Marketing & Branding Blog by Dave Dolak, The marketing guy who drives sales®

How to Build Your Reputation Online

2008-05-13T07:52:00.002-04:00

Here is some great advice in the form of an interview on establishing and building your reputation online using some of the newer social media tools.

My recent break from blogging

2008-05-11T23:02:00.006-04:00

Oh, did I not mention a conference that I would be attending in Cancun?

I'm back now and will start thinking about marketing again...although the entire concept of Cancun was obviously conceived with nothing but tourists in mind in order to find a way to part them from their money. Cancun is completely unlike the rest of Mexico and is entirely built for tourism. As branding goes, they've done a good job catering to their target market.

In order to further connect this trip to marketing and branding, I also snapped this second picture outside of a small convenience shop in Mexico.

Bimbo Bakeries was founded in Mexico City in 1945 and brought packaged, sliced bread to the Mexican market. Does this brand name hold up across countries and cultures?

..and this all begs the question, Is Cancun the best thing to happen in Mexico since sliced bread?

Great marketing quote...

2008-04-26T21:05:00.002-04:00

"Authentic marketing is not the art of selling what you make but knowing what to make. It is the art of identifying and understanding customer needs and creating solutions that deliver satisfaction to the customers, profits to the producers and benefits for the stakeholders."

- Philip Kotler

Meaningful Marketing lesson

2008-04-23T23:27:00.002-04:00

I'm working my way through a new book (to me), "Meaningful Marketing". This book is already looking like one of the best pragmatic marketing books I've read in recent years even though I'm only on page 50. I already uncovered a gem that I must share with you that goes to the heart of branding.

"To get customers to listen, you must give them a dramatic reason. A study of over 901 marketing messages for new products found that when the sales messages specifically stated the product's point of difference, those brands were 52% more likely to survive for 5 years or more than those that were less overt."

Great lesson. Create a point of singular distinction and communicate it clearly.

Amen.

The awareness question revisited

2008-04-22T21:22:00.004-04:00

Well, I recently got "the question" again. Yet another reader of my e-book, "How to Build and Manage Your Brand (in sickness and in health)" emailed me a question about my stance on brand awareness. I get some iteration of this question every few months.

The question?

Always some variation of,

"I'm very interested to know what's behind your statement, 'Brand awareness is not everything. Brand awareness is vitally important for all brands but high brand awareness without an understanding of what sets you apart from the competition does you virtually no good. Many marketers experience confusion on this point.'"

What do I mean?

Brand awareness is vitally important for all brands but high brand awareness without an understanding of what sets you apart from the competition does you no good in-and-of itself.

Just because somebody is aware of your brand does not mean they understand why it is unique or why they should believe it represents superior value. Heck, there are a lot of brands with high awareness but also high notoriety. This is not desirable.

It is only once people understand what is different and unique about your brand that they can start to consider it as the superior choice in its category and start to develop brand preference toward it. Awareness means they are simply aware. Strategically aware means they are aware and understand what makes your brand different from every other one in the category...and just because they understand the differences doesn't necessarily mean those differences are favorable in their eyes.

Positive strategic awareness occurs when not only does the person recognize your brand, but they also understand the distinctive qualities that make it better in their eyes than the competition. This leads to brand preference.

Simply creating awareness for your brand is not even half the battle. Give me enough money for advertising and I can raise awareness for just about any brand...but that doesn't mean I'll drive any sales for it.

So remember, powerhouse, sales-driving branding is all about creating a point of singular distinction, creating positive strategic awareness and building brand preference in the mind of the target market.

SEE ALSO:
http://www.dolakblog.com/2006/08/brand-awareness-whats-deal.html

CRM: Can't Really Manage

2008-04-14T22:53:00.002-04:00

An interesting article at Brandweek reports the results from a recent study involving CRM (customer relationship marketing). It appears that while much resource has been put into CRM systems and efforts to capture and aggregate customer information over recent years, few organizations are fully capitalizing on the efforts.

Only 16% of reporting companies report themselves effective or extremely good when it comes to CRM and a full 31% say they do not do any data mining at all.

It is much easier and much more cost-effective to keep loyal customers than it is to find and get new customers so why do marketers fail at focusing on the customer part of CRM?

Do marketers not realize that their responsibility does not end once a sale is made?

Pantene ad almost hits the mark

2008-04-04T23:03:00.004-04:00

Quick! Which of the two ads above makes the greater impact?

Pantene's (P&G) agency of record, Grey New York, apparently created an almost great ad.

Their original ad is on the left and my slightly edited version is on the right. The text is identical in the two ads except I added the URL to the one on the right to at least add some semblance of a call to action.

Why did Grey New York not use a large, bold headline that's easy to read? Heck, it's only three words. The reader would almost not be able to not read the headline if it were big and bold. Why rely on the photo to stop the page flipper and make them work to find any sort of message? Knock 'em over the head with it. Just three words.

..and the logo? Make it bigger. Don't be ashamed of your client's brand. You've got an ad with 6 words here, folks. Why in the world did you try to hide those 6 words?

I just don't understand art directors who try to hide the message in tiny, gray print. Do they believe the gap is so wide between creatives and copy writers that they simply don't think words have any impact?

Yes, cool picture but your client is paying you to deliver a message. Deliver it effectively without making the reader work. As soon as you make the reader work...

Flip. Next page.

Make a promise and keep it

2008-03-31T22:06:00.003-04:00

An effective brand represents a promise of value to the consumer. A solid brand message communicates what that value is in a way that resonates with the target consumer. If done properly, the promise offers unique value that is not found in competing brands.

As such, branding helps the consumer make the decision once they decide to purchase within the category. At the moment of truth when the consumer is ready to make their choice, a good brand promise will help the consumer make the purchase decision. If the branding holds true, then the consumer also feels the benefits of those kept promises and unique value after they have purchased the brand and those kept promises shape how they feel about the experience long after they’ve made the purchase.

Create a powerful brand and they will not only come back for more, but they’ll tell their friends.

Old-time marketing of the future

2008-03-22T22:04:00.003-04:00

...meanwhile, back in the "words mean things" category, here's a sign I passed earlier in the week while traveling through Virginia:

When I pop over to Merriam Webster.com I find:

Antique:
1: a relic or object of ancient times
2: a work of art, piece of furniture, or decorative object made at an earlier period and according to various customs laws at least 100 years ago

Now, does anything currently "made daily" fit this definition or is this marketing communications created without really thinking about what is being said?

"Old fashioned" or "old style" would have been more accurate, but this marketer chose words that simply aren't and cannot be true.

No wonder marketers have a reputation for stretching the truth.

Brand Destruction

2008-03-17T22:28:00.002-04:00

Earlier today in the American Marketing Association's Brand Strategy and Brand Management SIG, a member posted an intriguing observation.

This SIG member opined that U.S. companies work more to destroy and devalue brands rather than to build and nourish them. This person then went on to challenge the group to think of any brand that is as highly valued today as it was 5 years ago. He then asked a question, "Why do companies destroy brands?"

Firstly, I don't believe that companies consciously devalue their own brands. I believe the market takes care of much of that for them in a fierce, hyper-competitive marketplace where differentiation between a myriad of offerings in any single category is extremely challenging. Further, price pressures and readily-available information via the Internet helps drive just about everything toward commoditization. (For those new to the concept of commoditization, think "unbranded" and consumer choice driven almost exclusively by price.)

I also believe that the way most companies manage brands is unhealthy to long-term brand value.

I have reached the conclusion in my independent research that brands are, by nature, long-term entities and brand managers (and other corporate managers) are critters who are more interested in short-term -- especially quarterly -- results in order to satisfy their bosses and shareholders. One is focused on the short-term and the other is, by definition, a long-term concept. The two are not always in synch with one another.

Brand managers are primarily measured and assessed on their short-term results and when given a choice between making a decision that's in the best interest of the brand vs. making a decision that's in the best interest of their immediate career and income, they'll choose what's in their own best interest first. This may or may not always be in the best, long-term interest of the brand.

Let's face it. Price promotions and other marketing activities geared toward boosting short-term sales may make the brand look good by providing short-term bumps in sales, but these practices actually hurt brands in the long-run because they train consumers to wait for sales, stock-up when items go on sale or they simply reduce the likelihood that anyone will pay full price for a product or service.

When this happens you have a recipe for brand destruction.

A brand means that a product or service delivers superior and unique value that is worth a premium price.

Self-interest, laziness and simple lack of any unique product attributes cause the brand manager to fail to build, communicate and deliver that unique, superior value.

In the absence of unique value, pressure is placed upon low price and the destruction of the brand begins.

What's missing?

2008-03-12T22:08:00.002-04:00

Of all of the information out there, of all the blogs and websites dedicated to marketing and branding, what information is missing?

What marketing topics do you wish were being covered but aren't? What aspects of marketing are not adequately addressed here or elsewhere?

Leave a comment or drop me an email and let me know.

This blog can go anywhere you want it to go, so tell me what's on your mind.

5 Truths About Branding

2008-02-21T22:17:00.003-05:00

From guest speakers at the Rochester,NY chapter of The American Marketing Association's January luncheon.

http://www.ama-rochester.org/blogorama/2008/01/5-truths-about.html

Actually by my count, they've listed 13 but we won't hold that against them.

Speaking of brands that speak to the heart...

2008-02-19T20:50:00.003-05:00

The Secret to All Great Communications
by Ted Nicholas

"The underlying secret to all great communications, writing or speaking, is understood by very few. And it's not taught in any school or university.

What comes from the heart goes to the heart.

It's so crucially important I'll say it again.

What comes from the heart goes to the heart.

What moves people to take action of any kind involves human emotion.

Yet, 99% of all writing appeals just to the mind. When you read it you are not touched emotionally. Magazines, newspapers and the Internet are almost entirely 'left brain writing.' It may be grammatically correct. But, it's extremely boring. And most of it is not read.

To get someone to first read, then respond to your message, you must capture their heart as well as their mind.

Appealing to the mind is the easy part. Many people can do that.

But few writers can capture people's hearts."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This article excerpt appears courtesy of THE SUCCESS MARGIN, the Internet's most valuable success and marketing e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Jk_gx&m=1fhztU.ewyt2_H&b=rR62kw1S2fEnClC4TTxLvg

Can your brand become so meaningful to people that it literally gets under their skin?

2008-02-15T22:14:00.004-05:00

In the early part of his book, Growing Small Businesses Into Big Brands, branding expert Jack Sims relates the story of a friend of his who was an absolute believer in the Ralph Lauren Polo brand. This friend dressed from head to toe in Polo-logoed clothing.

One day Jack watched his friend join a volleyball game on the beach and upon removing all of his Polo outerwear, the friend revealed that he had the Polo logo tattooed on his chest.

What is it that makes somebody so fully identify with a brand that they want to project the attributes of the brand into their lives and onto themselves? Think about this for a moment. People actually want to find brand values that they can hijack for themselves.

These kinds of brands so fully promise value using unique attributes that true brand believers adopt those values and attributes for themselves.

And therein lies the magic of truly powerhouse brands. These powerful brands promise something unique and they provide identifiable attributes that people just want to latch onto.

There are so many products in the marketplace that often entire categories have become commoditized. "Brands" that compete in these categories are virtually indistinguishable from one another. How many brands claim to be the complete solutions provider in this or the leader in that or the best in the other?

We are living in an age of over-communication. After a while, marketing messages all start to sound alike and we become cynical toward all of them. Advertising clutter is everywhere and we are actually become more and more oblivious to things at which we stare directly.

What is the answer?

Certainly not more and more messages or bolder and bolder advertising.

No, the answer is that we need to create brands that offer consumers unique value. We need to create brand attributes to which people are drawn.

In a crowded marketplace of "me too" products and services, we consumers are all starved for brands that give us something to latch onto. We all want brands that connect with us so that we can co-opt some of the brand attributes for ourselves and mutually connect with them. In a world of brands that are all screaming for our attention, we are looking for brands that mean something special and quietly whisper in our ears and speak to our hearts.

We all want to be able to say, "In a world of sameness, this brand is mine because it is different. Let me tell you why..." Once we hear ourselves begin that conversation, we will next hear ourselves mostly talking about ourselves without even realizing it. We're just using those powerhouse brands as a proxy.

So you rank high on Google. Now what?

2008-02-13T23:21:00.003-05:00

An interesting article discusses how high search engine rankings do not necessarily translate into higher sales.

Just about anyone can improve their search engine rankings by optimizing their webpages for keywords and starting pay-for-click advertising campaigns. What just about anyone cannot easily do, however, is convert that traffic into paying customers once it gets to their website.

No, that's where good, old-fashioned content, marketing and copywriting take priority and do the heavy lifting of compelling somebody to buy something.

All the traffic in the world means nothing if you cannot offer compelling value that convinces people that living without your product or service costs them more than purchasing it.

Marketing drives sales, but do you really know how?

2008-02-05T22:40:00.000-05:00

Marketing is about making sales. As such, it is very important to understand the Sales Funnel and know what key aspects of the sales process to quantify, measure and monitor.

Alliance Science just posted a brief article that reminds us of the importance of understanding KPI's tied to the sales process.

As I often say, if you can't measure it, you can't manage it.

Marketing secrets revealed

2008-02-02T21:26:00.000-05:00

Anita Campbell at Small Business Trends asked top marketers to reveal one of their best marketing secrets.

The final list is very informational. Check it out.

How to Write an Effective Headline, Part #1

2008-01-29T22:45:00.000-05:00

From Dr. Ralph Wilson, a good article that overviews the basics of copywriting and writing effective headlines.

Marketing is soda and branding is scotch

2008-01-19T19:47:00.000-05:00

Jennie has posted an interesting take on the differences between marketing and branding over in the BrandTrellis.com Forum. It is definitely worth the read.

Thanks, Jennie!

More on brand awareness

2008-01-03T22:46:00.000-05:00

Back in May I discussed brand awareness and how it occurs when people simply recognize your brand as yours. Brand awareness is not necessarily good or bad.

As I discuss in my e-book, How to Build and Manage Your Brand (in sickness and in health), brand awareness does not necessarily mean that people prefer your brand or even attach much value to it. It just means they recognize your brand and can identify it under different conditions.

In my opinion, too many marketers tout the merits of building brand awareness without giving further thought to building strategic awareness that represents positive associations and superior value that in turn make people wish to choose the brand over competing brands in the category.

New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin fell into the brand awareness trap back in August when, as reported by the Washington Post, he stated that the high violence rate in New Orleans was a "two-edged sword" because "it's not good for [New Orleans], but it also keeps the New Orleans brand out there, and it keeps people thinking about our needs and what we need to bring this community back".

So if high murder rates and violence build high brand awareness for New Orleans, is that a good thing? I think not.

Keep this in mind the next time somebody tells you that you need to build brand awareness. Tell them you know better and you understand the importance of building the right brand awareness.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2007-12-22T23:56:00.000-05:00

Dark days ahead for Web 2.0

2007-12-14T22:07:00.000-05:00

Rob Frankel posted an interesting analysis of the current buzz environment surrounding online social networking and, in general, "Web 2.0". In fact, Rob predicts the demise of social networking sites.

http://robfrankel.blogspot.com/2007/09/demise-of-social-networking.html

I agree with Rob that current practices in marketing and advertising do not support the current business models of these social networking sites.

So what if sites are able to collect large numbers of users who interact in these online communities? Just because lots of people do it doesn’t mean there are profits to be found.

The name of the game is building brand loyalists for these online sites. Loyalists who gladly contribute an ongoing revenue stream.

Ad-supported revenue models just aren't going to cut it. Click-through rates for ads are abysmal online and only the most targeted of campaigns with the most closely aligned offerings stand any chance of success.

Add the over-hyping of social networking and Web 2.0 by overexuberant entrepreneurs trying to make money from these sites and it starts to look like the days of the dot-com bubble all over again. Lot's of promises and hyping but very little value creation that drives ongoing revenue generation from brand-loyal users.

What we're seeing now is also the exploitation of a new medium by less than fully honest and ethical marketers.

Online videos on YouTube, blogs, podcasts, social networking sites (remember when we called them forums and sig's?) are currently seen as new and cool. Everyone gets a shot at their 15 minutes of fame.

Some so-called marketers out there are exploiting this by making things "seem" user-generated while the reality is that budgets -- sometimes large ones -- are behind the promotion of these brands. There is much scamming and shilling going on.

Does anyone really believe that "social networking" only started recently because of advances in Internet technology? Does anyone realize that secretly paying others to blog about or create YouTube videos that support their brands is nothing more than deceptive advertising?

Consumers are becoming more and more sophisticated about all this user-generated media and social networking and starting to understand that not everything is as it seems.

Some marketing tactics are designed to go undetected. Some things are hyped just to try to get somebody else's money. Some will try new, stealth ways to monetize an otherwise unprofitable social phenomenon.

As more and more people begin to understand the new media dynamics, we won't have as many snake oil salesmen rolling through town in their horse-drawn carriages hawking Web 2.0 and Social Networking-For-Money with their duo core processors and three-card monte misdirection.

Deceptive exploitation practices will be exposed and the masses will be less trusting. Once the deceptive advertising and speculation is exposed and consumers become savvy, then most of these social networking sites will dry up and go away unless a real business model comes forward where there is real revenue flow. Revenue flow from social networking means users pay for access in mass numbers, and that simply isn’t likely to happen on the web.

Speculation without real return is as bankable as fairy dust.

Use words wisely in marketing communications

2007-12-11T07:07:00.001-05:00

I've been hearing a radio advertisement for the American Stroke Association for some time now and it has bothered me since the first time I heard it.

{Struggling voice}: The First Amendment reads, “the people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak”

Narrator #1: The odds are, the person you just heard is an African-American.

Narrator #2: Because African-Americans are twice as likely to suffer a stroke as white Americans.

Narrator #1: That’s twice as likely a stroke can rob you of your freedom to speak your mind.

Narrator #2: The freedom to shout from mountain tops.

Narrator #1: The freedom to tell your mother you love her.

Narrator #2: And it’s twice as likely a stroke could take your life.

Narrator #1: Therefore it’s twice as crucial for us to do something about preventing a stroke.

{Same struggling voice}: Learn how you can help beat the odds.

Narrator #1: Start by calling 1-888-4-stroke or go online to strokeassociation.org.

Narrator #2: Join the power to end stroke.

Narrator #3: A public service message brought to you by the American Stroke Association and the Ad Council.

Here’s what bothers me about the ad.

Strokes often rob people of their ability to speak, not their freedom of speech. To imply that the loss of the ability to speak due to stroke is somehow related to the loss of the American freedom of speech by referencing the U.S. Constitution is, well, misguided.

As marketing communication goes, the American Stroke Association and the Ad Council could have taken a better approach with an issue directed at a minority population rather than toying with the notion that a constitutional freedom is somehow being taken away.

I appreciate the message that those at higher risk for strokes should know they are at higher risk and inform themselves on the topic. I also applaud the strategy of informing all of us about the risks. I just wish they would have thought a little more about how they conveyed that message.

More information…

Amendment I to the U.S. Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

About the risk of strokes.

Top 100 Brandz

2007-12-03T21:40:00.000-05:00

Millward Brown Optimor has compiled its list of the top 100 global brands as measured by their dollar value.

The top 10:

1. Google
2. GE
3. Microsoft
4. Coca Cola
5. China Mobile
6. Marlboro
7. Wal-Mart
8. Citi
9. IBM
10. Toyota

A direct link to the report with the complete list and description of methodology:
http://www.millwardbrown.com/Sites/optimor/Media/Pdfs/en/BrandZ/BrandZ-2007-RankingReport.pdf

Who or what is the consumer?

2007-11-21T21:23:00.000-05:00

“The consumer isn’t stupid, the consumer is your mother”
- David Ogilvy