’re employing the techniques of postmodern molecular gastronomy) and fun dining experience you have when you go, it’s failed to live up to its promise.
If you promise something to your customers, and you should, make sure it’s something you can deliver and want to execute.
by BJ BuenoApr 19, 2010
As humans, we are highly visual creatures. The visual cortex of our brain has over thirty areas dedicated to helping us see and make sense of the world. When we see things, we don’t just see shapes, but we also emotionally experience what we are perceiving.
The connection between emotions and the brain has been clearly demonstrated by modern neuroscience. Brain scans reveal the hidden connections between what we see and how we feel about what we see. Without feelings, objects in our visual field hold no significance and fall into the background of our perception. If an image doesn’t trigger the emotional center of the brain, it’s without meaning. We feel disconnected to what we see, even when it’s people as important as our parents or children. Biologically, all memory is tied to an emotion.
Emotions = Energy
Every image, including your Brand Image, must pass through the thalamus–the relay station in the brain that takes in sensory information and then passes it along to the cerebral cortex. Simply put, the thalamus tells customers how they feel about your brand.
Your Brand Image carries energy, and provides information to the consumer about the brand experience. For example, the
Apple logo is one of the most widely recognized images in the world, associated with creativity and innovation. Empirical studies have shown that subjects exposed to the Apple logo exhibit greater creativity than control subjects. Like
Apple, your Brand Image stands for the sum of the brand promise.
The Brand Image has the power to connect your Brand with the emotional centers in the brain. We are wired to see. And when we see, we believe.
How much POWER does your BRAND IMAGE have today?
by BJ BuenoFeb 12, 2010
Everything (including your advertising) must create value for your customer. Anything that does not create value weakens your relevance in the customer’s life.
When the customer no longer finds value in your promise, the relevance dies and the customer does business with your competitor.
This is what happened to K-Mart as Wal-Mart became more relevant by having what the customer wanted (deep inventory), when the customer wanted it (open 24-hours a day), at the price the customer wanted to pay (low price always, always).
Combining these merchant-champion qualities with “real people” advertising of their associates and customers, and the resulting relevance factor was beyond anyone in their category.
Even today it is hard for other retailers to be as relevant in the customer’s life as Wal-Mart is for the general public. This is simple to see when you consider the fact that nine million people choose to shop at Wal-Mart every day. Many studies showed that customers drove right past K-Mart in order to get to Wal-Mart.
The power of a relevant brand!
Is your brand relevant?
