Let's start at the very beginning. This is FireBrand's first blog entry, so we'll offer you some very basic but critically important information about how to dig your company out of the "crisis" and thrive in the aftermath recovery.
-Shelly Roberts
Managing Director - FireBrand
www.firebrandro.com
FiREBRAND's 10 MOST EFFECTIVE
RULES FOR BRANDING
IN ANY ECOMONY
1. CREATE ONE MESSAGE
It’s hard enough to get one brand message to stay in consumers’ minds, much less two or three if you change your mind, are unsure of your position, or just get bored with what you’ve heard over and over from your agencies. Stay with the same message for a year.
2. SPEAK PLAIN AND BE UNDERSTOOD
There is no guarantee that the jargon in your industry is understood by everyone. What they do understand is good, plain conversational language. Jargon changes but branding messages are meant to last. Complicated, “sophisticated” language may not be understood by your market.
3. STRIVE FOR HUMAN-NESS
Great brands achieve a high level of human-ness. They speak to you and your needs as an individual, not as a part of a market.
4. HELP YOUR MARKET CREATE YOUR BRAND
Your market has already made some decisions about you. Use the strongest part of what people already believe about you to underline their good feelings. It’s more powerful. And it’s cheaper.
5. SELL PRICE AND BRAND AT THE SAME TIME
Everyone is trying to make a profit now. That only breeds price-driven customers who will desert you when they find better prices. Include brand/value concepts in every price-driven communication to keep them loyal.
6. EXAMINE THE BOUNCE-BACK
You know what messages you send. But what counts in branding is what your customers and potential customers receive. Ask them. Learn and make necessary adjustments. Get the research done before you waste even one branding dollar.
7. INCLUDE A HEALTHY PR COMPONENT
Brands are built on what people are saying about you. Not just about what you are saying about yourself. While PR often seems like an extra to use only when you have big budgets, correctly guided PR can create the buzz that creates the belief.
8. CASCADE THE MESSAGE THROUGH YOUR ORGANIZATION
Start with your Board of Directors and work down to the lowest paid employee. If they understand the message, so will your market. In addition, they will become ambassadors under the flag you want the company to be flying
9. GREAT BRANDING WILL KILL A BAD PRODUCT
QUICKER THAN A COMPANY SCANDAL OR A TAMPERED PRODUCT.
Calling attention to an imperfect product will just let more people know they don’t want to buy it again, much faster. Balance your branding with your highest quality product or service. Customers aren’t easily fooled.
10. WAITING UNTIL THINGS GET BETTER
WILL ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE!
Your company can’t survive without doing some marketing. The sooner you get back into the game, the better your chances of winning. It doesn’t cost any more to keep your message On Brand. But if you wait too long, competitors can take the advantage.
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FireBrand is set up to assist mid- to-large sized companies in honing their marketing/communications/
FireBrand is not an ad or branding agency. Rather, it guides companies through the communications process. We teach marketing departments how better to create and execute effective plans, how to select the most ideal partner agencies, how to put Simple-To-Understand “Best Practices” into place long after FireBrand is gone. And, most importantly now, how to keep the branding alive when so much focus has to be on creating profit.
