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Clients pay us for what we think. Have a look. It's free.
For starters, what ís your
name?
Chances are, you've already named your business. If you have, we’ll
work with what you have. If you haven’t, it isn’t too
late to get it right.
You'd be amazed at how many businesses decide to get cute or clever
with their name - and end up communicating nothing.
ABC Corporation doesn't tell me anything.
ABC Paper & Ink Supplies says a lot.
Your business name is an important piece of your marketing. If
it isn’t, I can turn it into a plus for you.
Case in point:
One of our clients for many years is Canon Insurance. Canon alone
doesn ‘t say a lot (especially since the copier people have
the same name.) The copier people have millions of marketing dollars
to spend. Canon
Insurance doesn’t.
So how did we go about giving our client a marketing leg up? We
added a key benefit to their name: Canon Can Do! This simple piece
of branding has been in place for over ten years now: Canon Can
Do!
Why has it proven successful in all their marketing efforts? Because
(a) it’s memorable; (b) it’s true. Canon can do all kinds
of things other insurers don’t or can’t. But see how strong
it is?
A name is as much a part of your brand as anything else your company
does. Your name might be helping you or hurting you. Either way,
it’s our job to make sure you getting the maximum value out
of it.
How do you build a brand?
One of my favorite explanations of branding is simply this: 'A
brand is whatever the consumer thinks of when he or she hears your
company's name.'
There's a necessary bunch of ingredients in any company’s
marketing mix: is your product or service good? does it supply a
benefit? is its pricing competitive? how’s your packaging?
how’s your advertising?
That last part is where Think A La Carte comes in. Here's our
view on Brand Building.
Building brand success starts with a clear message. The concept
must be quick to grasp and easy to understand. Whether yours is
an innovation or a me-too product, it has to convey a point-of-difference
that can be easily expressed and identified. People need to understand
the benefits of choosing your brand over the competition's This
is why this messaging phase is so pivotal: we get to explore the
essence, or DNA, of this brand-in-the-making.
Here are the questions we help you
answer:
Why should people do business with you?
How do you fit into the competitive landscape?
What message(s) help differentiate you?
Is what you do clear to your target market?
We’re happy to help you figure this stuff out: and then make
it marketable.
Are You Sending The Wrong Message?
It's too easy and expensive to have the wrong message out there.
Incorrect strategy, too many cooks, depending on the execution vs.
a strong communication are some of the reasons why.
Your message needs to convey your company personality: are you
innovative? rock solid & reliable? trendy? timeless? old-fashioned?
(a good position for cookies for instance).
Your message has to convey your Business Personality; it's part
of the WHY people do business with you.
Your message MUST help distinguish you. Where do you start? By
bringing us in to talk about your advertising with you.'
Write Vs. Wrong
It costs just as much to end up with the wrong advertising. Nix
that. We’ve built our reputation on getting it right. A key
asset: Andrea Giambrone's writing ability. And thinking ability.
I'm a born problem solver in the world of advertising and marketing.
Whatever the media- consumer ads, trade ads, websites, banner ads,
in-store signs, you must have Content. I'm a writer - so I know
how necessary it is for a marketer's content - the all-important
communications - to be
Write-On.
Write on! I think the AFLAC duck is great. It’s the
walking embodiment of a brand. The minute he appears, you automatically
thinking "Aflac." It isn't a campaign I claim credit for
- but I'd love to.
Wrong! A large furniture company asked me to review their
advertising. Turned out, they were spending their money touting
their variety - like 100 other companies - when they had a whole
other story to tell, a REAL SELLING POINT: they were a family-run
operation with custom hands-on work. I told them THIS was the message
to advertise. They thanked me, and that was that. They kept running
the wrong advertising. Last I heard, furniture sales were on their
last legs.
Mistaking Execution for Communication
Pyrotechnics of all forms invade advertising. Computer-generated
images; long-dead movie stars with new advertising words coming
from their mouths;multi-million dollar celebrities touting everything
from adult diapers to perfumes.
Buyer beware. Who believes this stuff? Why are you wasting your
money on stuff that detracts vs. attracts?
Think A La Carte's mantra? Get to the point! Do something distinctive
that’s credible, smart.
Too Little, Too Much
Another problem: doing too little in too many venues. If you try
to be here, there and everywhere, you make no impression anywhere.
Avoid budget diffusion. Concentrate your dollars. FOCUS.
Only the biggest budgets can afford Broadcast + Consumer Magazines
+ Trade Magazines +Newspaper + Billboards + Webvertising.
BrandDaddies of Them All
Some advertising works its way into our minds, our language, our
culture.
Typically, it's mega-bucks advertising that does this. But even
small advertisers can have an impact when they have a great message
and deliver it consistently, year after year.
"M'm, M'm Good!"
This slogan for Campbell's Soup served them well for decades. And
then some short-sighted decision-makers decided to earn their keep
by changing it all.
Upshot? Campbell's lost brand share - and after some years, ultimately
returned to the slogan. But I don't believe they ever got their
"soup-er" market share back.
"Aflac"
One of the new BrandDaddies of Great Advertising began in Japan
in 2001. The Aflac duck and his "Brand Quackery" has worked
our way into our consciousness in a strong, memorable - positive
- way. That's a Brand Bingo!
"Just do it."
That's what Nike had to say - and the way they depicted it was so
far from ‘finger thumping in your chest' advertising - that
it grabbed our attention and market share. Nike's been leading the
race ever since.
"Got Milk?"
I can’t recall a slogan that's been ripped off by so many advertisers
- and it all adds milk money into the original campaign by always
reminding us of where it all started. This campaign brilliantly
milks the idea of being without milk for all its worth.
Mr. Whipple for Charmin. Orville
Reddenbacher. In the case of the last two, the companies
were so bereft without their (deceased) spokespeople - that they
literally resurrected them in advertising. I'd say, what's dead
is best left dead.
On the other hand -
Tony TheTiger - an Illustration - can live
forever. Rather like a Comic Book Hero ( there’s a lot to be
said for illustration or animation). Once
again, think Aflac.
Considering how many brands there are and how many billions get
spent advertising, while the above list is far from complete - it's
astonishing how little makes it into our brain waves.
I myself have the distinction of
being a recent Jeopardy question.
The question involved a campaign I developed 20 years ago. And
it's still remembered! Yet the campaign hasn’t been seen
in years! Here's why:
The campaign - "The Pfabulous
Pfaucet With The Pfunny Name" tripled sales for Price
Pfister. Among other poor decisions, the new owners (after the old
owners sold the company for a "pfortune") changed the
slogan. They decided "The Pfabulous Pfaucet" would be
sufficient - while at the same time dropping their spending. Guess
what? Sales dropped down to the pfloor, so to speak.
Devise a boffo message. Say it
and say it and say it. Don’t stop saying it. Sing it too, if
you can afford a jingle.
This is how BrandDaddy brands get built.
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