Employer Branding | Small Business Branding

June 27, 2008 By Ed Roach

Put Your Wrench On The Branding Team

So you’ve decided to to start taking a serious look at your corporate brand and you are left with the task of assembling your branding team. Your branding team is a group of individuals pulled from your brand’s stakeholders. They would be gleamed from the three essential groups: employees, suppliers and customers.

One of the issues you will have at the end of your branding process is buy-in among employees. Stand back and take a visual on your employee group. Most are your garden-variety employee, but a few, while good workers are out-spoken and quick to judge. Other employees look to them for direction. They typically see initiatives coming down from the corner office as “just more work”. They do their best to put a negative spin on the initiatives and are a drag to getting things done. We call these folks, “wrenches” because they throw a monkey wrench into everything you do.

The trick is to include the Wrenches in the branding process. The theory is simple and basic – you want the wrenches to become advocates for the brand initiatives. If they are part of the solution, then they will use their energies to push it through to the employees stakeholders. Just imagine how empowered they will feel being included in the high-level branding sessions with the leaders of the company in attendance – actually wanting their valuable input.

Now, when the brand process is complete and ready to roll roll out to the employees, you have their key mouthpiece on your team. That monkey wrench is now a brand hero – everybody wins.

File under: Archives, Beginners, Blogs & Blogging, Branding, Business, Employer Branding, Featured, Internal Projects, Marketing, Media, News, Personal Branding

June 17, 2008 By Ed Roach

5 Tips To Branding A Powerful Presence

Consistency

If there is one thing that many small businesses love to mess with, it is their brand image. Perhaps it is their chance to get creative, in an otherwise numbers oriented existence. It is also the one area that gets the greatest abuse in regard to the “holy Grail” of brand – CONSISTENCY. One area I’d like to address is your web presence.

Does your website reflect your brand accurately? Let’s take a look at 5 cyber-consistency challenges:

ONE: Over-all brand image of your website.

If I met you at a networking event and you passed your card on to me – when I got back to my office and went directly to your website – would I see something familiar when the opening page appears?
Your business card is my initial exposure to your brand image. I begins my journey down Brand You. If upon opening your web page, I am faced with an entirely different esthetic, then you are doing your company/brand a HUGE disservice. Your visitor now has to adjust their interpretation of your brand from another perspective. Ideally, you want their brand experience to reinforced from their initial exposure to Brand You. Don’t get tempted with the urge to get overly creative if it means moving away from what was already established on your business cards.

TWO: If your brand is information oriented, your website should reflect this.

Let’s say Brand You, has established itself as an expert, then your site should be focused on delivering information on your category. It should give the visitor the distinct impression that Brand You is indeed that expert. It should show that you are there to help them. Outside of the web, your collateral material should also portray this.

THREE: Your promise should be the same on AND off-line.

Whether your customer meets you at an event or on-line they should hear only ONE brand promise. The power of consistency goes a long way to getting the trust of a potential customer when the promise they hear is repeated at every point of contact. Also be sure that the promise is acted on, not just a hollow statement.

FOUR: There is more to a domain name than you think.

Your URL. Is it specific to your brand. Ideally it is the same name as your brand name. So if your company is called – The Acme Company then ideally the URL would be The AcmeCompany.com. If that isn’t available don’t be tempted with acronyms like TAC.com, while representational, it does nothing to make them think of Acme. If I called your office, you now answer the telephone with. “good morning Acme”, not good morning TAC. A good alternative would be something descriptive of Acme. Maybe something like, “TheAcmeAdvantage.com”. Now we’re thinking something positive about Acme.

FIVE: Is your website presence passive or pro-active?

Determine how your website can be an asset to your brand. If it is strictly informational, then it is a passive tool. Get the information out and make it easy for the customer to contact you. If it is to be pro-active, then you want your customer to stay around your site longer. Give them tools and information that they can use. Become a valuable resource for them. Which ever of the two strategies you follow, be sure that it is in sync with your brand.

CONSISTENCY – there is no more powerful word regarding your brand experience. With it, each element builds on the next. It leaves confusion in the dust. Without it, it is a harder, more expensive route to take. Never compromise. Take a hard look at your brand as it exists right now. Are there any loose ends that could use a tweak or two to assure that everything you do is consistent?

File under: Archives, Beginners, Blogs & Blogging, Branding, Business, Employer Branding, Featured, Marketing, News, Personal Branding, Technology

June 8, 2008 By Ed Roach

Hey pal, can ya gimmie a boost up?

When were kids every day was an adventure. The neighbourhood was filled with other kids our age and we played different games all the time. We climbed trees, ran short-cuts through other properties, raided fruit trees – all kinds of kid things. One thing that was consistent was our reliance on one another. There was a kid’s code on everything. How we shared and how we helped one another. One area that strikes me as a great lesson that I took into adulthood was boosting. When ever us kids found it hard to shimmy up a tree, or found the fence just a little too tall, we’d look back over our shoulder and ask our closest buddy, “hey, can ya gimmie a boost?” At the time it was a simple forgetable request. But looking back now, I realize that it was a great lesson in trust, humility and charity.

In the business world, there are networking groups built on the concept of boosting. When you give someone a boost, you are helping yourself as well. When you give a boost, you are giving of yourself for the betterment of someone else. You are not expecting an immediate reward but you will definitely feel good inside from your effort to help someone else. Mentoring programs give a boost to young professionals. For every person that you give a boost up, you build a strong bond. They don’t forget your selflessness in helping them to succeed. They in turn become powerful advocates for you.

I know myself, when someone I see impresses me with their professionalism and honest business ethics, I am more apt to help them out. I work with them and help them to achieve their goals. Sometimes this is at the expense of regular rates, standard time-lines or background reconnaissance. Sometimes you just instantly respect this person, and wish to give them “a boost up”. What ever your motivation for giving a boost, don’t you find you’re all the better for doing it? There are just some individuals who cross your path who deserve a break, a boost. In the scheme of things the boost will mean more to them and frankly that is the way it should be.

BUT, more times than not a boost today will result in something positive coming your way as a result of this effort at some future point. As any strong networking group will tell you – it is best to give first if you wish to receive. Remember Wimpy from Popeye -”I will gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today?” Give ol’ Wimpy a boost and he will be your advocate forever. Remember your neighbourhood friends – when you gave them a boost over that fence – didn’t they cheerfully share that Coke with you in the shade later in the day?

Giving a boost to someone is good for one’s soul and great for your brand – IT’S WHO YOU ARE.

File under: Archives, Beginners, Blogs & Blogging, Branding, Business, Employer Branding, Featured, Marketing, Personal Branding

June 2, 2008 By Ed Roach

How to Crack the Opportunity Puzzle?

I’ve recently had the pleasure of helping a small business develop their positioning strategy and launch materials. The company, Paywiz, is a Toronto based firm specializing in Canadian payroll services. It is inspiring to meet entrepreneurs who see this economy as an opportunity rather than a hinderance. It is clear to me that Paywiz, in developing their brand strategy paid close attention to strong, positive brand values. They recognized the opportunity that the competition presented in the payroll category.

Namely complete service in everything related to payroll in Canada. Paywiz management, having many years of experience inside the payroll industry saw this opportunity and decided to claim it as their own.

Their brand positioning strategy- PAYWIZ: the ONLY payroll solution to deliver everything.

Clear and right to the point. Due to the fact that Paywiz is a young progressive company they have snatched up the determination to deliver services that the older players simply ignore in delivering traditional payroll services. Utilizing technology and good old fashion spunk, Payroll aims to quickly build a customer base by delivering everything – resulting in a confidence that allows small business owners the freedom to work more effectively at their core competencies rather than spending valuable time tying-up loose ends traditional payroll models leave wanting.

Paywiz’s positioning strategy has invigorated management. The logo is simple, but the message is clear – all encompassing – EVERYTHING. The overall image is clean, simple and accessible. The CEO of Paywiz, Peter Marossis, is authoring a corporate blog called,Everything Payroll Blog. Here visitors can have direct access to the leadership of the company and pick up valuable information that has an impact on “everything payroll”. ( The launch article will be up in a about a week.) As you may be able to determine at this point, ( if you checked out the links) Paywiz’s action word is “EVERYTHING”.

When the North American business community is cringing with each daily news report, there are those of us who see the opportunities a slowing economy presents. It represents the old – every dark cloud has a silver lining story. Myself, I have never been busier. This economy has presented opportunities for my services because companies who want a stronger positioning strategy that truly differentiates them, are turning to branding consultants to help them in finding a better strategy. Traditional marketing with catchy slogans and low pricing have gotten them flat results. More times than not, they are blending in with the regular deluge of desperate small businesses trying to pry dollars from an already thin customer wallet with a quick commodity fix.

Take one step back and look at how you are delivering your services – your silver lining exists. One more example emerged even last evening at a restaurant. I bumped into an acquaintance who is in retail and he lamented that his market has been pummeled by the economy and he didn’t believe he’d be here in another few years. I got the conversation going toward toward his expertise. He mentioned that many suppliers and industry people contact him regularly for his advice on topics.

Now a simple question emerged: “Couldn’t you start charging a consulting fee for that same advice, and aggressively go after it?” He just stopped – looked at me and calmly said – “man Ed, there’s an opportunity there.” – EXACTLY!. Don’t dwell on the negative.

If you refuse to look for the opportunities, you can join the thousands of businesses who moan on about the economy, or you can lead the way to your success. All of us – in the running of our businesses, give away services that we could be charging for. For all the doom and gloom, the vast majority among us are still employed and consuming. The simple truth is that they, like you, only want to deal with the smart companies. Surround yourself with smart thinking, positive influences. Negative thinking will only deliver a negative result.

Follow the example of companies like PAYWIZ who saw holes in the competitive strategy, and boldly filled it themselves.

AS ONE IDEA FLOUNDERS, ANOTHER IS BORN.

File under: Archives, Beginners, Blogs & Blogging, Branding, Business, Employer Branding, Featured, Marketing, News, Personal Branding

May 20, 2008 By Ed Roach

Do You Have A Magical Brand?

I just spent the last week with my wife walking the theme parks of Disney World. We haven’t been there in many years and a lot has changed. I have to admit that the Disney brand is alive and kicking in Florida. Where else do you see grown men and woman walking in public wearing various themed mouse ears and Goofy hats? At Disney World it seems perfectly suited to the atmosphere created there.

The Disney experience is essentially the audience immersed in theatre. The resort we stayed at welcomed you “home” upon entering the grounds and the entire cast consistently wished you to “have a magical day”. I was very impressed by this brand experience. One morning my wife and I went for a walk around the grounds and came upon the main gate from the outside. The guard came out, asking to see ID and once we were identified promptly “welcomed us home”. Are your staff as fine tuned to a consistent brand message?

In all of the attraction areas, is music playing the “soundtrack” of the park. You quickly recognize that everything you see and experience has been “created” to best position the Disney effect. It got to the point where my wife Rose, asked me if the birds in the trees singing were the real thing or a recording? All of this control over experience really does make you forget the real world outside. The effect is absolutely convincing. You forget you are walking around an enormous set. You really want to believe. My wife was actually excited to get her picture taken with Mickey and friends. (I thought it was pretty cool too)

I took away a lesson in how to make customers love you. Give them a consistent message and over deliver on everything you do for them. I loved the experience so much, I was willing to pay $8 to $10 for a Manhattan (my favorite drink). Back home in a restaurant I would shell out half that amount. Everything cost more, but the brand delivers and so I was smitten. When you love something you are willing to pay more to prolong the experience. Are your customers willing to pay more for your experience? Maybe it’s time you have a hard look at how you deliver to your audience.

Many people might say that they resent the manicured experience at Disney World, but I would challenge them to show me any successful brand that doesn’t succeed by delivering their product on an emotional level. The Disney Brand conjures up a deep heart felt desire to believe that the world is a good place where everyone wishes you a magical day even if for a moment. Even if that belief lasts only a week, it is good for the soul. But what is important to note from a business perspective is, every time I see the Disney name I will be reminded of the great feeling that I felt at Disney World. That brand experience translates into major dollars for the Disney Corporation. It allows them to sell me on many product offerings based on a brand promise that is magical.

We could all use a bit of that magic.

Disney doesn’t appear to ever be sitting still. New attractions and resorts keep adding to the magic. Are you continually delivering new services and products to your audience? Don’t sit still and let grass grow under your brand’s feet. The magic is in your brand – this is your opportunity to control it’s delivery.

File under: Archives, Blogs & Blogging, Branding, Business, Employer Branding, Featured, Marketing, Personal Branding

May 9, 2008 By Ed Roach

The Money’s In The Difference!

Ed Roach

In my line of work you get to have a lot of fun working with companies. They come my way sort of lost. Many have achieved impressive success but feel that they can do better and feel that something is missing. While others are absolute start-ups and want to hit the ground running. What is typical in almost every case is the fact that they never considered positioning themselves from a point of differentiation. They all want to go to market with a laundry list of services and shout out that they do everything. Since this is what ‘most’ businesses do, it hardly appears wrong at first glance. But what is also noteworthy is the fact that this type of approach garners no emotion but a resignation to market. Marketing is seen as a necessary evil. They focus on catchy graphics, a visual hook. But, that will not really sell anything – it is simply eye candy. It is your position that counts – what compelling offer intrigues the reader to give you a few moments of their time to indulge you.

Many times eye candy is simply forgetable. How many ads have you seen where you remember the sweet spot but can not for the life of you, remember the pitch and certainly not the company. Not a great way to start off a brand relationship. Offering everything or God forbid copying the leader in your category just tosses your brand into a sea of sameness. You are awash in mediocrity.

Now – take a positioning strategy based on differentiation and watch your stake holders get excited by what they are shouting. When we develop this position they (the customer) are so pumped they can hardly wait to launch this new approach. WHY? – because they now have something to say. The message comes from they’re very core. It is a difference that makes sense, and one that they can build a relationship on. It is something the competition has failed to recognize and it becomes a lightening rod. Marketing is now exciting and they are invigorated.

Taking the effort to discover your difference, will rejuvenate your brand and this will generate income and inject excitement into your brand.

File under: Archives, Blogs & Blogging, Branding, Business, Employer Branding, Featured, Internal Projects, Marketing, Personal Branding

April 28, 2008 By Ed Roach

How To Make Compliance Branding Work For You.

No matter what industry you are in, there are regulations in place to make your company comply with preset standards of practice. These standards are known as compliances. Some are set in place by government agencies and the others are professional compliances both internal and external. Government compliances in many cases deal with health, safety and security to name a few. Business owners have mixed emotions about compliances. In most cases, compliances are viewed with distain for many reasons over and above the expense of it.

Ed Roach

What should be recognized as important is the effect on your brand your compliances have. If your corporate brand values are based on values such as integrity and due diligence, being compliant is very important to you. By complying you reduce the risk associated with running your operation. Deficiencies in the implementation of compliances can lead to unfortunate outcomes that essentially take a sucker-punch to your brand. No business can afford to run rough shod over their compliance obligations. Safety compliances protect your brand from being exposed due to employee injuries. These high profile events draw undesired attention to your company. Any adverse news makes your company look sloppy and insensitive.

Your brand is everything to do with your reputation. Not only is being compliant of importance to the health and welfare of your company but also by extension to your corporate brand as well. Industry compliances are more specific in nature. They typically associate themselves with standards of the type of business you are in. Architects for instance must adhere to compliances that allow them to promote themselves as architects. These industry compliances set the bar high for entry into the industry and protect the public in their quest for your services. Following these compliances assures the public of professional standards of practice. Detering from professional compliances sets your brand up to take the fall. Failure to live up to your compliances and accepting deficiencies exposes your company – and thus your brand. Any loss in professional designation will ultimately cost you money. Your brand loses its expert status in the eyes of your customer.

A third and often neglected area of compliance is the self-administered compliance. These are compliances that you have personally put into place to react to a cultural shift in your industry or to raise the bar from within. Self-administered compliances are very real opportunities. Corporate standards put in place within a company do so to provide an assurance on the level of quality of operation and service within the company. Self-administered compliances are a perfect opportunity to develop a more effective model of operation.

Now that we have looked at the 3 main types of compliances and recognizing their importance to the running of your company and their positive impact on your brand, now we must be assured that they are being implemented effectively. It is one thing to recognize a compliance need, it is another entirely that the compliance is being administered properly. There must be processes put in place to be sure that those rules and regulations are being followed and understood by all stake holders in the company. Any negligence in the implementation of compliances weakens the compliance leaving your brand exposed by association. Your marketing efforts often position your company in it’s best light. You simply can not afford sloppy compliance practices. It has a negative effect on moral and leadership within the corporation.

Once you have determined that all compliances are in place and that they are being adhered to according to processes developed to that end, it is important now to market compliances to your advantage. Being compliant on multiple levels can become the basis of a strategy of differentiation. Compliance icons can be used to shout this message out to your target audience. Stepping up as a leader in your category, not only raises the bar but puts barriers in place that impedes the forward movement of your competition. In order to match or beat you they have to invest considerable effort and expense to catch up and surpass you. Being the leader allows you certain bragging rights that gives your customers maximum confidence in dealing with you.

This confidence equates to a stronger brand relationship.