by admin | Jun 11, 2014 | Brand strategy
If you know me at all, you know I’m a proud Kardashian fan. But even if you don’t like them, you have to admit that the Kardashian name is the pinnacle of branding. A masterpiece, if you will. When you hear Kardashian, something very distinct and powerful comes to your mind: fashion, extravagance, family, drama, Kimye, North West, maybe even trashiness. Regardless of what it is, it’s specific and memorable. Genius? Even I would hesitate to go that far. But it is a perfect example of what we should all be doing whether you’re branding yourself or your business. Let’s get right to it. Here are 5 things that the Kardashians do very well, and what you can do to mimic the success of the Kardashian brand. Read all five of the steps to branding like a Kardashian...
by admin | Jun 10, 2014 | Brand strategy
The best brand names become a part of consumers’ vocabularies and synonymous with the items they represent, like Kleenex has with tissues. “A name is a moniker that a company is going to wear probably the longest of anything we develop,” says Sasha Stack, a partner at the Boston offices of brand-strategy and design firm Lippincott. So why do names like Sprite and Verizon work so well? We asked Stack to guide us through the naming process using some of her favorite projects, as well as the brand names she most admires. Read more about the value of a name for branding...
by admin | Jun 4, 2014 | Brand strategy
A business’ personal brand is its story. Effective branding builds trust and security that leads to long-term sales and loyal customers. Brands distinguish businesses from each other and give customers a reason to choose one company over another. To properly market a business, a strategic company and/ or personal brand must be established. Read more about it...
by admin | Jun 4, 2014 | Brand strategy
It was a busy week for high-profile turnovers at the top of major organizations. Last weekend, the National Basketball Association accepted the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer, bringing an end to the Donald Sterling saga (sort of). Then, on Monday, President Obama announced Sloan Gibson as interim secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, replacing Gen. Eric Shinseki, who resigned last week following revelations that VA healthcare facilities had delayed care to veterans and covered it up. Read more about what CEOs need to do to clean up after controversy...
by admin | May 30, 2014 | Brand strategy
One of the biggest challenges for SMEs in thinking about their content strategy is the sheer volume of available content channels. Between personal blogs, traditional media outlets and social media channels, it’s becoming increasingly hard for brands to create a signal that breaks through the marketing noise. Here are five tips for SMEs in developing a content strategy that stands out from the crowd: 1. Have a compelling roadmap 55% of marketers surveyed by HubSpot didn’t have a content strategy even though they were currently creating content. Would you set out for a new destination without a map? Didn’t think so. A content strategy that aligns with your business metrics and your core goals is imperative. Identify what you will do, how you plan to do it, and what needs to be true to define success: creating content just for the sake of doing so doesn’t help your business or your customers. Read about the other five tips for creating an effective content strategy...
by admin | May 29, 2014 | Brand strategy
So you run a brand and you’ve decided to dive into the world of social media. Before you hop in that rocket ship straight for Facebook and Twitterland, and start sharing things all willy nilly, consider the effects a calculated social media marketing strategy will have on your efforts. Like any business decision, it’s important to have a clear flight path that outlines the who, what, where, when, why and hows. Social media is no different! Ask yourself these questions before planning out your social media marketing strategy. Who is my audience? In order to even begin to put a strategy together, it’s essentially important to have a target audience in mind. Males, schoolteachers, or children are not specific enough of a focus. Generally, there are 3 major things you should identify when defining an audience: demographics, interests and needs. If you can point out the exact demographics of your target audience, understand their interests, motivations, but especially their needs, you will be able to reach their beloved news feeds. Find out the other 7 questions to ask when setting up your brand’s social media strategy...
