Brand Lo-o-o-o-o-ve...

So... how have you been building your brand lately?

Now, I'm writing this in my best Barry White voice... "How's your Brand Lo-o-o-o-o-ve, baby?"

It may sound obvious, but increase Brand Love by branding better.

Branding your business better will help you increase awareness, attractiveness, and affection of your prospects (so they become customers), current customers (some people call them clients), and employees (yup, they need to be sold on you, too).

"Huh? I've heard of brand awareness, and brand attractiveness I understand, but affection? Brand Love? Is this guy smoking banana peels?"

OK, I admit, that term may be hard to take-- at first. But, haven't you expressed to someone that you love something? "I love that soda." "I love their pizza." "I love that store."

See? You've been enamored with a brand before. And there's a very good chance you still are. So are other people.

Why would you say you "love" soda, pizza, or a store? Because an important nerve of yours has been hit. Some might call it "the Sweet Spot." And it may not be all that obvious what that Sweet Spot is.

A soda tastes best to you over all others by iteself. Or it may go better with certain types of food you enjoy. Perhaps your favorite pizza place makes the best tasting pizza. Maybe you enjoy the surroundings and atmosphere as much as the food.

When you think about your favorite shop, maybe you think they always have just what you really want. Maybe you get treated like royalty. Or you feel good you can afford what they have, or because you can get a lot without spending much.

Thankfully, somebody has probably said, "I love that..." about your business. If they haven't, you probably haven't been open very long-- or will be open for much longer. Think of the last referral that came in. They probably did so because someone had high praise for you.

Now... the trick is to find out what was so praiseworthy, and effectively comunicate it to similar prospects.

How to do it? Just ask for feedback.

Talk to your clients/customers about their experiences. Usually, they will have good things to say. Or at least they may buffet some less-than-glowing reviews with some good stuff. Speaking of "less than glowing," when asking for feedback, be prepared for "warts and all."

In fact, ask for it.

When it's really bad, you'll hear it right away. But when there are minor slip-ups, or things your business may NOT be doing, those can easily fall through the cracks. Always stress you want candid, HONEST answers. If you're not willing to search out the "bad stuff," it will only get worse, and small problems can grow exponentially.

Or somebody realizes how you're underserving the market and takes advantage before you do.

So, ask your clients questions casually. Or even print up 100 or so quick response cards with three to five questions. With only a couple of well-worded questions and space for their own additional thoughts, you may not only get good feedback, you might gain insight about your market, operation, or clientele that takes business to the next level.

Watch for more from me on this topic.

John is a freelance commercial writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. He publishes a free monthly e-zine focusing on branding, advertising, and marketing from his website http://www.brandedbetter.com. Speaking with both agency and in-house experience, he knows the most valuable asset of a business is its brand.

---

Branding Mistakes - Brand Identity Guru

1. It "sells itself." I don't need to market.Okay, you... Read More

Effective Branding...Whats in a Name!

Ask any marketing executive and they will tell you that... Read More

Light Up Necklaces Help Promote Red Doors Movie at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival Awards

June 13, 2005 -- Jane Chen (Producer) of the Red... Read More

Brand Warfare is More of a War than You Think

We will discuss Brand Marketing for a minute. In this... Read More

Types of Logos

There are three basic types of logos: text, symbol, and... Read More

Value-pricing Strategy: Were not The Cheapest but...

In this highly competitive online marketplace, it can be difficult... Read More

Brand Components

Your brand is the culmination of everything about you and... Read More

How Important it is to have a Professional Logo Design for your Business?

There are a lot of things that contribute towards the... Read More

How a Great Tagline can Help your Business

"Just do it." "We try harder." "The Ultimate Driving Machine."... Read More

Image is EVERYTHING

The absolute foundation of your small business is your image.... Read More

Business Branding - How Character Affects Customers and Your Business Image

The public buys far more than just your products, services... Read More

Brand Equity Building - Measuring Brand Value

Measuring brand equity allows a company to establish a baseline... Read More

Hawaiian Heirloom Jewelry

Back to the era of the Hawaiian monarchy, the origin... Read More

Do What Works

"Can you hear me now?"You'd be hard pressed to find... Read More

Santa - The Brand

Every Christmas Eve, a burglar named Santa busts into homes... Read More

Great Brands Depend On Attention To The Brand Architecture

Do you have the architecture in place to make sure... Read More

Logo-ize For Instant Identification & Increased Awareness

The task of creating an indelible impact on the memory... Read More

Brand Lo-o-o-o-o-ve...

So... how have you been building your brand lately?Now, I'm... Read More

Time To Revamp Your Visual Identity?

Look at your company logo. Does it fade into the... Read More

How Brand as an Intellectual Property has Led to Corporate Globalisation?

IntroductionGlobalisation is referred to as a set of profound material... Read More

Branding - More Than Just a Statement - A Memory Scar

Conjure up in your mind broad rolling meadows with runs... Read More

Logo Files: Versions Of Your Logo That You Should Own

Your logo is the most important graphic element in which... Read More

Brand Extension; Going from Consumer to Commercial

As more and more home pressure washers are sold at... Read More

Introduction to A Branded World: Adventures in Public Relations and the Creation Of Superbrands

You'd have to labor to shield yourself from the power... Read More

Three Brand Identity Myths That Will Bring Your Business Down

To begin, let's define "Brand Identity," which is the combination... Read More