Whisper "You'll be hearing an announcement soon"!
Honestly, my heart sank as I heard the death sentence heralded with gleeful triumph. Why? I had noticed the new CEO's body language at his introduction, and matched it with the history of that company and wondered if he was going to be a sacrificial lamb. Sigh.
Months later I heard about increased in-fighting among their Heads of Department. Uh-oh. One starry-eyed newcomer who was a very bewildered HOD referred to 'firmly entrenched warlords' and 'little napoleons' guarding their turf. Well you tell me now - what do you think the CEO was up against and could do?
More months later one of the groups complained that its members weren't being heard and asked to see the captain of the ship and offer their help to contribute to solutions. His response? "Go through the proper channels" i.e. the CEO. Hmmmm. REALLY?????
But you know what peeps? I saw something similar happen not so long ago elsewhere too, and the name of the game is "I'll not upset my personal gravy train". At the expense of the income-generators of course. Ai yai yai yai yai :(
As I write, both those ships - carrying established international brands which are perceived with much respect, look like they can't bail out the water fast enough to contain the leaks while being buffeted by a highly competitive economy.
No, if the chief Executive is not empowered to act, then the owner of the Brand is its custodian and must act to align the Brand to maintain its integrity and sustain its Brand Image in the marketplace. It is true when they say you must nip trouble in the bud or prepare to lose the fruit!
Perhaps you are facing operational difficulties and find that you are fighting fires to keep afloat? What are your options? Being so close to the daily grind, there may be some you've not thought of and I'll be glad to hear your out and offer some viable ones for you to consider.
Cheer up? Give me a call at 6-03-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
OUCH! No invitation to the glam freebies :(
My client had been planning a really good awareness program for months and was (rightfully) excited about it! The team was in place, outstation venue and transportation had been arranged, and best of all -they had a funder to underwrite their expenses too. WOWEE!
A week before the exciting event I asked what the response had been like; only20% of their expected turnout had replied. Hmmmmm. Low response to a high value freebie? Odd! "May I see your advertisements?" I asked and they obliged. Glossy; classy, multi-coloured, BUT, but, the text left out the benefits! Not even including that it was free!!! Getting resources for a mandatory compliance amidst a nice hotel's ambience and food free of charge from a sponsor was not mentioned????? Oooooooops!
But you know what? It could happen to anyone who is excited about making a good offer and assumes that it is obvious. Do take a second and third look at your brochures, flyers, advertisements, etc. and ensure that the uninformed reader is told clearly about WHY choosing your offer is good for them.
If you'd like an objective opinion (online) about your promotions, I'd be glad to help out. Just call me at 6-03-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and you'd get feedback within 48 hours on how to attract more customers. Its about Brand Visibility and Brand Positioning too.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
A week before the exciting event I asked what the response had been like; only20% of their expected turnout had replied. Hmmmmm. Low response to a high value freebie? Odd! "May I see your advertisements?" I asked and they obliged. Glossy; classy, multi-coloured, BUT, but, the text left out the benefits! Not even including that it was free!!! Getting resources for a mandatory compliance amidst a nice hotel's ambience and food free of charge from a sponsor was not mentioned????? Oooooooops!
But you know what? It could happen to anyone who is excited about making a good offer and assumes that it is obvious. Do take a second and third look at your brochures, flyers, advertisements, etc. and ensure that the uninformed reader is told clearly about WHY choosing your offer is good for them.
If you'd like an objective opinion (online) about your promotions, I'd be glad to help out. Just call me at 6-03-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and you'd get feedback within 48 hours on how to attract more customers. Its about Brand Visibility and Brand Positioning too.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Monday, February 20, 2012
OMG! A Consumer's nightmare - Brand Invisibility!!!
Now really, would you eat products from an unknown source? Or take the risk of offering them to your guests? And yet - perhaps unintentionally - that is what the so-called business owner was suicidally suggesting.
I received an announcement offering bulk orders of handmade chocolates as special gifts, with an invitation to look at their website. It was very well done and featured attractive designs and packaging for a range of occasions and budgets, with nation-wide delivery services too. Nice! They were made with no preservatives etc, and by a chocolatier. Hmmmm. Interesting. There were photos of door gifts, themed gifts, thank-you gifts - you know; any occasion where chocolates would provide a lovely touch.
So I checked out the 'About Us' section. Choke! Splutter! NOTHING except an address and phone number. No credentials warranting the use of the term 'chocolatier', person's name, qualifications, licence to trade, nothing!!!! AHEM!
Now, what if you'd ordered a batch for an event say to celebrate an occasion, and those guests who consumed the chocolates became ill from eating them? WHAT would you do? HOW would you answer them? WHERE would you go to for recourse? Even your reputation as a host would suffer!!
Part of Branding is about giving an assurance of the quality of the products or services on sale via credentials like certifications, endorsements from credible sources, evidence of years in business etc. If you'd like me to suggest how you might strengthen the credibility of your business, do call me at 6-03-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net?
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
I received an announcement offering bulk orders of handmade chocolates as special gifts, with an invitation to look at their website. It was very well done and featured attractive designs and packaging for a range of occasions and budgets, with nation-wide delivery services too. Nice! They were made with no preservatives etc, and by a chocolatier. Hmmmm. Interesting. There were photos of door gifts, themed gifts, thank-you gifts - you know; any occasion where chocolates would provide a lovely touch.
So I checked out the 'About Us' section. Choke! Splutter! NOTHING except an address and phone number. No credentials warranting the use of the term 'chocolatier', person's name, qualifications, licence to trade, nothing!!!! AHEM!
Now, what if you'd ordered a batch for an event say to celebrate an occasion, and those guests who consumed the chocolates became ill from eating them? WHAT would you do? HOW would you answer them? WHERE would you go to for recourse? Even your reputation as a host would suffer!!
Part of Branding is about giving an assurance of the quality of the products or services on sale via credentials like certifications, endorsements from credible sources, evidence of years in business etc. If you'd like me to suggest how you might strengthen the credibility of your business, do call me at 6-03-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net?
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Delivering the Brand's value
The skilled young man was protesting at the potential incomes in place as opposed to the lush opportunities being presented at a roll-out of a new ecosystem for entrepreneurs. Indeed, why IS brand delivery valued in some places more than others? Here's a classic example of why:
Mum needed replenishments for her pain relievers etc, so I went to the usual store, but didn't see what I was looking for. Hmmmmm. "Do you have brand X gel?" I asked. The cheerful, smiling new hire said "We don't have that". "But I bought it here before - please check with the pharmacist?" "Oh - he's not coming today". (Mentally I thought 'so?'). "Is there anyone else who is familiar with the stock?" Shuffle; shuffle and another pleasant person appears. We three trooped to the brand's display shelf and both just looked at me puzzled. I explained "these are the capsules which you swallow, I'm looking for the gel to apply on the skin" Aha! Light bulbs came on and voila! a tube of the gel was retrieved. WHERE was the gap and WHO was responsible for closing it? WHO was going to profit from the sales?
Back to that roll-out I was telling you about. The investor explained that the quality of staff did not justify higher salaries because they weren't willing to work hard enough to make the investment profitable!. Dead silence. Then, applause from business owners. Do staff expect to be paid for merely showing up?
The key solution lies in tying performance management ie delivery of the Brand Promise, with profitability! Firstly train staff in conversational skills and product knowledge thoroughly with role-plays. Then have a pay-for-performance package which rewards them for bringing ideas and innovations to the workplace. The result? Business owners increase their profits and staff get paid more too :) Train and assess.
Want help with designing a systemic approach to put this in place and build the value of your brand? Just call me on 6-03-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and I'll be glad to customize a plan for you.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Mum needed replenishments for her pain relievers etc, so I went to the usual store, but didn't see what I was looking for. Hmmmmm. "Do you have brand X gel?" I asked. The cheerful, smiling new hire said "We don't have that". "But I bought it here before - please check with the pharmacist?" "Oh - he's not coming today". (Mentally I thought 'so?'). "Is there anyone else who is familiar with the stock?" Shuffle; shuffle and another pleasant person appears. We three trooped to the brand's display shelf and both just looked at me puzzled. I explained "these are the capsules which you swallow, I'm looking for the gel to apply on the skin" Aha! Light bulbs came on and voila! a tube of the gel was retrieved. WHERE was the gap and WHO was responsible for closing it? WHO was going to profit from the sales?
Back to that roll-out I was telling you about. The investor explained that the quality of staff did not justify higher salaries because they weren't willing to work hard enough to make the investment profitable!. Dead silence. Then, applause from business owners. Do staff expect to be paid for merely showing up?
The key solution lies in tying performance management ie delivery of the Brand Promise, with profitability! Firstly train staff in conversational skills and product knowledge thoroughly with role-plays. Then have a pay-for-performance package which rewards them for bringing ideas and innovations to the workplace. The result? Business owners increase their profits and staff get paid more too :) Train and assess.
Want help with designing a systemic approach to put this in place and build the value of your brand? Just call me on 6-03-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and I'll be glad to customize a plan for you.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
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