Notable News - The Branding Myth

Home
>
Branding
>
Notable News - The Branding Myth

Notable News - The Branding Myth

How many times have you heard of seen advertising for a graphic design company that states that they do branding?

If you think branding is a logo, letterhead, or web design with all the same look, and colours, then it's true...they can "do branding".

Let's take a look at one of the world's best-branded companies, McDonalds. You may not like the food, but if someone says "golden arches" you know what institution they are talking about. Mickey D, McCoffee and Big Mac all bring the same familiar name to mind. You each may have a different reaction to the thought of eating there, but any one of the many product names will trigger the bigger picture.

Think about the things you know from each of your McDonalds experiences: You know they have salty fries, the food is fast, and there is a system to everything they do. The staff often says the same things to you. You can get the same core menu items all over the world. If you take the time to think about it, you can up with a huge list of features you can count on at McDonalds.

Doesn't that make the term "branding" when applied to logo, look and colour seem a bit of a misnomer?

We know that the concept was born in a single location in small town America. How do you think that McDonalds developed their brand? You can get the book and read all about it, but you don't have to do that to figure out how to build your own brand.

There is no secret. It's all about organizational culture. Brand is the personality your business has developed through your leadership and the systems you put in place. It's having a customer know that each time they go into your business, they will be treated the same way they were last time they were there. They will see some of the same products. The staff will say hello just like they always do. The business will have the same policies and procedures...in other words...a customer can count on you to be who you were during their last experience.

No one else can create a brand for you, ...unless you hired a CEO to run the business, set the parameters and standards, and writes the operational procedure manuals. Many businesses start small, with the owner doing most of the work...that's the time to write the procedure manuals, when the person with the vision is actually doing the work and can see what works best to achieve their pre-defined results. If everyone ran their business like a well-run franchise, there would be fewer business failures and many more strong brands..

Having a strong brand means that everyone who works in your business has a clear picture of why they are there. The business could run without you, because everyone would know what they were supposed to do and how they were to treat co-workers and customers alike.

Decide who you are as a business and be the best you can be at it every day. Write down the things that you do. Decide what your goals are. Share it with your employees...and you will create a brand.

Oh... and don't forget...you need a logo, letterhead and a web site that all convey the same message....but they are not the brand....YOU ARE!

Nancy Fraser - Nota Bene Consulting Results Driven Advertising and Marketing www.notable-marketing.com

You are free to use material from the Notable News in whole or in part, please include credits, including live web site link. Please also notify us where the material will appear.

In The News:

VentureBeat
Top four global tech brands now worth almost $500B
VentureBeat
Four out of five of the top brands in the world are technology brands, according to a review of the top global brands released Tuesday. The report valued the Apple, IBM, Google, and Microsoft brands at a combined half-trillion dollars.
7 Questions You Need To Ask Yourself Based on the Brandz Top 100 Global Brands ...Customer Think (blog)
Top Brands Thrive Despite Economy According to Millward Brown's Latest BrandZ ...Sacramento Bee
Apple Again Ranked as World's Most Valuable BrandMac Rumors

all 238 news articles »

Kansas City Star
Kraft's new branding provokes plenty of yucks
Cherokee Tribune
Today, Kraft shareholders will decide whether to approve the name for the company's business that sells global snack brands such as Oreos, Fig Newton and Cadbury. The four-month odyssey of how “Mondelez” was picked — and how it was received ...
Kraft's new snack business name faces crucial voteChicago Sun-Times

all 262 news articles »

Branding the mental drawer companies send to consumers
StandardNet
We simplify our lives by buying brands that we know and trust. We totally ignore offerings that do not have a significant personal connection. Our mind, like a powerful and logical computer, inputs data and stores it deep within the brain.

Bluewater Unveils New Branding Initiative
PR Web (press release)
Christine Kropp, CEO Bluewater, a one-to-one marketing services agency, has launched a new branding initiative to reflect its latest evolution of capabilities and offerings. Bluewater combines personalized marketing services with leading edge ...

and more »

BusinessDay
Branding for small businesses (II)
BusinessDay
Big corporations spend millions promoting their brands successfully; it's a tool proven to work. Branding is one of a company's most valuable assets. Essentially, it is the company's reputation; how customers portray a product/service, including how it ...

and more »

HnyB Insights Predicts Global Social Branding Market to Touch $13.8Bn by 2020
PR.com (press release)
Social Branding Strategy and Outlook, 2012 - 2020 released by HnyB Insights predicts consistent growth in Global Social Branding revenue, the market is projected to reach $2.1Bn in 2014, will touch $7.8Bn towards end of 2018 and by 2020 it will grow ...

and more »

3 Personal Branding Must-Haves
Business Insider
Personal Branding Blog offers branding and career advice from Dan Schawbel and his team of experts. Fundamentally, the process of personal branding includes taking time to define yourself and then intentionally connecting yourself with others who ...

and more »

Design Week
BC-OLY--London 2012-Branding,1st Ld-Writethru, OLY
The Huntsville Times - al.com
"It's fine to clamp down on the threat, but where it impacts the individual, it's going to be very difficult for (London organizers) to get it right," said Hugh Tebay, a partner at Sipara, a British law firm that specializes in trademark and branding.
The 2012 Olympics branding comes goodDesign Week

all 658 news articles »

Matthews Marking Products Showcases Branding, Traceability Solutions at ...
MarketWatch (press release)
These products aid packagers with branding and traceability solutions for their products, from graphics and trademarks to date codes, batch numbers, and barcoding. Secondary and primary package marking solutions will be on display.

and more »

Fibre2fashion.com
Branding is important for apparel SMEs: UK expert
Fibre2fashion.com
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including those in the apparel sector, need to take branding seriously to sustain their businesses in a competitive market, according to an expert. In the absence of any knowledge about the company, people tend to ...

Google News