Texas Brand’em – Your Ace In The Hole!
More and more in the popular media, the term branding is being introduced into the business psyche of the watching/listening audience. The understanding that your brand is NOT just your logo, is still the number one misunderstanding of businesses and organizations that I meet. When you understand that your brand is essentially your reputation, then you will understand that “re-branding” your business with a logo change is simply “putting lipstick on a pig.” Put another way: Let us say that you don’t like Pepsi. If I change the logo and slogan, are you going to like it now? No, of course, not. You have to fundamentally change the way Pepsi does things, and here it is changing the taste. Then they have a chance of getting you to switch. Your brand is no different.
Wouldn’t you love to understand how you could make your brand more powerful? If you could find a way to make your brand a leader, you’d be interested right? What if I told you that strategically positioning your brand with a compelling offer, REMOVES you from commodity hell – wouldn’t that intrigue you? The answers to all these questions are no-brainers.
The fact that you should draw comfort in, is that most – I’ll say that again – MOST businesses, communities, and people (brands) completely ignore their brands. This short-sightedness is your ace in the hole. Even if you were to tweak your brand a little bit, you’d be miles ahead of the other person.
I recently gave a lecture to a packed house (and more on the waiting list) to the Center for Business, Advancement, and Research in Windsor Ontario. It was a one half hour discussion on “Branding Yourself Online.” I was very well received. So much so, that a line following the event formed in front of me and took 1-1/2 hours to clear. But, the simple truth is, MOST of these well-meaning entrepreneurs will do absolutely nothing about their lack lustre, follow the leader brands.
Take place branding – how many communities in your area could use a boost in their economic development portfolios? How many would love to be considered first choice for convention business? (more no-brainer questions). BUT, most would rather ignore their brands and turn direct their priority to changing logos and tag lines. Instead of analysis of why their brands are attracting negative attention and fixing the problem, city fathers again and again opt for short-term, same old, same old strategies creating the perception of doing something. The fact will remain that when the audience reacts negatively to your community brand, it’s too late. The same holds true in business branding. In both cases, it becomes a commodity issue. You have to buy their business. You’ll have no staying power. Their business moves from price to price. No powerful relationship to retain them.
If you want to stand out and play a different game, you might want to get in on Texas Brand’em and leave 52 Pick-up to the amateurs.
Here’s your winning hand, in a game of Texas Brand’em:
CARD ONE: Establish you brand values and personality, as the foundation of your brand.
CARD TWO: Establish your brand message. What is it you do that your customers value the most.
CARD THREE: Have a positioning strategy that compels your audience. Establishes you as a leader not a follower.
CARD FOUR: Make sure that your brand image is consistent with your values and personality and is consistent across all materials.
CARD FIVE: Live the brand, it has to be authentic. Build relationships with integrity.
Business is a high stakes game. Picking up the hand above ends the temptation to bluff your opponent. They’ll have no option other than folding.
Your Place Or Mine?
What do you think is the brand of the community that you live in? From what you know, does it have difficulty attracting investment? Do your city officials keep changing slogans in a desperate attempt to see what will stick, thinking fancy advertising is the ticket to prosperity? Because of poor brands many communities are suffering. Place branding could help them update their strong points to attract investment and talent. Like corporate branding, place branding draws out a positioning strategy that differentiates. Recently, I was interviewed by Ed Burghard from the Burghard Group. They just recently re-branded the State of Ohio, and launched their Brand America initiative.
The goal of any place branding effort is to attract investment to a community on a global scale. The competitive environment is enormous and efforts to attract and win site selection opportunities makes place branding a critical strategy. Place branding also carries with it great responsibilities because the brand has to walk the walk. It’s not enough to profess greatness; you must BE great. Place brands like their corporate and personal cousins have to mirror their reputations. Businesses looking to relocate are seeking genuine experiences. They crave creative environments that allow them to prosper, and place branding when handled properly puts infrastructure in alignment with communication to deliver the goods.
The smart money is on place branding when it comes to answering the question, “Your place, or Mine?” The winner will always be the most compelling brand which is one that allows investment to flourish in a community rich in positive experiences.
