Once a Day Marketing: August 2014

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Top 10 Branding/Marketing Tips (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Those Branding Guys radio show podcast: Ask Those Branding Guys Top 10 Branding Tips

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys, we shared our Top 10 branding and marketing activities that all business should be doing to achieve success:

1. The 7Ps of Marketing – Focus attention on each of these elements. Leverage them to enhance the various aspects of your business and create a better customer experience.

2. Allocate a Marketing Budget – Resources for marketing and branding should not be an afterthought. All businesses should have a line item in their P&L for work with a professional to create and drive out their message.

3. Target Marketing Efforts – Don’t try to be all things to all people, identify the consumer segment who is your most likely customer and concentrate efforts on that audience.

4. The Customer is King – Know all you can about your customers. This will enable you to create specific messaging telling customers how your product makes them better.

5. Tell Customers Why – Connect with your customers on an emotional level; focus on why your product is important to them rather than what it is about.

6. Ensure Your Message is Cohesive – Identify the one clear aspect that is unique and defines your brand. Allow that to flow through all marketing and advertising efforts.

7. Understand the Difference Between Branding, Marketing and Advertising – Know the definitions and how these components work together; execute all the elements.

8. Capture Mind-Share – Ensure your message is in the market place with enough frequency that customers recall your brand when it’s time to make a purchase.

9. Use Professional Services – Develop a relationship with a Branding/Advertising professional either internal or external. These experts bring a tremendous amount of experience to the table and will ensure you are sharing the right message and that your social media and other material is polished and professional.

10. Avoid the #1 Reason Businesses Fail – Most businesses don’t know enough about marketing or don’t market enough. Spend time every day on some aspect of marketing for your business.

Enjoy the show.

Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers. Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com. Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Truth in Advertising (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are looking at the importance of creating the right expectations for your customers through your advertising.

There is an absolutely brilliant metaphor for advertising that I want to share with you. I wish I had thought of it, however, credit goes to Colin Cowherd, host of ESPN's radio show The Herd. Although Colin's show is all about sports, in my opinion he's also a top-notch branding guy, often providing great insight into what a brand is and the branding of major sports figures and teams.

The other day on his show he was chatting how a banana always provides honest advertising. When the peel is green the banana is conveying it's too early to eat. When the skin turns bright yellow, it's shouting out now is the perfect time to peel and enjoy me. When the skin becomes spotted and black, it's sharing with you that it's past its prime and time for banana bread or that smoothie. When you think about it, that's truth in advertising.

Colin went on to relate the banana to the orange. In comparison, you see a nice bright orange skin and make the assumption that there is sweet, juicy pulp inside. You peel the orange and sometimes that is the case; other times you bite into a flavorless, dried-up slice. Like Forrest Gumps' box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.

When it comes to advertising your brand, you want to be just like that banana. Your advertising should be truthful and properly reflect the benefit your customers will accrue when they use your product or service. Your advertising creates an expectation in the minds of your customers and you always want to be able to deliver on that brand promise. Even better, exceed customer expectations.

As you develop your advertising, always be the banana and never the orange. Your customers will find that very "a-peel-ing." Sorry, couldn't resist the pun.

Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers. Vsit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com.Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

New Mexico Certified Chile Brand Sizzles (Tactics)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are looking at the strength of regional branding efforts.

We are all very familiar with Champagne from France, Florida oranges and Kobe beef from Japan. Why? These regions have staked a claim to their tasty products and have spent decades managing the brands to ensure consumers have a very clear understanding of the unique nature and quality their respective products have to offer.

Here in New Mexico, we, too, have a one-of-a-kind product. It's our chile. Whether red chile from Chimayo, or green chile from Hatch, New Mexico is the undisputed chile growing champion of the world.

With that, New Mexico is finally staking claim to its to-die-for gem with the launch of the New Mexico Certified Chile™ brand. From this point forward, the New Mexico Chile Association will manage the brand to ensure that foodies everywhere seek out New Mexico chile and ask for it by name.

My hat is off to our statewide chile growers and the association. Long live New Mexico Certified Chile.

Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers. Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com.Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

A National Perspective On Branding (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Those Branding Guys radio show podcast: A National Perspective on Small Business Branding

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys, we discussed tactics to employee when launching a new business.

Joining us on the show was Jasper Welch, co-founder of DurangoSpace, serial entrepreneur and former Executive Director of the National Business Incubator Association (NBIA).

Glover opened by stating that numerous businesses fail because they don’t know enough about marketing or they don’t market enough. Welch agrees, that, in his experience, many small business owners view marketing as optional. He believes that every business should be committed to marketing and include a line item in the budget for work with a professional to ensure their message stands out.

Welch is seeing a trend where entrepreneurs are moving away from a traditional business plan and instead developing business models. The number one consideration is customer validation and moving forward with branding and marketing once it is confirmed that customers do want your product.

Another trend is toward permission-based marketing through websites and social media and the third evolving area is design. It is critical to the success of a brand to have a compelling visual customer experience. Customers have raised expectations and it is no longer adequate to have an unprofessional website or other visual materials.

Welch encourages businesses not to under-spend on brand development; it drives your company’s identity and underlies all marketing efforts. He also shared that becoming a client of a business incubator may assist a start-up business to avoid other pitfalls. Virtual incubators provide the same services without being confined to a particular space.

Lastly, Welch shared the following tips for business that are getting started:

- Become involved in the local community

- Observe and interact with other business owners

- Allow your brand to evolve

Enjoy the show.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Business Incubators and Your Brand (Strategy)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are taking a look at business incubators and virtual business incubators and how association with these organizations can enhance your brand.

According to Google: "Business incubation is a unique and highly flexible combination of business development processes, infrastructure and people designed to nurture new and small businesses by helping them to survive and grow through the difficult and vulnerable early stages of development."

Similarly, the National Business Incubation Association states: "Virtual incubation is the delivery of incubation services solely through electronic means. However, the term may be used interchangeably with “affiliate program” for services delivered to clients that are not in residence in an incubator."

Business incubators and virtual incubation are designed to improve the success rate of start-ups in the competitive market place. There is some debate as to how well incubators perform, however, that is a topic for another day. One thing I do know is that incubators assist entrepreneurs with the 7Ps of Marketing and that is certainly good for the brand.

Incubators work with client businesses to develop the product; create an effective pricing strategy; design appropriate promotions; identify required distribution channels (aka place); secure the right people; enhance the company's physical evidence (many incubators are very attractive); and lastly, refine the business process.

Over the years, I've met many entrepreneurs who dive into the 7Ps of Marketing with great gusto. I've also encountered start-up business owners who are focused primarily on product development and neglect the 7Ps, which,. in my opinion, is detrimental to brand development.

If you are an entrepreneur who dreads branding and marketing, visit your local business incubator or explore virtual business incubation. I can't predict the long-term success of your business but I do know that your chances of success will greatly improve using the 7Ps of Marketing, regardless of the approach you take.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Shaping Your Brands Personality (Knowledge)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are looking at your brand's personality.

When your friends think of you, what comes to mind? Do they see you as friendly, helpful, adventurous, cheerful, trustworthy, engaging? Each trait is part of your personality and something that draws your friends to you.

The same is true of the brands we embrace. They have personalities just like people do. And these characteristics are the things that differentiate one brand in our mind from another.

Apple is innovative and rebellious. Nike is creative and sexy. Google is wise and reliable. Mercedes Benz is elegant and prestigious.

Ask yourself: “What is my brand's personality?” Customers tend to gravitate to brands with personalities similar to their own.

Critique your brand and identify its personalities. Do you like what you see? Is this a brand you would want to associate with? Do potential customers like your brand personality as well.

Some personality traits are innate but new ones can emerge if we decide we want a characteristic to be part of us. The same process works for a brand. If desired, and through a strong and consistent effort, you can make your brand more spirited, influential, accomplished or thoughtful.

Have fun shaping your brand personality. Your customers will love you for it.

Using PR to Promote Your Brand (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Those Branding Guys radio show podcast: Managing a Publicity Campaign with JLH Media

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys, we discussed the importance of newsworthy content when creating PR material.

Joining us on the show was Jennifer Hobson-Hinsley, founder and owner of JLH Media in Santa Fe, NM. JLH Media has been assisting clients to develop and distribute PR for the past three years.

Jennifer shared that PR, or Public Relations, is the promotion of a news item to the media and the general public for the purpose of generating interest in a business or company. Glover also reminded listeners that whatever they chose to share should be newsworthy.

According to Jennifer good story possibilities might profile an inaugural event, merger or collaboration with new partners, or a story of general interest to the media and the public. Content with a personal angle is often not submitted, however, but that type of story can make a compelling PR item.

Glover shared that media outlets are constantly looking for new and interesting content to share with their audience.

Jennifer used the example of a press release and discussed how to distribute it through various channels. Start with determining your key markets; local, regional or national. Then assess which media outlets would be most interested and identify specific publications and contacts. When you send out your story, ensure it has an interesting hook, keep the information concise and embed it in your e-mail to immediately grab the attention of the media contact who receives it.

Numerous traditional and social media outlets represent a challenge to having your message heard. Use twitter and facebook to send items to media representatives. Information about your company published in reliable media source lends credibility to your brand.

Enjoy the show.

Creation of a New Brand (Strategy)

Listen to our featured Those Branding Guys radio show podcast: Branding the New Pony Jo Urban Market

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. On our radio show Ask Those Branding Guys, we discussed the launch of a new brand.

Joining us on the show were Matthew Gregory owner of Standard Diner and Range Café in the Albuquerque area Eric Garcia founder of EFG Creative. We talked about branding their new venture, Pony Jo coffee house and urban market, which will be located in the new Anthea corporate housing and executive suites opening in March 2015.

Eric shared that the name Pony Jo came out of a desire for nostalgia and getting a cup of joe, the slang term for a cup of coffee. Pony Jo will incorporate a redeveloped Route 66 theme. Their concept is to create a comfortable atmosphere where customers will want to congregate. Food will be homemade, locally sourced and delivered to tables.

Garcia and Gregory are in the process of identifying their target audience and beginning the development of brand positioning. They are allowing the positioning to evolve based on customer feedback and will continue to let it to grow organically. When it comes to brand personality, Garcia and Gregory want Pony Jo to be hip, comfortable, entertaining and creative; all in an unpretentious way.

One of the challenges launching a new brand and concept into the market is customer expectations not aligning with the vision and offering. Customer messaging may be required to educate consumers around what Pony Jo is all about, and perhaps more importantly, what it is not.

Garcia and Gregory shared a few tips to consider when launching a new brand. Be bold; understand your market and demographics; surround yourself with great people and back it up with quality.

Enjoy the show.

Once a Day Marketing™ positions brands to become #1 in the minds of target customers. Visit our website at www.onceadaymarketing.com. Contact James Glover at (505) 501-1330 or email glover@onceadaymarketing.com.Listen to Ask Those Branding Guys™ every Monday at 11:00am (MDT) streaming live on SantaFe.com KVSF 101.5 FM.

Is Your Brand Unique, Compelling and Believable (Tactics)

Hello, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing™. Today we are looking at a small business in Victoria, Canada that understands the vital elements of a strong brand.

I often talk about how important it is to ensure your brand is unique, compelling and believable. On a recent trip to Canada I discovered Baggins, a retail store that specializes in Converse shoes.

What is unique about Baggins (besides being named after author JRR Tolkien's popular hobbit Bilbo Baggins) is that the store offers the world's largest selection of Converse footwear. This is quite a distinction given how many outlets retail Converse.

As to compelling, when you walk into the shop every design, color, and size of Converse is on display. It's a fun visual feast for customers to explore the vast selection. Further, Baggins prints customized shoes with any personal design or image on the sides.

As to believable, the owner has been selling Converse shoes for 45 years. That's about as credible as a brand can get.

As you think about your brand, ask yourself what you can do to ensure your offering is unique, compelling and believable. Every little improvement here will go a long way to enhance the stature of your brand.