From Better To Best - Corporate Branding

Have you ever wondered how multi-national companies like McDonalds, Coca-cola, Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Motorola, Sony and UPS came up with their names? Just think, if these companies have some lame or forgettable brand name, would they be as big as they are now? Every company starts out by thinking of a name. A law firm, for example, commonly uses the names of its associates, like Smith, Johnson and Brown Law Firm. The name of a woman's specialty shop should be something sensual and exciting, like Victoria's Secret or Bare Essentials. A clothing line should boast the popular designer's name. Corporate branding does not just involve the company name. It also includes the corporate logo design and the overall company image. More importantly, it conveys your corporate identity. When you think of computers, Microsoft comes to mind. Instead of photocopier, you think of Xerox. Toothpaste equals Colgate. Coming up with the perfect brand name that will stick to the consumer's mind is as important as coming up with the finances to start a company - be it big or small.

1. First Impressions Last

When you distribute a business card, see what dominates that small piece of paper. Brand names and logos. Bland brand names never work. When you think of a name, follow these rules:

- Be original.

- Do not be overly creative - business cards must be functional. Sure a uniquely sized/shaped card might generate interest but it's very hard for a secretary to file in a business card rack.

- From your options, choose one that has a global appeal.

2. Branding

In today's global marketplace, a brand is considered as a valuable corporate asset and a marketing tool for success. Thus, you should always give careful consideration to different cultures if you plan to conquer a worldwide market.

3. The Simpler The Better

When creating the company logo, it is much more advisable to be creative and distinctive. The more conservative designs apply to a target market of the same kind. If you apply the same concept to a company whose customers are supposed to be young and hip, they will fall asleep as soon as they hear your brand name and see your logo. With a younger clientele, it is best to be energetic and creative when thinking of corporate naming and branding.

4. Brand Name Equals Image

With the Internet being considered as the most powerful marketing tool, it is very important that your customers remember something distinctive about your company. Give out a clear picture of the message that you want to impart and the image that you want to project. Strong graphic design is the ace up your sleeve to leave a lasting impact of your company.

5. Be Consistent

Corporate branding takes time. It includes your company name, your logo, your customer service, the staff, the building location, the state of the offices, even your maintenance staff and the company vehicles. As years pass, your company develops a certain reputation. It is a good thing if, upon hearing the name of your company, people would immediately associate it with the service or product that you represent. Make sure that you stick to the corporate image that you want to project.

6. Create A Powerful, Branded Web Site

Marketing though the Internet is yet another aspect of corporate branding. You should develop a distinctive, informative and complete web site. This is so that customers would have a clear understanding of your company profile.

7. Research, Manage, Dominate!

Try visiting websites which offer corporate branding and advertising services. Better yet, look for the people behind the big companies and ask or research on how these establishments have gotten to where they are now. check on their corporate structure and how they began. Make sure that the people who make up the corporate ladder have enough enthusiasm and confidence about the company which should rub off on the rest of the staff. It would never hurt your company if you have a good personnel attitude and an intense pride of work.

Corporate Branding is Key to a Successful Business

Corporate branding is the process of establishing a name and image for your business. It is something, which should be done by every organization, and establishes a name for your product or service.

While you can have a successful business without the use of corporate branding, it is much harder to remain in the minds of customers when you do not have a brand or logo for them to associate your business with. Corporate branding begins with the designing of a relevant logo, website, business cards, letterheads, and any other promotional materials that you might need.

With these items in place and the corporate logo established, you will begin to see why corporate branding is the key to success.

Why is Corporate Branding so Important?

When you think about Nike, what comes to mind? I can guarantee that most of you just pictured a check mark in your head. This is because Nike has spent a lot of time and money to ensure that their logo and "just do it" motto have been set into the minds of consumers for years.

This is just one example of why corporate branding is so important. Without a brand image to quickly associate your business with, you are instantly out of the minds of consumers.

If you can on the other hand, provide consumers with a lasting memory of your brand, then yours will be the first business that will come to mind when they see that image or logo. It will also allow them to spread the word about your business much easier.

Sometimes people remember logos better than the names of businesses.

You Can't Do It Alone

The first thing you need to understand about corporate branding before you begin selecting a logo or other merchandise, is that you can't do it alone. Even if you could design the image, you would not be able to produce the merchandise such as business cards, letterhead, and other promotional items by yourself.

For this reason, it is important to enlist the help of professionals. Companies who provide marketing services can conduct research based on your business, and help you choose a logo, motto, and merchandise that can help you create effective corporate branding.

While you may spend a little bit of money by using one of these companies' services, it will be well worth it when your business has a successful brand, and your traffic and sales increase. While you are new to the idea of corporate branding, these professional companies have had years of experience helping businesses get their start.

Developing a Logo

The first step that a marketing service company will introduce you to, is the development of a logo. This is the most important step in corporate branding, because it creates an image that will always be associated with your business.

A logo can be serious, humorous, or just about anything else that you like. It can communicate to consumers what type of services or goods that you offer, your quality of service, or any other important information. It is essential that you choose a logo that can't be interpreted the wrong way.

It is also important to choose a logo that makes a statement about your company, and is not just a random choice. The more content you are with your brand image, the better your potential customers will react to it.

Completing the Image

Choosing a logo is not the last step in corporate branding. In order to effectively brand your business, you need to display that logo and brand image consistently on and in all your marketing efforts. A company's letterhead, business cards, and any other promotional items used should reflect the logo and brand image that has been created.

If you are inconsistent, your attempt at corporate branding will fail. Corporate branding is becoming increasingly popular with local small businesses and large corporate companies as well. When you associate a specific logo, image, or motto with your business, the consumers are more likely to recognize your brand as one they know and trust.

Remember though, that it cannot be done alone and that is best to enlist the help of a professional marketing service when working on this strategy.

Corporate Branding Marketing

Differentiating and communicating your product's unique value to your slice of the global marketplace is becoming more difficult and expensive every day. And with the rising costs of R&D and development necessary to create products that really do offer something exclusive and different, just one expensive, ineffective branding or marketing campaign can mean death. But there is a way for companies to stack the deck in their favor--have a very strong corporate brand.

Strong Corporate Branding can empower any product that company puts out with instant reputation and value that differentiates it in ways that simply can't be reproduced with a product-focused marketing campaign. It's much like how a family's reputation can precede that of an individual family member, resulting in very real pre-judgment and prejudices about that person. In fact, the true nature of the individual may prove inconsequential if his family's reputation is strong enough. People will already have their mind made up about him, good or bad, before they ever meet him.

Just as a family tries to create and protect a good reputation, every conscientious corporation should create and protect a favorable corporate brand. The tools for doing so are the same as those used in product branding, but the work transcends the corporate hierarchy into the boardroom where issues like relations with shareholders, media, competitors, government and many others become part of the strategy. Not surprisingly, an effective corporate branding strategy requires significant effort from the CEO and senior management.

Also, be advised that corporate branding and corporate identity are two different things. A corporate identity strategy, an exercise where the company's logo, design style, color scheme and tagline is created or reworked, may be a component of a corporate branding strategy, it's not the whole thing.

Corporate identity is just the glossy marketing façade. A strong corporate branding program ensures a consistent brand image and experience throughout an organization.
Successful corporate branding involves establishing a long-term vision for the company, carving out pronounced niches in the marketplace and boosting the reach and recognition of the company and its leaders on a global scale.

Some companies with outstanding corporate brands include Microsoft, Intel, Singapore Airlines, Disney, CNN, Samsung and Mercedes-Benz. When your company has a brand like these, mergers and acquisitions are also smoother as was the case with financial powerhouses HSBC and Citibank's vast number of acquisitions in recent years. Eventually, the brand equities of the banks these two behemoths took over were completely absorbed by HSBC and Citibank. This kind of brand strength takes a long time to establish and a great deal of research and tracking to see through to maturity, but it's not as difficult as it sounds. Today's branding research tools are very sophisticated, yet very easy to use.

A strong corporate brand not only gives personality and value to a company's products. It's also a manifestation of the company's vision, values, and culture. HSBC, for instance, portrays itself as a large, powerful bank, but one concerned with lives of regular people. It's a universal image they project throughout the world with the help of the tagline, "The world's local bank."

Effective corporate branding can also empower and direct the further development of an already large brand portfolio. Such is the case with Proctor & Gamble (P&G). P&G markets many different brands under its umbrella, but its corporate brand is quite unique in that its very much rooted in sincere commitment to and respect for the individual purposes, visions and values of its many brands.

Good corporate branding can also help a company be more efficient with its budgets. With today's product development costs higher and product life cycles shorter, corporations must find ways to recoup the extra costs somehow--without sacrificing quality or customer service. With some creativity, companies can leverage a single corporate branding strategy to do the work of many expensive marketing campaigns for separate products.

How Does Digital Branding Help Your Business?

To say that branding is not an important part of business is a lie. This is because people are now becoming particular about brands and the way they portray a company. In fact, thousands of companies that spend a lot on building the right image for their brand. With the number of brands being built on a daily basis, it is only best to look for a suitable digital branding company that can help provide such services. Thanks to such companies, business owners will be able to hit their target market in a short amount of time.

If you are a business owner and you need to get your brand across multiple platforms, the best way you can do this is to hire a good digital branding company. With the help of this company, you will be able to produce a suitable marketing strategy that will boost your sales in an impressible manner. Especially if there are several other companies offering the same products and services as you, investing money on your brand can surely help a lot.

In looking for the right branding company, it is advisable to look for someone with strong skills in web design. The reason for this is because you will need someone who can produce quality web design that you will need for your online presence. You have to realize that it is a must that you use the right medium for building your brand because your customers are everywhere. If you use the internet, you get to save time, effort and money as it is a consolidated way to find your business. By locating a branding company that specializes in web design, this is something you will get to accomplish.

Thankfully, a number of companies are now specializing in digital branding. Since these companies have seen the power of the internet, they have started to offer such services to the online world. They know for a fact that a single message can already be read by millions of people once it is posted on the right medium. And because the internet has turned into a powerful arena for such purpose, companies are making use of it.

If you want your brand to hit the right target, it is best that you look for a branding company with web design skills. Through this, you will get to make your product or service known to a number of people. It simply is a must that you hire such a company to help you, especially if you are still starting out. In no time, you will get the results you need from the methods they use in building your brand.

Online Reputation Management Is Essential for Digital Branding

For any business its reputation plays a vital role for its sustenance. In the World Wide Web, online reputation management is the next thing you would do, after you decide to make public your brand/product. Managing your brand's/products online image is crucial, as all the other governing factors that contribute to the growth of your business are dependent on the goodwill that you create for your brand on the internet. Without proper online reputation management, your business/ brand is likely to have a negative impact, regardless of what kind of products you sell on the internet.

The easy accessibility to internet (especially various sites that prompt customers to write reviews and comments on products and services) has made businesses and brands vulnerable to criticisms and negative publicity, as more and more people(the dissatisfied ones) have started sharing their views on various products.

Over the time, several internet marketing experts and digital branding companies have come up with various methods to keep a check on the reputation of brands online. I shall discuss some of the most effective and popular tricks in this article for an effective online reputation management.

1. Spread your wings: Creating accounts on various social sites such as Facebook (both page and profile), Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and MySpace, as this can help suppress the sites containing negative content about your brand/business. Creating and managing a business blog can help in addressing negative comments about your brand/business; it can moreover counter negative sites.

2. Atonement: Making amends always help in regaining good reputation. If in case you happen to see a forum where your product/service is being discussed by an unsatisfied costumer, make an account on that forum, ask that customer to give out details; as to what made him unhappy about your establishment. Try to get the matter solved online, encourage them to give a review and reward them with freebies and discounts, and let them see that their issues have been looked after.

3. Be real: Be honest, never fake for the sake of publicizing your business or as a part of its digital branding strategy. One should never encourage publishing fake reviews, as it can hamper the growth of your business. There is no harm in letting out the truth and moreover genuine and real content is what the customers seek.

4. Be good to thy enemy: It is easy to post negative reviews on sites regarding your competitors, but resist the temptation, as your competitors might be doing the same for you. If you are honest in your approach, your happy customers will defend you against negativity.

5. What is being said about you? As a part of your digital media planning, keep a check on comments and mentions on your brand/business, as this can help ascertain your brands digital personality. There are various online tools to keep a check on mentions about your brand. For e.g. Google Alerts, Social Mentions, Twitter Advanced Search, Yahoo Pipes, Twit beep, etc.

Choosing the Best Brand Agency Can Spare You From Negative Consequences

Finding the most dependable brand agency is no longer that difficult today. It is because the internet is so rich with information on how to get to one of those agencies. Guidelines on how to choose one are widespread and you can always find them on the web. Qualifications of those potential firms can also be read on their websites. Plus, you can always connect to other companies who already have employed several agencies in the past and get their feedbacks concerning a particular agency or agencies so you can weigh the options and narrow down your choices.

As business entrepreneurs it has always been our desire to see our brand, product , or services become closer to the hearts of our clients and target audience. So as much as possible we try to apply every marketing principle and every tool that our hands can find so that what we offer to people can go straight to their hearts and settle there. There are so many tools that are available today and a reputable brand agency is an institution that is well equipped to help you utilize those tools and put them to work for your best interest. They can provide timely solutions to your branding needs.

When looking for the best branding firm to work with you on your branding tasks, it is good to have in mind the list of things that you are expecting from them. It is a must that you have this list because this will serve as your guide during your inquiries with different agencies. This will also help you evaluate a particular agency and see whether or not it has the qualifications that you are looking for. You will also have a guide in formulating your questions and save time from asking questions that can be irrelevant. When you do this you will appear so much prepared to discuss some important business matters with them. And the agency you go to will realize that you are into serious business and so respond to you in an appropriate manner.

As you go to a brand agency and inquire about their services, it is also a brilliant idea to bring with you a previously gathered information and feedbacks of those companies that have availed the services of your potential branding partner. This will help you in situations like when you need to refer to them for verification of the agency's claims and assurances. Having this tool with you will help you trace the agency's performance background and aid you in either choosing or turning down a certain agency. So your decision can be so reasonable because it is based on facts, actual evidences, and testimonials of reliable source.

Getting into business is a serious matter. You always have to operate according to some established principles that have been tested and proven beneficial not just for you, but for your clients, and for those who are working with you. So, choosing the best branding agency to work with you should never be rushed or haphazard for it will always bear some consequences.

Branding Agency Versus Ad Agency

As a professional branding consultant working for a branding agency I am always amazed at the lack of knowledge of ad agencies or marketing companies when it comes to branding. Sure, they all say they do branding but saying a buzz word does not make it so. All they really care about is doing what they do best. Media. That is right, they buy and sell media. That is how they make their money and what they are concerned about. So when considering an agency consider what ultimately motivates them.

Another big disadvantage that ad agencies have compared to a branding agency is their short term thinking. Sure they come up with funny and witty TV commercials that make you laugh but they are extremely short lived. A true branding company thinks long term and how actions internally and externally affect the brand. That was obviously done by an ad agency that could care less what the long term effects are on Asks brand. Of course the customer approved that ad and should be ashamed.

How many TV commercials do you see that require you to scratch your head in amazement? These were all produced by ad agencies that have no real branding knowledge. A branding agency would not make these mistakes. Short term advertising is not part of the tactics a branding firm would recommend. Everything is done according to the strategy and brand identity of the client.

So why is that important? Building your brand identity is the most important thing you can do for your company. It is what differentiates your company from all your competitors. It is what makes your employees stay with your company or draws perspective candidates to your company. It is what reduces your marketing and advertising budget. Brand identity is the driving force behind your company. It will also help to develop your brand image in the marketplace which is what you are after.

When deciding on hiring a branding agency or an ad agency consider what is important to you. If you are just looking to make a quick hit in the marketplace then an ad agency may be the way to go. If you are looking to develop a long term integrated branding strategy then hiring a branding agency will be a smart decision for you and your firm.