Posts Tagged branding
Branding: What We Can Learn From College Football
Posted by Mike Paffenback in Brand Image on September 3, 2010
Thank God, it’s time for the college football season to start; and all the color, pageantry, traditions, fanaticism, and school spirit that go with it. College football offers a complete experience unlike any other sport. And, perhaps, unlike any other brand.
The first college football game I attended was Harvard-Yale at the Yale Bowl in New Haven. I was maybe 10 or 11 at the time, and I remember people tailgating, seeing “Handsome Dan” the Yale bulldog mascot, watching the bands perform, looking at real live college cheerleaders, and using what I thought was a very cool men’s urinal (a marble wall with a horizontal pipe trickling water across the top and a trough drain along the floor).
Years later, I graduated from Auburn University. The game-day experience at Auburn was different from what I remembered at the Yale-Harvard game: a much larger stadium with many more fans, folks dressed in all manner of orange and blue, RVs showing up on the Wednesday before a home game, Aubie the costumed mascot and Tiger the golden eagle, the traditional pre-kick-off buildup chant of “War Eagle!” and much more.
When it comes to branding, college football gets it. Or, at least many schools get it. Close attention is paid to every touchpoint: tv exposure, school colors, licensed merchandise, the traditions unique to each team, tailgating procedures, the marching bands’ presentation, pre-game ceremonies, etc. Each game-day experience is a tighty defined, highly orchestrated series of events. A carefully crafted and executed brand identity, delivered as experiences; brand touchpoints for that particular school. The result of their delivery is the formation or reinforcement of an image by those experiencing the touchpoints — whether it be live or on television.
As you watch some college football this season, what concepts can you borrow for your business team’s branding playbook? Probably a lot. Because really, their delivering a football game-day experience is not that much different from your delivering a sales game-day experience.
One more thought: “War Eagle!”
Branding Is Like Flying A Kite
Posted by Mike Paffenback in General on August 19, 2010
To fly high, a kite must constantly fight against the wind.
Not sure who to attribute that quote to, but I like it. It pertains to life, to business, and to branding. A constant, difficult battle, with the goal of flying higher.
Onwards and upwards, folks.
10 Questions To Ponder About Your Business
Posted by Mike Paffenback in General on August 3, 2010
The economic pendulm continues to swing, though I’m not sure in what direction exactly. As things start to gear up in the aftermath of the economy of mass destruction, here are ten questions to consider for your business’ health and long term well-being:
- Could we be selling more of our “stuff”?
- Have we defined exactly how we want our brand(s) to be perceived in the real world?
- Have we clearly communicated this to employees?
- Are all of our operations — from manufacturing to sales to customer service to admin — aligned with how we want our brand to be perceived?
- Do we know which of our brand touchpoints drive long-lasting customer relationships?
- Do we track what our customers, prospects, and influencers really think of us?
- What is the benefit users receive from each of our brands — our value proposition?
- How are we distinctive from our competitors?
- Are we generating the most return from the customer lifecycle?
- What’s getting in the way of achieving our business goals and objectives?
Chew on these for a while. When you’ve answered the questions and formalized your action plan that I’m certain will result, you’ll be well on your way to business health and long term success. Happy pondering.
Why Post-Purchase Brand Touchpoints Matter
Posted by Mike Paffenback in Brand Touchpoints on July 28, 2010
The sale is made. Cha-Ching! But how do you keep existing customers coming back for more? No matter what business you’re in (except, maybe funeral homes?), repeat sales are most likely a vital part of your continued success.
And that’s why post-purchase brand touch points are a big deal, not to be overlooked while so much emphasis is naturally placed on getting the sale to begin with.
Consider all of the ways you continue to interact with your customers, post-sale. What situations and issues are likely to infuriate those customers the most, driving them away forever?
- Product/service quality
- Warranty performance
- Tech support
- User training and documentation
- Return policies and procedures
- Product packaging
- Customer service personnel
- Etc.
Each and every one of these post-purchase brand touchpoints – and possibly hundreds more for your particular business — play a role in helping your customer decide if he or she will ever do business with you again.
Remember how hard it was to reel in that customer to begin with? How about considering the potential lifetime value of that hard-won customer relationship. Now add in the power of social media and user reviews and how those customers could very well spread the word about how great your product or service is … or isn’t.
Isn’t it worth the considered effort to keep them happy after the sale?
Brand Identity and Brand Touchpoints
Posted by Mike Paffenback in Brand Identity, Brand Touchpoints on July 26, 2010
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
We were all asked that at one time or another (I still ponder over this question for myself some days). It’s a fair question to consider for your brand(s) right now – what do you want it/them to be today and tomorrow? The process of formally answering this is the development of your brand identity. It’s the platform from which all your future brand-related activities will spring to life. It’s the litmus test to determine if future initiatives are in the best interest for the brand. It’s the standard for how you deliver your brand touchpoints.
This brand identity thing is a pretty big deal.
Managers of successful brands have paid much attention to developing and managing their brand identity. Disney. Apple. BMW. Nike. Local sports franchises, and their leagues. Even popular novelists and rock bands. Each has a distinctive truth about it, which is consistently reinforced time and again in the way their respective touchpoints are delivered. And make no mistake: the various touch points for each have been carefully planned and administered, and proactively managed as the marketplace continues to shift and evolve.
Developing a successful brand identity is a complex process, but the big picture is this: consider what you want your customers, prospects, and others to think about your brand and define specifically how you want them to experience their interactions with the brand. Then, plan and consistently deliver that defined brand experience … graphically, via your facilities, through your online and traditional promotional programs, in your sales presentations and customer service, and the myriad of other brand touchpoints that help drive sales (new and repeat) for your business.
So, what do you want your brand to be when it grows up? Today is a great day to start thinking or rethinking about it.