The Affordable Branding BlogThe Affordable Branding Blog is a peek inside today’s branding blunders and success stories. Plucked right from the business and marketing headlines, my colleagues and I will make observations, pithy comments, overt criticisms, and well-deserved at-a-boys, all designed to help you make the right branding decisions for your business. To subscribe to the Affordable Branding Blog (no e-mail necessary), right-click on the orange RSS button (see bottom buttons to the left) and then paste the URL into your RSS reader. Or click on the question mark for information about other options. Better Performance from Strong Branded CulturesStrong branded cultures don't just have engaged employees who are passionate and proud of their brand. They have a clear understanding of the brand's purpose and vision with a clear line-of-sight perspective as to how they contribute to the success of the brand, and they're empowered to deliver on it. Check out this interesting white paper by Carol Chapman. UPS: On Brand Strategy or Off?Check out the 30-second UPS commercial at the link. Not sure if this is accurate or not, but this UPS ad made me think ofthe possible brand strategy behind it: Client: We're the only delivery service that NASCAR allows to maketrackside deliveries Agency: Really? That's an awesome differentiator. We should reallyexploit that. Why do you think that is? Client: Well, they trust us, I guess. Agency: Trust. Trusted. Trustworthy. Yeah, that could work. Creative team: What else is trusted? Abraham Lincoln? No, overused. Whatabout other well-know delivery services, you know, the paper boy, pizzaguy, and Santa. All: Perfect! My associate Scott says: So it's basically a humorous, over-the-top attempt at communicating that UPS is so reliable, it's preferred over these cultural icons of reliable delivery. Then it piggybacks on NASCAR's brand as means of social proof. ("See? Even an organization as huge and powerful as NASCAR trusts only UPS!"). But I think they're answering a question no one is really asking. Namely, "Who can I rely on to deliver my package?" Delivery is a basicexpectation I have of most any delivery service. What I care about is price and delivery time. FedEx owns the overnight position. So what position is UPS trying to own? However, considering that UPS is still the leader in the shipping category, that TV commercial could work just by being tweaked slightly to emphasize UPS's leadership in delivery, even over Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Leadership is a much more compelling and indisputable attribute than reliability -- which is expected. Plus the halo effect of leadership implies reliability. It Takes Years to Build a Brand...Dove. "It's one-quarter cleansing cream." "The campaign for real beauty." Over the years, Dove has done a wonderful job of branding itself as a gentle, effective facial cleanser and deodorant...FOR WOMEN. So what did they recently do? They launched Dove Men+Care. I think Unilever made a mistake by extending its obviously women-oriented brand into the male space. While the article at the link suggests that minds are already changing, I personally would never buy a Dove product for myself, even if it WAS good. The hardest thing to do in branding is to change minds. And mine has not changed. Brand PersonalityYou can discover your brand personality by peering through the window to your brand’s soul using the Johari Window. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Brand Personality" Do Taglines Matter?While not a must-have component to your brand platform, when done right, taglines can strengthen and reinforce your brand essence, help describe what you do (beyond your name), and cement your company’s name or mission in the minds of your prospects and customers. Here's an interesting piece about Chevy's intent to drop its tagline. Tiger and ToyotaWhat do Tiger Woods and Toyota have in common? They are both painfully aware of the Warren Buffet quote that says: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." In fact, I've written an eBook on the subject of growing your business by growing your reputation. More info at the link... Permalink -- click for full blog post "Tiger and Toyota" The Great Logo DebateI've been involved in plenty of logo changes and there's one thing you can always count on: someone's not going to like the new logo. Think back to last year's freshening of the Pepsi mark. Here's an interesting piece on the new Michigan State Spartan logo. But the funny thing is, it's just a minor cosmetic tweak, not an overhaul. Much ado about nothing? You decide. Tagline ServicesOur tagline services will not only help support your brand essence, but it will define your marketplace position, be memorable, and provide further differentiation for your business. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Tagline Services" Naming ServicesOur naming services are for you whether you’re a business start-up seeking the perfect name or you have a new product or extension that requires a name. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Naming Services" Logo Design ServicesNeed a new logo for your business? Our fixed-price logo design services means that we have no hidden charges or fees, and you don’t pay until you’re thrilled with the final product. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Logo Design Services"
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