[Hidden-tech] Picking Your Brains About Brand

[Steven Tripp]

To me brand is the story that your customers (and potential customers) tell themselves and others when they think of you.  By that definition, everybody has a brand.  The questions are:  Are you in control of your brand, or are your employees, or are customers in control?  Is everyone telling the same story, or are there too many stories being told meaning you struggle for focus and the coveted "hedge hog" concept?  Is the story you tell the same as the one your employees tell in the break room, or your customers tell themselves?  Is there a disconnect between customers and management about the brand?

Brand isn't the end-all be-all of business, but it's way up there.  There are plenty of strong brands that haven't made the cut.  

Think of some of the strong brands in the Western Mass area and think how they do it: Antonio's Pizza, Yankee Candle, Faces, Bob's Discount Furniture, etc.  How do they communicate that brand?  Promotions?  Product?  Service?  Do we all tell the same story about those brands?  Is there a smell, a feel, a taste, a sight, a sound, or a feeling?  There is a lot to learn about brand by thinking about the brands that you are passionate about and loyal to.  Don't think about brand in terms of just business either... it's people, governments, charities, churches, chambers of commerce, schools, departments, etc.

Alas... I've bored all the techies so I'll step down from my soap box.

Steven Tripp
Futureville.com


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Nancy Fletcher 
  To: Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net 
  Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 2:04 PM
  Subject: [Hidden-tech] Picking Your Brains


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  Dear Hidden Techies,

  This is my first time out. Hi there!

  I want to pick your brains about the definition of "branding." 

  I'm organizing a symposium on branding for my client Bidwell ID. It's going to be Nov. 1 at the Eric Carle Museum and presenters from five different sectors will be talking about branding from their points of view. They represent the arts, business, healthcare and higher education. Following the panel, a board of experts will instigate what we hope is a lively discussion. We have decided we need to identify a working definition of " branding" at least for purposes of the symposium, in order for the discussion to really make sense. Otherwise people will be all over the place with what they think it is. 

  So I'm collecting definitions.

  One that has already been suggested:

  The conscious effort of an entity to establish an authentic identity and accurate positive associations with that identity in the minds of the target market, such that the market will take actions that support the viability of that entity.

  Any feedback? Any ideas? Just email them back to me.

  Thanks for your collective brain power. 

  Nancy

  Nancy Fletcher
  Fletcher Associates Public Relations
  413 256-3471



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