Transmission Wire

A branding company’s website purpose is to design websites that will attract attention, give a professional image and support the message you are trying to convey in writing. There are arguments for doing your website design in-house. However website design, search engine optimization and copywriting is a very specialized area and utilizing a website design company can pay big dividends.

It is a cross between graphic design, programming, copywriting, brand building and direct marketing. It is difficult enough trying to find a website design company with these skills, let alone finding the talent in-house. If your website is going to become a major focus of your business, then it could possibly be worth considering hiring a full-time website design company with the necessary search engine optimization and copywriting skills. However, it is probably more cost effective to outsource the work to a website design company.

It is vitally important to hire professionals form a website design company - badly designed websites reflect badly on your business. Even if the design of the website looks presentable - unless it follows the rules of web marketing, image handling, copywriting, search engine optimization and the many other aspects of web development - it will not do its job properly. Which is why selecting a website design company is so important. Presenting your goods and services in the most appealing way that will generate a response from potential customers is a very specialized skill, something a web company should be very good at.

By hiring a professional website design company they are able to provide cutting edge website designs that uses advanced information architecture and custom designs. Online marketing begins with the initial concept and design of your website. This is far more than just reflecting your marketing strategy. The design of your website is an integral part of the marketing process. This is achieved by incorporating search engine optimization, direct response techniques, relationship marketing and consumer psychology into your website.

This results in a custom design that will entice visitors back again and again, build a community, develop brand loyalty and nurture a long term relationship that will turn a regular visitor into a valued customer.

Sometimes a website design company is only interested in making your website look good, you should expect higher goals. A good web firm designs websites that not only project a professional image but also serve a specific marketing purpose. This is achieved by combining cutting edge website design from a professional website design company and search engine optimization with advanced marketing and relationship building techniques.

As you can see - website design is far more than just creating a nice looking design, although that is still a vital element. There are so many components that have to fit together and the website has to do the job of directing visitors through the website so they get the information they need, take the action you want without becoming overwhelmed or lost.

Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru a leading Corporate Branding and Branding Research firm in Boston, MA.

Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation.

This Article may be freely copied as long as it is not modified and this resource box accompanies the article, together with working hyperlinks.

Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.

Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Franklin Sports and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies.

Comments Off

After more than a decade since the last attempt to update the 1970’s Franchise Rule The Federal Trade Commission is at it again. May I ask why we are looking at reviewing these rules for franchising, where no problems exist? Why we are looking to tighten up ambiguities, which over time have occurred in this sector, when we should be dismantling the over regulations choking the industry? Why we are trying make rules upon rules, where no rules are needed since no problem really exits? Why can’t we use the red magic marker approach and start drawing lines thru massive amount meaningless dribble required in these disclosure documents?

Let me explain this philosophical thought for a moment. Recently Mr. Allen Greenspan before the Senate was asked about rules in the securities industries, stock exchanges, broker dealers to curb potential future fraud. He then correctly indicated that once you make a rule, the temptation to make additional rules to close gaps is just too great. Now then are we not sure we are headed down a slippery slope with regards to the litigious nature of the franchising industry, in that the trend in the industry currently is for franchisors to exit the market place.

One Industry Insider, franchising consultant in Houston is recommending this to his major clientele -Stop Franchising. Adding more laws and disclosures will only cause fewer competitors in the market, fewer choices, higher prices all in the name of protecting the now damaged consumer? This means we may deny many their American Dream of owning their own business and those citizens who have their hearts set on it will be severely limited in the number of choices and ways to go into business. Who does this really help; a few more jobs at the Federal Trade Commission? Room for a few more franchising lawyers to bill at a little higher rate? If we reduce the rules, some franchise attorneys will have to move to California to sue for workmen’s compensation, to the northern Midwest to sue for mold or to Cape Cod and specialize in the new emergence of the ever-changing same sex family law there? The attorneys have made millions of dollars in the franchising realm since the 1970’s and in the last decade they have doubled their fees between 1995 and 2005, enough is enough? Think about it.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Comments Off

Many businesses of today areoften driven tocompetestriclty on price, quality, and features of their products and services. Companies who prosper over the long term don’t simply offer the best deals, the best quality, or the most impressive bells and whistles. If you want to win big in today’s cutting edge world of business, you have to begin by thinking differently and by challenging the status quo.Whether you are a new or an established business owner, these ten powerful strategies will position your company for big success.

(1) Adopt the philosophy of “Givers Gain.”

In 2003, the members of Business Network International (BNI) passed over 2 million referrals to each other. Founded by CEO Ivan Misner, BNI is a business and professional networking organization that offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and most importantly, referrals. Misner founded BNI based on the philosophy of “Givers Gain,” which is the belief that in order to get business, it is important to first give business. One of the critical factors in achieving success rests in the ability to develop reciprocal relationships where two parties naturally refer business to each other on a consistent basis. “It’s not what you know but who you know” has never been so true as it is in today’s competitive world of business. For more information on Ivan Misner and his philosophy of “Giver’s Gain,” access an interview here:

http://www.cvcommunity.com/utility/showArticle/?objectID=1452

(2) Focus on Soft Innovations

In today’s competitive marketplace, the old equation of spending more on advertising to increase profits it not working as it once did. In his latest book, Free Prize Inside, author Seth Godin, makes a strong case for using soft innovations as a way to get noticed in this crowded and noisy world. Soft innovations are the small yet insightful ideas that can take your product or service from good to remarkable. They are often hidden, and they usually solve a problem that is ” peripheral to what your product is ostensibly about.” At first glance, you think the soft innovation does not mean much, but once you have it in place, it becomes an essential part of your product or service. Examples of soft innovations include Starbuck’s Cards, Dinosaur-shaped pasta for kids, and Amazon.com cutting its ad spend and offering free shipping with the money saved. For more information, read an interview with Seth Godin in Today’s Coach here:

http://www.cvcommunity.com/utility/showArticle/index.cfm?objectID=1524

(3) Re-groove!

How do you operate when the heat is on? How do you respond to chaos? When new skills or new behaviors are needed, how do you respond? Knowing what to do and how to do it is one thing but being able to respond effectively and to keep your cool under pressure and on a consistent basis is a very different ballgame. As leaders in today’s world, it is crucial to learn how to work differently and how to be able to shift and bend to meet expectations which here one day and gone the next. The half-life of a great idea or a new product or service has never been shorter, and it is up to you as a business owner to become masterful with reshaping strategies, adding new perks to old products, and to stay on top of your game in the face of dramatically changing circumstances. You may find that your strength of achievement was required to get your company up and running but that same strength is now squelching the creativity of your team. It’s time to Re-Groove! It’s time to unlock the incredible potential that is inside of you that is required to get the job done under present day demands. If you are dedicated to re-grooving (getting past the old worn out grooves of your past conditioning,) it is essential to work with a coach or trainer who can coach you through the new behaviors quickly and in real time. By learning to re-groove, you will be able to create incredible opportunities for your company and for yourself.

(4) Make your brand a “state of mind”

Are you winning when it comes to style, a smart and accessible mix of products and services, and first rate customer service? If so, Bravo! However, this is just a part of the equationof what it takes to truly succeed. In order to create a brand that is trulymemorable, it is crucial for you to live an inspired life and to make your brand a “state of mind” for your customers. This state of mind could be a feeling of trust and confidence, a sense of well being, or a state of knowing that you are buying from a company who has your best interests at heart. This state of mind cannot develop behind the confines ofthe walls ofyour business. It grows and develops when you are in the middle of your potential buyers…in restaurants, traveling, checking out the competition, playing sports, tinkering with a hobby,having fun and lots of it! If you areliving fullyand in relationship with others, you will be re-energized every day and you will give your customers a vision of what an inspired life actually looks like, because you are living one! Your brand will become much more than your trimmings…it will become the connection that others feel when they think of you as a valued person in their lives.

(5) Become masterful at mobilizing resources

The ability to galvanize resources, both human and monetary, and to build effective and efficient projects with them is a critical component of success in today’s marketplace. We are quick to look first at the monetary costs of a project and quickly get cold feet, when the reality is that we have valuable resources hidden in our personal and professional lives which may not cost adime. Social capital is one resource that is one of the most valuable assets available to business owners of today. The term social capital emphasizes that very specific benefits are made available from the trust, reciprocity, information, and cooperation associated with social networks. The value of social capital is that people can draw on the wisdom of each other to solve common problems, especially as it relates to money, time, and resources.

(6) Buck conventional wisdom

In 1971, Rollin King and Herb Kelleher decided to start an airline that you might say…was different and a little bit quirky. They began with one simple notion: If you get your passengers to their destinations on time, at the lowest fare possible, and make sure they have a fantastic time doing it, people will choose you over a competing airline. This is the story of Southwest Airlines, who chose to move beyond the status quo by offering services and a sense of style that bucked conventional wisdom. With their focus on fun, games, and “Love Southwest Style,” Southwest has made its mark with its strong focus on stellar customer service and conveniences such as allowing customers to proceed to their departure gate without stopping at the ticket counter, skycap, or self-service kiosk. Most importantly, Southwest has honed in on searching for important personal qualities in those they hire– the perfect blend of energy, humor, team spirit, and self-confidence to match its famously offbeat culture. Southwest was once dismissed as a maverick, as their strategies seemed strange to the “airline powerhouses.” These same powerhouses are now looking in awe at what this “maverick” has built. The strategy of originality worked…It had the sticking power required for success.

(7) Become a Talent Farm

When recruiting new employees, what are you looking for? Raw talent? Raw communication skills? Intellect? Athletic ability? Commitment? Skills? Flexbility? What about all of this and more? If you are a company who wants to operate at the leading edge, where change is the greatest and success is the goal, you will want to recruit the most talented group of people you can find…those people who are self- starters and who are living boldly in the world. By developing a “talent farm” culture, you can instill a mindset of excellence from the top to the bottom of your organization. This culture encompasses a deeply held belief that having high caliber people is crucial to your success. With this “talent farm” approach to recruiting, your company will also be required to recruit great talent every day. Successful businesses and organizations have a strong sense of what they are looking for, and they are always on the look for new talent and ways to retain them for a lifetime.

(8) Embrace your core values

What is it in life that you most value? Do you value beauty, leadership, creativity, stability, or family? You can choose to orient your life around your wants and needs or the list of things you feel you “should” be doing, but if you embrace your core values and build your life around them, you will find experience inspiration and joy at a level you never thought was possible. Whole Foods Market is one of the fastest growing supermarkets of today, because its commitment to fresh, nutritious products is a value that keeps customers coming back for more and employees happy, hard working, and committed. When you focus your business on doing what feels right and what fulfills you, you will have no regrets, because you have been true to the very core of your being.

(9) Become a “white hot center” of influence

A “white hot center” of influence is an organization or group that you most want your company to be aligned with tightly and in a relationship which is reciprocal. One connection into a strong center of influence can position your company to attract a stream of qualified opportunities. (Example: You are an interior designer, and you want to be in the middle of Southern Accent or Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.) In order to attract a “white hot center” of influence, you have to become what you want to attract. Be well educated, highly skilled, experienced, trained and innovative in your product development. Fill your network with other business owners who are up to big things in the world and who are experts in their respective fields. Attract talented people into your company, and tap each and every talent and skill available in your company. As you begin to raise your bar in all areas of your business and enhance your network, you will eventually become a “white hot center” that will attract others by the thousands.

(10) Just Begin!

Start where you are, and begin today to create success in your life. Drop the excuses, reasons or people to blame, dis-empowering attitudes and behaviors and get on with the business of living the life you know you were born to live. Do what you know you want to do, and do it with passion. Begin today to create the tomorrow you want. As Peter Drucker said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it”

This piece was originally submitted by Bea Fields and Kimberly George, Business Coaches, who can be reached at bea@coachville.com and kim@coachville.com, or visited on the web atwww.CoachVille.com. www.FiveStarLeader.com or www.RebelBusiness.com.

Comments Off

One of the prime motivating factors in the purchase decision making process is “trust”. A consumer will at some point for however long or short of a time, ask the question, “Can I trust this company/person/product?”

In today’s ever-changing world of marketing, electronic media, email, and advertising innovations and intrusions, companies, and businesses are marketing to an ever increasingly suspicious consumer, who is conflicted between their desire not to be “sold” to and their desire to consume. They are looking for ways to establish believability, credibility, and trust.

According to a paper by the Peppers and Rogers Group (2004), 36% of major U.S. corporations view privacy as an important part of the company’s brand image.

It is my belief based on consumer thinking that one way to develop a competitive edge in the marketing world is to place greater emphasis on tying privacy policy to brand. This strategy places a direct link between trust and purchase while developing the beginnings of long-term relationship.

I suggest highlighting your privacy policy in all your marketing in a way that makes privacy, trust, and your brand synonymous. Let the consumer know that here is a business that will respect your privacy. Let them know that your communication with them will be relevant to their consumer needs. And you can let them know that information they share with your business will be used to better meet their needs and will not, knowingly be used against them, sold, or given to third parties.

It might even be smart to develop a short marketing campaign that focuses on your commitment to your customer’s privacy, instead of simply stating that you have a privacy policy or stating your policy in unreadable font at the bottom of your literature.

About 50 % of consumers today have little more knowledge than brand or product recognition and have little desire to acquire extra information about a brand or product, so it behooves the marketing community to link recognition of their brand to trust, safety, and advocacy. Instead of selling to consumers, target your marketing to help them believe that you are making them safer and more secure by purchasing your brand and then back it up!

copyright 2004

Darrin Coe holds a masters degree in professional psychology specializing in consumer thinking. He publishes The Darrin Coe Ezine. You can subscribe at http://www.consumer-thinking.com/dcezine.html.

Visit Consumer Thinking.com at http://www.consumer-thinking.com.

Comments Off

Conjure up in your mind broad rolling meadows with runs of cattle or stock of some type, all discriminate by virtue of a registered brand. That’s a most common and accepted understanding of branding.

You have just now used your mind to develop a picture that promises easy recall. You may not yet be aware but there’s always a new secret marketing aid being developed and made available … nearly every day of the week.

I’d be one of many that could point out who the target group is for all of these hidden treasures and industrious salespeople. But if you’re reading this, then take a bow and a large step forward! You are in fact the “demand” component of the supply that’s being generated.

Now what happens when you also join the ranks of the industrious? It doesn’t take a whole deal of thinking to recognize that you can easily get lost in the traffic, especially if you are starting up a business of your own. Being known as an absolute is a very real way of defeating some of that traffic; not the only way but a very effective one.

Your general copy writing and headline creation tactics certainly help the cause but in a saturated market environment you need to embrace every advantage.

Exactly what then, can you do, to be noticed? Question well asked and the answer ….. consider branding yourself.

The reason branding works is that it gives individuality to the value you provide to those that come to your site. If they don’t come to your site then its through your e-mails, e-zines, blogs and advertisements.

It makes folk recall your Site and perhaps even prompts them to bookmark. Do it right and they might even opt to scan for forthcoming product that carries your brand name.

You’ll be far more noticeable if you can create something that settles on someone’s mind. Catch the imagination of your readers, use unique or quirky themes and make that difference that magnetizes your audience.

By way of example, let me relate a branding experience using a quick story…. tangent if you will.

There’s a huge red rock located in the middle of Australia that was at one time known
as Ayers Rock. More recently it has adopted the term Uluru.

The rock and the country around it belong to a group of Aboriginal people called Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara.

So, the people also have been renamed and are now referred to as “Anangu” because it’s easier.

These people have a history rich in story and in this case they identify the various faces of the rock using that approach.

One saga goes something like this….. A long, long time ago, in the time of the Tjukurpa, which the Aborigines call the dreamtime, the animals gave shape to a rock.

There was a young woma python, or Kuniya, that was passing by and was surprised by a group of Liru, which are venomous snakes. Kuniya, not being from that area, was affronted by the Liru who threw spears at the python and killed him.

So hard did they throw their spears that the points made holes in the rock.

The Pythons ancestor, also a Kuniya, was so angered by this that he killed one of the Liru with a stick.

So, on the west face of the rock there are holes that are said to be from the points of the Lirus’ spears and on the south face of the rock, Kuniya the woma python can still be seen as a dark wavy line on Uluru.

Now the story in itself doesn’t mean a whole lot but if you are ever able to visit Uluru, you will happen to find a south and a west side of the rock that now has individuality because it’s been branded.

To any one else this is simply a rock but to you, you now know there exists Western and Southern rock walls that hold special understandings. These are unique and remembered even if not in the original light.

Get yourself branded and stand out from the rocks that exist in your niche marketplace.

Start with your ads, an article or two and build from that into your website. Regardless of what appearance might do to enhance any efforts, it’s generally how you stick in a customer’s mind that produces results.

Dave Jones, is a business promoter hoping to encourage new starters into improving their financial futures http://www.work-at-home-create-opportunities.com is his latest project to help other people make a full-time living doing part-time work from home. For more info, you can visit or contact Dave at livesupport@work-from-home-affiliate-options.com

Comments Off

One of the ways people get to know you is by the identity you project. Your company name, the way you present yourself, your business card and brochure, where you work, and other ways you conduct your business create an image that gives your customers information about you.

Pricing is a part of your image, too. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of underpricing. They believe that the only way to attract customers is to have the lowest possible price. But this attitude can damage your business.

First of all, when you underprice you won’t be adequately compensated for your time. You must be able to make enough money to pay your bills and grow your business, or you won’t be in business very long.

Ironically, underpricing can actually result in getting fewer customers, not more. Think about this from the customer’s perspective. Let’s say you are looking for someone to do a job for you. You contact five companies, and get prices of $4000, $2700, $2500, $2400, and $1000. Which one would you select?

Assuming that the quotes are all based on the same specifications, most people would immediately eliminate the $4000 quote as being way out of line; however, they would also be suspicious of the $1000 quote. Why is it so much less than the others? Do they use substandard materials? Are their workers less skilled? Will they do a poor job–if they do the job at all?

Price isn’t the only factor people consider when making a purchase. You might choose the $2700 quote because you decide the price is reasonable, and someone from the company called you back quickly. You get a good feeling from their responsiveness, and decide they may be worth a few dollars more than the lowest bidder.

Some markets are more price sensitive than others, and there is probably a price point you can’t exceed for your product or service. But coming in far below the “going rate” can be just as harmful to your business as overpricing.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous with inexpensive and free marketing ideas. Get free tips, articles and more at http://www.IdeaLady.com/.

Comments Off

When you’re all alone in the privacy of your home office, surrounded by your
computer, your phone and your business idea, have you ever asked yourself,
“Where’s the line between mein my business and the business in me”?

With hundreds of thousands of home-based businesses starting every year, and few
ever flourishing, the topic of branding has become hot, hot, hot. And thanks to
experts touting the need for a personal brandin sole proprietor businesses the
confusion is growing. It’s no wonder. Business… personal… personal… business–
what IS the big difference any way?

Last week, I was guiding a client (a service-based sole practioner) through the same
step-by-step process that I take every company (sole practioner, entrepreneur or a
business of any size) through to develop their brand and I noticed that as we got
deeper and deeper into the process, she was having more and more trouble coming
up with answers. The very answers that would separate her from other people
engaged the same exact business and distinctly establish her brand.

In the middle of working on the most important step in the branding process– the
brand statement–I asked her the simple question, “Whydoes she do business she
does?” she burst into tears. Halfway into the box of Kleenex she finally, revealed the
most amazing answer as to why she was in her chosen field in the first place.
Honestly, I think she stunned herself. We both sat silent for over a minute in awe of
the power she had tapped into with her discovery. (Don’t let anyone fool you, this is
from where the true power of branding comes.)

Then doubt reared its ugly head and like a butterfly emerging from a new cocoon, a
series of questions poured out of her: “Is this my business or is it me?” “Is why I do
what I do really that important?” “Why is it so hard for me to stand in the power of
my business and really make something of it?”

You get the picture? You may even be standing ina similar picture, even wrestling
with the same questions yourself. Bless you if you’re not. Let’s look at the
difference between ‘your business’ and ‘you the person’ and see if we can clear up
this question once and for all.

A business:(be it Niketown or Bob’s Shoe Bonanza)
Delivers a product or service to fulfill a customer need.
You:
Deliver a product or service to fulfill a customer need.

A business:
Establishes a certain value that a customer can rely on from every contact with their
product or service.
You:
Establish a certain value that a customer can rely on from every contact with your
product or service. (If not, get on it immediately!)

A business:
Communicates consistently to reach the customers that have a need for their
product or service.
You:
Communicate consistently to reach the customers that have a need for your product
or service. (If not, what are you waiting for?)

A business:
Enjoys a financial reward equal to the amount of customers that it serves, AND a
personal reward for the creator/C.E.O.
You:
Enjoy a financial reward equal to the amount of customers that you serve AND YOU
get to experience the personal reward yourself.

If you look at just these four basic, bottom-line points, the difference between a
business and you as a sole business owner is… nothing; unless you count the added
bonus of you getting a financial AND personal reward.

At the start of every single business, throughout history, there has never been a
separation between the person starting it and the business itself. If you asked any
business figure-head today, Bill Gates of Microsoft, or Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, or
if they took over a company like Meg Whitman for Ebay,or Carly Fiorina for Hewlett-
Packard, they would tell you that there is no difference in who ‘they are’ and what
‘they bring’ to their business. Why? Because there’s no room for a difference. It’s the
alignment that makes it possible to reach the highest of the heights.

It’s challenging enough to make any business succeed. It’s tough enough to make
any business reside in the mind of a customer. Why would you remove the very
power of ‘you’ in every shape and form from your business?! Why not every day do
the thing that moves you the most? You are the only thing that sets your business
apart– you just need a process of tapping into your power, connecting it to your
business, and a systematic way of communicating it to your customers over and
over and over again.

When developing your amazing business as a brand, throw the doors wide open.
Create it as you would if you were reaching millions. You can always decide exactly
how many millions later. Thinking of your brand as just a ‘personal’ one will do the
opposite. Keep it small.

If you work for yourself, be it your own business, network marketing, or even an
agent/broker condition under a corporate umbrella, you are the CEO of
yourbusiness. Every CEO brings themselves personally to their business. The great
ones bring every thing they are to their creation, every moment.

The majority of our lives are spent doing what we call work. As an entrepreneur or
business owner, you have the wonderful opportunity to make it more. Make it your
creation. Think of yourself as the Creator of an Entrepreneur Organization. When
you wake up tomorrow, instead of saying to yourself, “I’m going to work” say “I’m
going to create.” And the operative word is I’m. The true power of really making
something in your business will come from investing in it the most valuable
commodity you have– you.

There is no separation on the road to big business success: just because you’re
personally on it. True big business success comes to those who know, it’s not
justbusiness– it’s personal too.

Written by Kim Castle, the Co-founder of BrandU the home of only step-by-
step process for developing your business as a brand from the inside out!

To get information on upcoming BrandU one-day workshops: http://
www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13

Get your Why You?!(sm) monthly ezine for easy-to-read tips and informative
insights on branding. To subscribe: http://www.whybrandu.com/

“BrandU Big Business Success No Matter Your Size”

Comments Off

Small business owners learn many lessons the hard way - through
the school of hard knocks. I recently experienced my own tough
lesson concerning the importance trademarking my business name.
Like many solo-entrepreneurs on a tight budget, the thought of
trademarking my business name was not high on my priority list.
Had I placed more importance on it, I might have saved myself
some anxious moments, not to mention a few hundred dollars in
attorney fees!

As a member of a couple different virtual assistant membership
organizations, I often look with interest at other VA’s business
names and website URL’s. One day I noticed a new member
announcement for one of the groups and saw a listing for VA
Office Solutions. Now this one hit a little too close to home for me - after all, my business name is VA Office Solution. I also noticed that she had a domain name to match.

Have you figured out my first mistake yet? I could have kicked
myself for not purchasing the domain name,
http://www.vaofficesolutions.com, which is so close to my own
domain name of www.vaofficesolution.com. After all, even some of
my own clients inadvertently add an “s” to the end of my business name in correspondence. I certainly didn’t want people to look for my business on the Internet, and mistakenly find this other website! This could potentially be very confusing for both of us, especially considering we both operate similar businesses and conduct our business virtually, working with people all over the country.

Well the first thing I did was a little research on this domain
name. I was able to find the owner and saw that the name had only recently been purchased, and had only been purchased for a one year period. This indicated to me that this was a new business, and she had only just started using this name.

Then next step was to get some legal advice. I had met an
attorney who specializes in trademark law at a networking event
so I gave her a call and asked to meet with her. I learned that I definitely had a good case, as I’d been using the trademark since 2001. Even though I had not formally registered the trademark with the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), I still had first use of the trademark, which gives me certain rights.

After meeting with the attorney, I decided that my first step
should be filing my trademark with the USPTO (http://www.uspto.gov). Now this is something that I could do
myself, without paying an attorney, but taking into consideration my own time constraints and her expertise, I decided to let her handle it for me. Also, since there would need to be a letter drafted to the trademark infringer after my trademark had been filed, I just felt more comfortable letting my attorney draft a letter that would be effective enough to get the infringer to stop using the trademark and take the website down.

So how did it all end? Well I got my trademark registered and we
sent the letter to the trademark infringer. She agreed to stop
using the trademark and took the website down. All in all, the
entire process took about three months. I feel very lucky though, as I was able to find this infringer very soon after she opened her doors for business. By getting it done quickly, it should not have been devastating to her business and did not have an apparent affect on my business.

So what should you consider when deciding if you should trademark your business name? First you should conduct some research to make sure you’re not infringing on someone else’s trademark. You may be forced to stop using it if that’s the case. If you decide to trademark your business name, then you must be prepared to enforce your mark. If you allow others to use the mark, then you can face abandonment and risk losing your own trademark. You should also consider the domain name issue. Do not make the mistake I did and let someone else snatch up a domain name that matches your trademark.

Be sure to visit the U.S. Patent and Trademark office at
http://www.uspto.gov, and then visit my attorney Heidi Pliam’s
trademark website, Trademark Edge, at http://www.trademarkedge.com. And if you’re looking for a good
trademark attorney, be sure to give Heidi a call! Her contact
information is on the website.

Jean Hanson is a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant.
Discover how partnering with a virtual assistant will give you
more time to do the things you love to do! Visit her at
http://www.vaofficesolution.com. Jean is also the author of the
eBook, Virtualize Your Business -
http://www.virtualizeyourbiz.com

Comments Off

As the chief marketing communication officer in your organization, we challenge you to take an important and not-as-difficult-as-it-seems step in your day-to-day management of communications and sales support activities. It’s time to find out what is your brand identity.

We will warn you that facing this challenge may change how that day-to-day communication takes place. So, buckle up and let’s start.

First of all, if your company is like most B-to-Bs, you probably pay homage to the logo that you see everyday when you walk through the lobby to your vast and plush office. Or smile at the clever (even brilliant) well-designed literature that you worked so hard to produce, and that is receiving praise across the organization…and even with clients and prospects. You have, perhaps unknowingly, developed a strong perception of what that company mark stands for. And, that’s not all bad.

But, whether you have or haven’t is not the issue, really. What is most important is that you can separate your own perceptions with true client/prospect perceptions of your brand identity.

How to get to the bottom of the brand

Here are some things we know about brand identity:

1. Brand identity is not just the reaction one has, conscious or not, when they see or hear about your company.

2. Brand identity includes perceptions clients/prospects hold based on their interaction with every part of your company and each individual, as well.

3. Brand identity can develop from rumor, or third-party influence.

4. Brand identity can be altered, for good or bad.

5. Brand identity lives and breathes.

6. Brand identity can be measured.

Stop! Let’s pause…we could go on forever. Let’s focus on #6 in our list:

Brand identity can be measured. Whether you have a sizeable budget for marketing research or not, you should, if you haven’t already, undergone a simple process of analyzing what is your identity? And in what condition is your brand? Of course, this will require that you survey key internal individuals (be sure to include sales representatives and key C-level officers), clients, prospects and even partners and vendors. Anonymity will be required, but make sure you can identify which survey group results are obtained from - this will be critical in your analysis.

Size of sample

If you have the budget, survey at least 20-30 from employees, clients, prospects, and vendors/partners. If not, get at least 10 from each group.

Survey Format

Ask open-ended questions that get respondents to describe what their experience is with your company: what your company stands for, strengths and weaknesses, of most value, of least value, and how they would define your company’s products/services. Finally, ask them if they do business with your company. Also, ask why they do or don’t.

Gap Analysis

What you’ll likely determine from this qualitative research is that there is a gap between what the internal responses portray about your company or brand in comparison to what the prospects and clients perceive. You may find, for example, that your sales force perceives the brand as high value, while prospect responses were riddled with “too expensive” or “unresponsive.”

What’s Next?

Once you have identified trends or commonality in specific group responses, identify areas of action. These will include two approaches: A) Leverage areas of strength, and B) Address areas of weakness that detract from the company’s vision for the brand.

By completing this simple analysis, your marketing communication planning is greatly empowered to address brand identity issues and make supportable and positive steps toward building and maintaining your brand in the marketplace. And you will never approach advertising, Web design, internet marketing or Web functionality, html emails, copywriting, direct mail, public relations, video production, or internal communication (see Make Internal Communication A Priority) without considering the well-being of the brand.

Opportunity: If you would like Danskin Creative Communication to assist you with this process, in marketing communication plan development, or with execution of marketing initiatives, please contact us by phone or email.

For over 20 years, Mick Danskin has been obsessing over marketing and advertising strategy and execution. He brings that passion, along with an open mind and a team of seasoned professionals to his clients’ marketing communication challenges.

Danskin Creative Communication services small to medium sized companies who need business to business or consumer advertising, Web site design and marketing, SEO, video production, PR, and general graphic design services.

Visit the Web site at: http://www.danskincreative.com

Comments Off

A school brand can start off as an intangible positive image that attracts the public to enrol their children there. An example is the perceived high teaching standards or an impressive list of sporting achievements. Many school administrators do not take a structured approach in developing the school brand and assume that through word of mouth, the school brand will prevail.

This view is erroneous and arrogant. This article will provide relevant tips about developing a school brand.

Alumni Feedback

The best way to start is to conduct a feedback session with the Alumni who are presumed to have experienced the unique culture of the school for a number of years. They can be asked about what they perceived are the strengths of their alma mater.

Teachers’ Expertise

Many school administrators are ignorant that their school’s unique teaching materials and techniques can be legally protected as intellectual property of the school. This is to prevent competitor schools from using these as their own. However, it is also important to develop a culture of exchange and mutual research with other schools.

School Website

Another cost effective way is to develop the brand from the school website. This can be easily achieved by hosting online forums which discuss about various aspects of the school. Teachers, current students and alumni can use these online forums to interact and bring out new ideas and strategies. There can also be a feedback section to improve the running of the school.

Individual School Email Address

A quick-fire way of creating a sense of ownership and branding is to provide stakeholders with a personalized email address from the school server. This will provide free email storage and create online exposure for your school. However, it is imperative that email users are briefed about privacy and confidentiality clauses. They must also be reminded not to “spam and flame” using these complimentary email addresses.

White Papers

It is very difficult to have credibility if the school does not provide research and white papers that are accessible to the public. These white papers are a quick way of differentiating your school and to highlight your research strengths. Of course, the way forward from here is to create a school press and publish the materials of your teachers. This is crucial as it provides an avenue for your teachers to be rewarded for their specialized writings and inculcates school loyalty within your own teaching community.

Contributing To Society

Every school should develop innovative ways in contributing back to society. In the area of school branding, the public can be provided with free talks in the area of the school’s competency or even free tuition for disadvantaged families.

Comments Off