Your Brand Be Remembered!

Your brand

Be Remembered! 

 

 

Heinz Ketchup

Considered by many to be the best condiment to ever grace a simple food with its sweet, tangy, and ever so tomato-y flavour. It has historically been America's most used condiment and is estimated to be found in 97% of all American kitchens, a status equalled only by Salt, Pepper and Sugar!

 

Since 1873 Heinz Ketchup has dominated. That domination has created a company that is now worth nineteen billion dollars!  

 

I cannot imagine buying any other brand of ketchup other than Heinz. I like the flavour, I trust the quality, I know exactly what to expect when I dip a French fry into it before devouring.  

 

I have similar feeling when I open a can of Coca-Cola, enjoy a Campari and Soda, walk into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong or watch Oprah.  I know what to expect.  The quality and the experience is a given.  There is not risk in the purchase or the experience.

 

There is no fear!

  

That is the value of a brand!

 

That is the value of a brand and that is why every business and every individual needs to build their brand.

 

Build Your company's brand

 

Everyday I see businesses large and small that work hard to sell their products and services but do little to build their brand and their long term position in the marketplace.  All markets are competitive but what happens when companies put all of their energy into getting business today, this week, this month but do not work on their long term value? They commoditize themselves.

 

The worst thing that can happen for a company is to become a commodity.  Once a company is seen as a no-name brand amongst peers, the ability to choose its' own path is severely diminished.  Market forces take over and the buyers of your product will determine your price and your selling terms.  The value of your business becomes nothing.

 

Building a brand is done in a thousand different ways.  Investing in professional packaging, professional sales tools, relationships with consumers and resellers, a unique representation and a strong public statement are only a few of the steps to building a brand.

 

Every action that invests in your brand will make the sales process easier.  Strong brands have acceptance and power.  Can a major grocery chain dump Heinz Ketchup in favour of a house brand with stronger margins? Absolutely not!  Their customers would not permit that to happen!

 

That is the power of the brand and the same power is available to your business, probably to a lesser degree than Heinz, but efforts  put into building your brand will also strengthen your market position, your ability to sell, and your ability to keep your position when others chop prices.

 

Binney & Smith, the makers of Crayola were a client of mine for fourteen years. They are the highest cost manufacturer of Crayons in the world.  Every wax Crayon they produce is made in their factory in Easton, Pennsylvania. They have dominated their markets and fought off lower priced brands because of their brand position and their dedication to investing in that brand.

 

The tools do not have to cost a lot of money.  YouTube, news releases, Linkedin, facebook - have all been used to put Obama on the map - why not your brand too?

 

Build your personal brand 

 

Brands are not just for companies with products, brands are for people too!  Building your own brand means investing in yourself and investing the time and effort it takes to have a public reputation within your industry.

 

Is it worth while?  You bet it is!  Establishing your brand whether you are a one person accounting business or a salesperson or engineer working for a large company, can make a tremendous difference in your career.  Building your brand means that when the factory closes your phone rings.  People in your industry will be watching you and looking for an opportunity to offer you a role in their businesses. 

 

Is it easy?  No!  Does it happen overnight? No!  But it does happen!  A year or two of networking and promoting yourself and your expertise and you will start to see the difference in your career.  You will move from trying to get an appointment to being invited into the inner office.  Things will happen for you!

 

Again, it is not easy but start with joining Linkedin and connecting with everyone you know.  Join groups on linkedin and within your own industry. Volunteer for something, join Toastmasters and develop the skills to give a speech. Be passionate about what you do and people will be attracted to your energy and enthusiasm!

 

The building never ends! 

 

Crayola and Heinz have both been around for more than one hundred years, but they never stop building their brand. It is a constant daily effort that brings enormous long term rewards!