

Business Naming Fail
If you have to tell people how to say your name… Then it's probably not a good name. I came across this item in a press release the other day: "Founded in 2000, Xlear, Inc. (pronounced "clear") is recognized as one of the leading manufacturers of xylitol products…" Hmmm. I would have never guessed at "clear". If you're like me, you probably said "Ex-Lear" in your head. And I likely won't recall the name either. When the only thing people ever talk about is how to pronounce th


Why You Need To Protect Your Brand and Your Online Reputation
In high school, not caring about being popular or what other people thought was good life advice to help young adults get their first taste of the larger world they would have to deal with outside of school. As a business, however, this doesn't work. Both your online reputation and the health of your brand are critical parts of your business success and you need to defend them vigorously. Online Presence Is Critical For Business A 2014 survey released by Adweek suggested that


Secrets to Branding a Commodity
Elevating YOUR Business, Product, or Service from Ordinary to “Brand” Status By definition, a commodity is a product or category that consumers don’t believe in paying more for. Why? Because “they’re all the same.” Gasoline is a commodity. Most consumers search out the lowest price, or gas station convenience, but rarely do they pay more for “brand name” gas. Other commodities include items like produce or eggs. Until Eggland’s Best gave us a convincing reason to pay a bit mo