by Brett Krkosska
Where's the Beef? These words became a national catch phrase in the mid Wendy's credits the "Where's the Beef" ad campaign with a Not bad for a campaign built on a three-word ad slogan. Granted, you may not have the budget to build a brand Identify Your Uniqueness If you haven't yet put a finger on the distinct quality This unique quality that sets you apart from the herd is Once identified, you must be able to clearly communicate A branded business has a memorable logo. A straight- The next component is a written or verbal one. It is Coca Cola's statement of being 'The Real Thing' is a For the small business owner it's better to go with a more Five Ways to Promote Your Unique Identity Your logo and tagline are valuable property. Make them a 1. Give Away Something People Will Expose To Others Instead of just giving away a freebie that has a one-time Free eBooks, free email, free websites, free pens, free t- 2. Encourage Interactivity We are social creatures. Everyone likes to be included -to Take a peek at Pepsi.com for a look at brand marketing Strawberry/Kiwi Pepsi. What do you think? Pssst... tell 3. Brand Your Digital and Print Communications If you type it, write it, or touch it... brand it. If 4. Give Away Your Knowledge Writing articles and making them available for reprint is
1980's and catapulted the Wendy's hamburger chain into the
limelight as a major player in fast food sales.
31% jump in sales and a 24% boost in year-end profits.
awareness campaign as Wendy's did, but you certainly should
practice advertising strategies that are built around your
own unique business identity.
that sets your business apart from your competition, then
you need to get busy. You only need one quality. Just one.
your brand. It is the essence - the fabric - that runs
through your operation. It speaks to consumers instantly
about the nature of your service or product, your
reputation, your commitment, your uniqueness.
your brand to consumers. There are two easily recognizable
ways to do this: with your logo and tagline.
forward example is Ford's blue oval, while a more abstract
example is the Nike checkmark. Your logo is the visual
component of your brand.
referred to as your tagline, and it reflects the exact
position you are assuming in relation to your customer,
your product, and your competitors. Specifically, it
clearly defines the quality which differentiates your
business from competitors while extolling the benefit your
customer will enjoy.
classic example of positioning in relation to a competitor.
Clearly, if they're the real thing - the original - then
the other guy isn't. But does this mean anything to
consumers? The benefit to the customer is kind of murky.
narrowly defined tagline that clearly denotes uniqueness.
The sandwich shop Quizno's exemplifies this with their
tagline 'Oven Toasted Tastes Better'.
visible thread that runs through all your promotions. Here
are five great ways to get your brand name out there in
front of consumers:
use, provide a valuable service or product that will get
used or seen by other people. I use this strategy by
providing free newsletter templates. At the bottom of the
templates you'll find my brand. It's great exposure and a
wonderful traffic-generating tool.
shirts, free baseball caps... all these are great examples
of things people use and expose to others. Take a good look
at your own products and services. What can you give away?
have the opportunity to put in their 2 cents worth.
Encourage people to get involved with your business. Invite
questions, ask for feedback, run a contest, sponsor
teleclasses or chat sessions, or moderate a discussion
board. For every person you make a connection with, you
have created the opportunity to ignite a word-of-mouth
campaign that stretches through everyone they know.
through interactivity. On their home page they are actively
recruiting every carbonated beverage drinker on the planet
to "make a difference" and become a Pepsi Advisor.
your friends!
you're within breathing distance of it - try to brand it.
Leave evidence of your unique business identity everywhere
you can. Your website, all your outgoing postal mail, and
all electronic mail should include your business name or
logo, your tagline, email address, website URL, phone
number, and mailing address. And a handy supply of business
cards is a must any time you leave the office.
an especially powerful method of spreading your name.
Published articles often remain in the public eye for
years. I have dozens of articles on numerous sites, all of
them tirelessly promoting my business without any effort on
my part. One article in particular that was published in
Success Digest over 3 years ago still brings in traffic to
this day.
5. Make it Easy For Others To Toot Your Horn Word-of-mouth referrals are the best kind of exposure you In the end, the name of the game is repeatedly exposing About the Author
Brett Krkosska is a freelance writer and syndicated columnist.
can get. There's nothing more powerful than a personal
endorsement from a satisfied customer. Make it easy for
people to tell their friends and family about your product
or service. Rarely a day goes by on my site that someone
hasn't emailed a friend using my handy online referral
form. This is a branding tool that every business should
employ.
consumers to your unique business identity - your brand.
The above strategies are viral marketing tools in that they
are far-reaching and long-lasting, and that's a great
combination for long term business success.
He is the owner and founder of http://HomeBizTools.com, an
idea center for small/home-based business owners. Free
subscription to his ezine, Straight Talk, available at:
mailto:enews@homebiztools.com