Issue 20 - May 15, 2004

Editor: Lynne Bullen
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

Publisher: Associated Secretarial
Copyright © 2004 Associated Secretarial

In this issue:

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1. Editorial

Tiffany's

Just the word brings memories to almost everyone; memories of the wonderful novel written by Truman Capote; the fabulous movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's", and the even more fabulous (look up " fabulous" in your dictionary) jewellery business which is known the world over.

Was it the name of the book or movie which inspired the jeweller to take the name "Tiffany's"? Was it the name of the jeweller which inspired Capote to choose the title for his book?

In 1950, Truman Capote's best-selling novel, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was published. In 1961 Paramount released the movie, staring Audrey Hepburn as the colourful Holly Golightly.

Capote used the setting of the fabulous jewellery business known throughout the world as a name for his book.

You may be surprised to learn that it was in 1837 that Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B Young established Tiffany and Young, but they weren't selling jewellery.

Visit the website http://www.tiffany.com/about/default.asp?mysid1=&cntry1=-1 and enjoy the story from 1837 through to today, and see about how successful Branding can be one of your keys to success.

Almost every day will present you with a word, a phrase, a sight or a sound that will really hit you. Grasp it, believe in it. Make it work for you.

Lynne
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

2. Article: What's In A Name?

Many brands that are familiar around the world today were created many years ago ... others are only just emerging.

Once you've decided that you have a word or a phrase that descriptively captures your product or service, or you've decided on using your own name, you need to work on creating Brand Awareness.

If you'd like some information as to how some businesses chose their Brands, pick three Brands that spring to your mind. It doesn't matter whether the items are available in only your part of the world or known internationally.

Call up the websites of the three and discover why they were the first three Brands that came to your mind. It could be that you've used the product for many years. It maybe a new advertising campaign which caught your eye. It might even be that the particular business is involved in sponsorship of a national or international event.

Here are two examples:

Jacob's Creek Wines

This company uses the name of the river on which banks its first vines were planted. Jacob's Creek is one of the most well known Australian wine producers in local and international markets. Not only are the wines some of the finest, the company also sponsors sporting events such as "Golf Down Under", the bicycling
championship "Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under" and other international sporting events, being assured of keeping its name firmly on the tip of the tongue when one is deciding which wine to choose.
http://www.jacobscreek.com.au/splash.htm

What about Kleenex?

Almost everyone has been guilty at some stage of referring to " tissues" as "Kleenex", so successful is the brand name. Since 1920, the brand, logo and trademark of Kleenex have been foremost in the world's collective mind for tissues and other paper products used on a daily basis. The logo is in fact the style in which the word Kleenex is written. It's instantly recognisable. The chosen name, Kleenex, is descriptive of its first retail product. Incidentally, The Kimberly-Clark Corporation owns the Kleenex Brand. Check it out
at http://www.kleenex.com/us/

Many internationally read Authors, such as Clive Cussler, Wilbur Smith, and Patricia Cornwall are brands in themselves. JK Rowling is famous for her series of Harry Potter books. She has become a " household name" and successful brand; and her character, Harry Potter, in his own right is an example of successful branding.

Television personalities such as Oprah Winfrey and Dr Phil McGraw are also their own brands. Just say the word "Oprah" or mention "Dr Phil" to anyone and they'll know immediately who you're talking about. Weight loss guru, Jenny Craig markets her programme and products under her own name.

Designer clothes are bought from stores every day. Gucci, Givenchy, Versace, and the newer contemporary designers such as Donna Karen, Adele Weiss, Trent Nathan and Liz Davenport all market their " labels" under their own names.

Many brands also have a tag or slogan ... Look at the Ford Motor Company for example. http://www.ford.com/en/default.htm It's tag is "100 years of automotive achievement".

Kentucky Fried Chicken, or as it has become more recently known, KFC, has its tag or slogan "Nobody does chicken like KFC". Part of KFC's logo is Colonel Sanders who is just as well know when it comes
to chicken. His white beard, along with the distinctive red and white stripes on packaging are also part of creating brand awareness for KFC.

Think about your product or service. Use a word or combination of words that describe your products or services, eg: Officeworks, Décor Lighting, Freedom Furniture, Distinctive Homes, Wallmart, Marks & Spencer.

You can use you own name with a tag, such as I did with "Lynne Bullen Strategies ... Virtual Business Solutions", or a description with a tag, such as "Associated Secretarial ... the perfect solution".

These are just a few suggestions as to how you might go about choosing a Brand name; your own name or a name that descriptively captures your product or service.

There are other business owners who have chosen a Brand name that has nothing at all to do with the product or service they offer, or their name. They chose it just because "it sounds great", or has a "ring to it".

Why do you think Richard Branson chose Virgin as his brand? I'm still trying to find out, If you know, please send me an email. I'd love to know WHY? Ultimately, it doesn't really matter why to us. What does matter is that the name WORKS!!

What about logos? If you design a logo and market your product well, your logo could be the drawcard, so to speak. Even though a business enterprise has a Brand name, many of the big multi-nationals are known by their logos, colours, packaging, catch phrases and tags.

Motor vehicle manufacturers, Holden, Ford, Mitsubishi and other motor vehicles each have a distinctive logo. This logo appears wherever their name appears. If they advertise in Newspapers, on Television, or via huge Billboards, there it is! It goes right through from company stationery, business cards, brochures, the
website, any and all advertising, etc., right down to the badge on the car itself.

Must you have a logo? If you read magazines or watch television, you'll find there are many successful businesses which don't use a logo. It's really up to you.

You can create your own "Brand" without having to spend a lot of money. Your product or service needs to have it's own identity so that it stands out from other similar products or services.

Marketing is the vehicle to get your Brand "out there", so you need to make sure you like what you've chosen before you begin to market your brand. You must also be sure that no-one else is already using
that logo, design, catch phrase. Make sure it's different enough to any similar branding tools so that your product or service is not mistaken for someone else's.

One thing you must not do is use someone else's brand. If you do, you could find yourself in very hot water!

In Australia the law says that you must register your business name (which, in some cases, is also your Brand). That process will alert you to any other business that has the same name you've chosen (again, in some cases, even your own name).

Once you've designed your Brand, check with your Business and Consumer Affairs or Trade Practices entities in your part of the world and lodge your choice. If it is already in use by another, or it's too similar, you will be advised.

Need some ideas?

Don't get up or change channels on your TV when the commercials come on. Sit and watch them. Take note of words and phrases used.
Listen to the radio when you're out and about in your car. Do the commercials paint a picture in your mind?
Read newspapers at breakfast. Read magazines whilst you're in the doctor's waiting room or the hairdressers.
Check out the billboards as you go about your daily business. Look carefully at the advertisements. Think about how they're structured. What is it that catches your eye. Is it enough that you would want to find out more? Would it make you change your mind about buying a different brand of, say, biscuits, hair-care products or office supplies?
If you were looking for a particular service or product, would those advertisements entice you?

Why? Why not?

Start to think like your customer/client might

To sum up, Branding is a matter of carefully choosing words or phrases to describe your business. Alternatively, you can use your name with or without a tag or slogan.

The look of your "package" whether you're selling a service or a tangible product is paramount to its success. Style of text, colours used, wording, a slogan or tag ... anything you've used to create your own unique brand (the look and image) can be carried through from your business stationery to your signage, your website and any advertising.

Your Brand must "stand out from the crowd".

Get busy creating your Brand now so that you'll be ready to successfully launch it with Marketing and Advertising strategies, the next step to your success.

Lynne Bullen is a successful businesswoman whose talents include Public Relations; Editorial and Commercial Copywriting; Design and Facilitation of Seminars, Forums and Workshops, as well as
Secretarial and Administrative support including Digital Transcription. Lynne is also the Founder ofAssociated Secretarial ...the perfect solution. http://www.associatedsecretarial.com.au Lynne is happy to share her knowledge to help others achieve their goals. Contact her via email: lynne@lynnebullenstrategies.com.au or visit her website at http://www.lynnebullenstrategies.com.au

3. Resources

Independent authority on branding presents a selection of brand case studies. Call up the page and click on a brand. There you will find the information behind the Brand and reason for the choice of that particular Brand name. Very interesting stuff http://www.superbrands.org/100

In a worldwide market with hundreds of competitors, how do you ensure that your company is the brand of choice? A strong personal brand cuts through the clutter and forms a lasting impression in the minds of your customers. Check this out for some tips:- http://kristiet.com/

From South Australia - The Office of the Small Business Advocate. Extremely useful http://www.osba.on.net

USA - US Small Business Administration http://www.sba.gov

From Canada: Canada One http://www.canadaone.com

From the UK - Business Bureau UK: http://www.businessbureau-ul.co.uk

From New Zealand: Business Gateway http://businessgateway.co.nz

4. Article: The Brand Called You

Every company has a reputation. Everyone you meet will form an opinion about your company, even if they have not done business with you yet. The challenge is to manage your reputation so that the opinion that people have of you is positive. This is what creates a brand.

Brands have a number of strategic functions, enabling you to:

Differentiate yourself from your competition
Position your focused message in the hearts and minds of your target customers
Persist and be consistent in your marketing efforts
Customize your services to reflect your personal brand
Deliver your message clearly and quickly
Project credibility
Strike an emotional chord
Create strong user loyalty

For small businesses, branding is not about slick advertisements. Small-business branding is about getting your target market to see you as the preferred choice. Building a slightly famous brand is not just about what you do; it's about what you do differently from everyone else.

Building Your Brand

A brand is a promise of the value your clients will receive. In an amazingly complex and competing world--where it ís increasingly hard to know what ís real and what ís not-having your customers not only acknowledge but support the promise of your brand is the key to building a thriving business.

To become a brand, you've got to become relentlessly focused on what you do that adds value. Do you deliver your work on time, every time? Do you anticipate and solve problems before they become crises? Do your clients save money and headaches just by having you on the team? Do you complete projects within the allotted budget?

Branding integrates customer service, sales promotion, public relations, direct mail, newsletters, discounts, event sponsorship, word of mouth and other communications tactics to present a unified message about the company, its products or services.

Your brand will integrate all your marketing around a core idea and vision. As a result, you will find it easier to sell yourself, because your message will be uniform and powerful. Every business needs to evaluate its brand identity against the following criteria:

Relevance to the Market

A brand must stand for something that is meaningful to members of a target market. Your brand encompasses the total experience of doing business with you.

Consistency of Behavior

Customers must be able to depend on the brand to deliver the same experience every time. Because your market experiences your values through your brand, the only way they will truly become loyal to your brand is through your dedication and consistency.

Relationship-Building

A brand is not a logo or an advertising strategy. "The strength of any brand is in the relationship it has between a company and its customers. The stronger the relationship, the more business they will do, and the more likely it is that customers will refer them to their friends and business associates.

Loyalty to the Customer Is Returned

The test of a brand is, in fact, the strength of loyalty it generates. If you have a strong relationship with your target audience, then you have a strong brand and a strong business.

Reputation Is Priceless

The only way to be successful in business is by establishing a good reputation, and a brand can help you do that. Your reputation works as your strongest marketer by communicating the relationship you
have with people who've done business with you, and your target market in general.

Good brands stand the test of time. To develop a brand that will last a lifetime, go beyond what you do right now. Think long term. Look at Coke, Ford and General Electric. No matter what they sell or how they change over time, they can rely on their brand equity build on a foundation of customer trust to take them deep into their customer ís trust quotient and keep them there.

If you establish a place of trust and relevance in prospects' minds, you're already in the door. The more people believe in your brand, the more it will spread throughout your niche market without your pushing. If your brand is clear, distinctive, and easily understood, and expresses a unique, compelling benefit that people believe in, it will bring you all the business you can handle.

Steven Van Yoder, is the author of the article above and of the best seller "Get Slightly Famous: Become a Celebrity in Your Field and Attract More Business with Less Effort". Visit Steven's web site for
more "slightly" famous marketing strategies at http://www.getslightlyfamous.com

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6. Article: Your Online Brand Is You

You've decided to make the leap. You're going to start selling your products and services online. You're excited. Wow! Millions of people will be able to buy from you.

Let's see --- what will you need to do first? Yep. You'll need to create your own Web site.

Two or three months later, your Web site is complete. You're thrilled. It's exactly what you wanted, your own storefront online. You get to work and do everything you're advised to do: you send out news releases and submit your site to all the search engines. You promote your URL on everything from your business stationery to the side of your car.

Six months after that, you're starting to see a trickle of traffic, but it's hardly the flood you imagined it would be, and you lose heart and interest. The Internet, you decide, is a sham, a haven for sp*mmers and assorted lunatics. You vow that you're staying with the safe and comfy offline world, and you vow never to be taken in again.

What did you do wrong?

Oddly enough, you did nothing wrong. You did everything right ---

BUT what about branding?

In the real world you create your brand without too much effort. People judge you by your physical presence: by your office, your clothes, your stationery, your advertising and your voice on the phone. In the virtual world, you lose all those valuable cues which tell people how to pigeonhole you. You must replace them with something.

Offline, your brand is you. It's you online, too. However, it takes more effort to create. You need to create an online persona and a Unique Selling Point. A tagline, or motto, is also helpful.

Important: There is no way you can do this stuff wrong. You just need to do it. If your goals change at some time in the future, not a problem -- just change your online persona, your USP and your tagline. Then hey presto chango, a whole new you/brand.

Also important: don't be afraid to be bold. Share your passion. If you're enthusiastic about what you do, others will be too. You must be enthusiastic to create a memorable brand.

Your online persona

In the online world, you can be whatever you aspire to be, by creating an online persona. Take a look at these three sites:

1. Judy Cullins's online persona is "The Book Coach". http://www.bookcoaching.com

2. Tara Calishain's online persona is that of an online research expert, with "ResearchBuzz". http://www.researchbuzz.com/

3. Jane Teresa Anderson's online persona is that of a dream expert with "Jane's Dream Network". http://www.dream.net.au

Judy, Tara and Jane have all created an online persona which is easy to remember. You can do the same. Start by thinking about what you're passionate about, and what you hope to achieve.

Your USP (Unique Selling Point)

Your USP (although you probably won't spell it out for people directly on your site or anywhere else) needs to be evident in everything on your site during the first year or so. It's your mission statement if you like, or your compass.

Your USP tells people what to expect from you. This, combined with your online persona, is your brand. Your USP must relate directly to your audience.

Write down this question: "In one sentence of 25 words or less, what matters most to me?" Answer the question.

Your answer won't appear on your site, it's strictly for you. Another way of putting it would be: "Where's my passion here?"

Your answer is your USP. You don't need to share your answer. However, keep it in mind. Look on the answer as your road map for the site. If everything you write/ create for the site harks back to those 25 words, there's no way you can go wrong in creating a coherent online persona. And your own brand.

Your tagline

From your 25 words, create a tagline/ slogan. You don't need to use the exact words, just the general idea behind them. For example: My tagline for Creative Small Biz is: Turn your talent into a flourishing business. For Digital-e it's: Info To Go. Your tagline keeps you focused, it's a reminder to yourself.

There you have it. It's easy to create your own online brand. How much does it cost? Not a cent, just some thinking time. It's value to you however, is immense. With your own brand, you will stand out online. (And you'll have a lot of fun, too.)

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From the Eagle's Nest: Copyright © 2004 Lynne Bullen and Associated Secretarial (articles by other individuals copyrighted as indicated). Prior to using Lynne's articles please e-mail her at lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au - she will provide her bio and a URL link. Thank you.

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