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Branding


“Momma says,stupid is as stupid does!” Forrest Gump Your brand “is”, as your brand “does”!


If your brand could talk, what would it say about “Momma”?


We all spend different amounts of time and money making sure our brand looks well, but do we really understand what branding means and the things that make a difference? Looking at this famous quote from the movie “Forrest Gump”in a little bit more detail we can begin to see just what really matters at the heart of your Brand so that all the hard work you spend on presenting it well is not diluted or even ruined. What you “do” will have a significant impact on how we proceed to develop and control your brand from a strong foundation so that you are not spending half your time and energy recovering from bad “brand parenting”.


The question is, who is “Momma” and how good a “brand parent” is she?


Three reasons why so many organisations donʼt invest properly in their brand from the outset are:‑


1‑We donʼt understand what the elements are in the development of your brand. 2‑The significant role it has to play in the success of your enterprise


3‑We donʼt know to take ownership and therefore responsibility for ʻparentingʼ this very powerful and important “child”.


The challenge is to treat your brand in exactly the same way that you would strive to be the perfect parent to your own children. If you can do this, then I can assure you that you are likely to see the same results, go through the same uncertainty, take the same risks and feel the same pain, but,with a significantly increased chance of it giving you huge rewards and satisfaction as you watch it maturing into a fine young adult that “you” have helped shape.


“My Momma always said, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what youʼre gona get”Forrest Gump


Life doesnʼt guarantee you anything, you just need to be content that you have done your best and hope that it will bring you the return that you deserve. Just make sure you have bought the right box of chocolates! So lets talk about “Momma”. Firstly it is a term


www.businessfirstonline.co.uk


STUPID DOES”


“STUPID IS AS


says professor Lester Manley, managing director, Manleys Ltd


of endearment, respect and influence. We as the parents of our brands are responsible to earn the right to be treated in the same way. This includes every aspect of your organisation, as that is the “home” your brand will be brought up in with massive influence in how it turns out.


The parenting of your brand cannot be delegated down the organisation but must be owned by the top table be it the business owner, or Board, it must start at the top and stay there, so if you havenʼt already done it, welcome “Momma” to the board! The next thing to do is look at all aspects of your business as there is not a corner or cupboard that is exempt from affecting your brand. Interestingly it is the tiny things that often have the biggest impact in both good and bad ways.


Small but significant These “SBS” “small but significant” things make all the difference as a conduit to establishing your brand in the way you want it to be. If your audience has responded to your marketing or advertising but it takes 20 rings before someone answers the phone as if it was an internal call or donʼt respond to their enquiry, not only is it not a good experience for the potential customer but it actually changes their perception of your company and brand in a much more conclusive way.


How many times have we experienced a help line where they follow an unnecessary and protracted procedure which makes you loose confidence in their competency, or the shoe shop who pulls the shutter down while they are talking to you, or the sales assistant who gives a sigh when you ask them to try another size. Have you ever had a supplier who you feel has not delivered add in to his response “with due respect….”? Whether they are right or wrong, it certainly doesnʼt build a strong relationship or heal a broken one! One of my most memorable client “SBS” bombs was when a delivery man blocked the business owner for five minutes on his road while having a sandwich before making the delivery causing the customer to take the business away from his supplier with a lost revenue over a ten year period of over £1.5m, a


48 very expensive sandwich!


Even more amazing was that the delivery man didnʼt even work for the company and the supplier never thought to try and get the customer back


On the other hand your “SBS” behaviors can make a world of difference and cost you nothing, the reason why, is that it usually demonstrates a highly attractive human attribute saying “we care”, quite irresistible, bringing huge depth and relationship to your organisation and ultimately your brand, just make sure it is authentic. Do we phone up our clients and thank them for the business, do we support them by referring them to other potential customers, do we take an interest and treat individuals as individuals? We all do “SBS” things every day, make sure they build up and not divide!


And finally, to the “Box of chocolates” When you are choosing your box of chocolates, or from your brand point of view, the marketing mix, marketing and branding advisors, business processes, products and services with a bit of personality, a lot of capability and some passion and culture thrown in, you never know, you just might be pleasantly surprised.


As someone who is passionate about branding, there is nothing more satisfying for my team and me as when our clients change the way they look at branding and how it significantly improves their business. We never get bored with that, so when you meet us please forgive our childish enthusiasm! And always remember: Branding is a journey, not a destination!


manleys.co.uk


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