Where lies the value of Branding?

There are SO MANY cash-rich businesses around with no brand attachment, except a healthy bottom line to the company's name. And the name of their game is prudent financial management, with shareholders & stakeholders reaping lucrative rewards via cash and benefits.

So then, is formal (visual) branding even necessary? Weeeeell, that depends on you, really, Where do YOU want to take your business? Promoting the experience offered by your brand can attract investors galore, even when they don't know you but know its attributes.  Think about it:  even charities receive donations based on their Brand i.e. what their relationships amount to, don't they?

Yes, the bottom-line IS about sustainability and cash-flow is THE life-blood of any business, but the crux lies in HOW the $ are earned.  If we can understand that at the core lies the appeal of the Brand then we will understand sustainability as being how continual wealth is assured via intangible assets.  Think about a family sundry shop being bought over by a 7eleven and be paid to run it? Or the legendary buy-outs which launch overnight millionaires?  The real gains are not the brick-and-mortar, but the profitable relationships which merge to shout out the Brand.

Cash may be the ruling King indeed, but it is the calibre of support by the Queen and courtiers which make or break the reign.  If cash runs short, it is the ability to get more of it - the components and structures of your Brand - which generates more cash.  Do your operations and support protect or dilute the essence of your business offer?  It is well worth charting, for long-term profitability.

Are you ready to move onto greater growth, stability and better management of environmental risks? Just call me at 6-03-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and we can align the qualities of your current offers and anchor your Brand for continual growth.

BRING ME THE BRAND, AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!

Corporate gifts tell tales, you know!

Sure, it is pleasant to recieve gifts of appreciation after delivering a talk, isn't it?  And often, the gifts represent the attributes of the brand of the host, to promote them. BUT that covers only the 'gift' part, NOT necessarily the 'appreciation'!

Compare these gift sets I received after mini-workshops:  one comprised beautifully crafted writing implements and other items which any gender could use with pride; the other contained an oversized mens T-shirt with metal tools.  Isn't it SO obvious that one institution was customer-centric while the other was self-centric?  And you know what? That came through in post-workshop encounters too!  One came back with expressions of warmth while the other - would you believe - wrote to ask for commercial information free-of-charge?

In a global market environment where forging relationships and leveraging well can make or break businesses, how we interact with others has a HUGE impact on our futures.  Is your business sending out invitational vibes, or unconsciously restricting your customer base, even with a nich market segment?   I'd be happy for us to chat and give you an assessement of how your brand (personal and company) is perceived in the market, and suggest ways to send stronger messages which build your brand.

BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS! 

Brand Names affect Profits!

"What a well-spoken man" I thought, as I was introduced to a dynamic mid-career professional. He and his family were visiting his parents.  It was a familiar story - they had sent him to study in another country, where he excelled and so settled down there to bring the best he could offer to the world.

Okay!  So you're asking what this has to do with branding?  Well, although this man was well-spoken and a high achiever, he initially had found it very difficult to get a job.  He was literally tearing his hair out in frustration! Then someone who had received his resume called him for an interview.  Wowee! A breakthrough - and a revealing one too, as it happened.  The interviewer said "It is so nice to know that you speak good English; because of your name I wasn't sure and it is important to my business that my staff speak well". Yes, personal brands do affect company brands, don't they?

So, guess what happened?  From that day on Harinder became known as Harry and his career path rocketed in tandem with his abilities!  Sorry Shakespeare but this doesn't always hold true: "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" (from Romeo and Juliet).

This is a phenomenan known as Brand Dissonance i.e. when the image doesn't match the delivery and it could happen in any part of a company's chain of the delivery of its products or services.  Is your Brand aligned well, in terms of image and delivery?

Actually its quite hard to beobjective about something that we are close to, and it helps to get an objective opinion from a third party as to whether we are projecting a profitable image.  If you'd like my help in this area just call 603-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and we could chat about what you have in mind?

BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITABILITY!