Brand Suicide or Brand Positioning?

My eyes widened as he stood up - his shirt was un-ironed, is blue jeans were inappropriate for the formal meeting, and he (ahem!) wasn't wearing any socks with his shoes. Ah well, perhaps I was being too picky?

We were a small group of trainers and training providers, discussing the contents for a couple of long-term programs to groom future leaders in large establishments.  I left that meeting feeling very, very uncomfortable, and the same day I called the project leader to withdraw my services, despite the loss of income :(  Why? Well, for 2 reasons really: 1) during the discussion the trainer behaved aggressively while positioning himself as a role-model; 2) the host had earlier referred to him as a junior trainer.  And here we were discussing how to groom and coach junior staff to think and behave strategically and competitively?  Something was misaligned, shouting Brand Dissonance!!!

Perhaps the trainer wanted to look and sound in ways which he felt would appeal to the junior staff, but, HOW would that move them up towards a higher level of thinking?  I had to consider being associated with that - if the client was dissatisfied, it would reflect badly on the whole team of trainers!  Brand Association is very important to naming your price. btw, the host confirmed my services for another project immediately although I declined this one.

Branding is largely about perception, and that is what customers pay high or low prices for - the value they perceive they will receive for their $, while repeat business depends on whether they are satisfied with your deliverables.  And it does help to get an objective opinion about how you are being perceived, so that your Brand Value is being raised or maintained.  What do YOU want to be?  A Wal Mart / Kopitiam, Harrods / Starbucks or something in-between?  Are you living out your brand?

If you'd like an audit of the Brand Image you are projecting, do call me at 6-03-21697704 or write to evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and I'll be glad to discuss it.

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

Is the Custodian of your Brand worthy?

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!    

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!  

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! 

Profit from Feedback!

Did you hear about when a group of senior marketers grouped in a kiddies playroom and delightfully messed around with crayons and other play-stuff?  LOL, yeah?  Well, what they were doing was to get to the actual experience of the kids using their products!

Just like when I described a very interesting, award-winning invention for personal safety to a middle-aged Mum.  "Hmmmmm" she said "what if the teen forgets to adjust the mechanism and it goes off falsely alerting parents and friends?"  GOOD point! And then she went on to suggest how to tweak the gadget.

Really, really, however great a product or service may be in its design, only when it is in the hands of the end-user does its true practicality show! And you know what? That goes for services too!  Yonks ago a regional company wanted to get feedback from its Heads of Departments and requested a facilitation session with a difference.  The venue was to be luxurious; the room was to be large, spacious and comfortable so that they could lounge around on day couches to the strains of evocative music or even stroll around in the gardens outside - all this to induce their creative juices into identifying which company-type to acquire so that they could expand!  Now, did you see THAT coming?  It was one of the more interesting sessions I have facilitated, and at the end of the day VOILA! the profile of their ideal company to buy over, surfaced. :)

So, whether you are selling a product or service, are big or small, getting honest feedback from your paying customers can actually increase your profits.  Sure, those standard survey forms help, but you can do even better by getting candid comments about how to get more sales.  Want some suggestions about HOW? Call me at 6-03-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net.

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

Brand Alignment Streamlines Profits

A mini crisis had erupted!!!  Well, that's how I got called in to a situation: a very successful organization which enjoyed a positive image was growing its services very well.  They attracted many sponsors and donors and were really doing extremely well.  So, what had gone wrong then?

Alarmed by the cry of the Chief Executive, a well-wisher arranged for me to meet the Management Team and to tour their premises to get an overview of their operations.  WOW! Impressive! That was my opinion of their projects and their people too. Then it was time to meet the bosses, who wanted to build their Brand and take it to the next level. Their records were detailed and they had good resources in place too.  Looked good but ................  hmmmmmm. Some questions, probing, suggestions, then BINGO!

True, all there sources and evidence of results were there, so why was the Chief Executive unable to cope?  You know, some things are difficult for an insider to spot from being too close to the operations - sound familiar? It might take an objective eye to spot what's missing.  In this case, they weren't joining the dots - their Brand Alignment was ummm misaligned, and so their message and deliverables were fragmented, leading to frequent brushes with chaos.  In fact their resources were not being utilized well and so operations were lop-sided.  Now, this can be quite dangerous to an organization and might cause it to collapse if not addressed in time.  How so? In this case, the resource (mis)mangement was draining profitability instead of adding to it.  What could also happen is that job functions might not be accomplished if there is much overlapping.

So, I drew them an outline of a message strategy which would collate their resources properly, with room for cross-functions too.  That meant no one needed to be in a position of being unable to cope.

Do you know of someone who has what it takes to fun their business but is somehow finding that things aren't quite coming together as anticipated?  Tell them I could give them a quick assessment of how they could be more profitable by streamlining their operations, and invite them to contact me?  They could phone 6-03-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net.

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! 

Personal Branding can make or break business deals

"Don't mention THAT brand to me again EVER!"

OUCH!  That was such a stinger to hear!!! What on earth had happened?  The highly professional businesswoman wryly related the incident; she was quite put out.  Can't say I blame her really.  You know what?  She had recommended a world-class brand to her close associates as a potential business venture, and they enthusiastically met with an agent of the company.  All laughter and eagerness, they wanted to sample the products and learn about the compensation plan.  The Brand had excellent credentials, an illustrious track record and the business prospects were highly lucrative!  What went wrong?????

As it turned out - far from being enthused, they became totally turned off!!!!! It was the agents' approach: she saw they were interested and WHAM! turned into a relentless bloodhound that was after a kill. She didn't give them a chance to ask questions, or take the time to learn their preferences.  How silly!  She'd had a golden opportunity on a platter to forge solid business relationships, but showed no respect for her potential customers.

And so an opportunity for all concerned to develop a new business turned into a nightmare to be wryly joked about for a loooooooong time afterwards.  Reminds me that Branding is an all-encompassing process of delivering a product or service in myriad ways, to meet a need.  Simple!  Just service the need identified, to match the attributes of the Brand.

Oh sure, I do know the frustration of having to wait for the right timing or environment etc., but isn't that better than turning potential customers off?  Delivering a Brand well includes being its role model, listening for what people want, and going the extra mile.

Ready to align your personal brand with the essence of your product or service?  Just call me at 603-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net.

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

Achieving that perfect fit

Clap, clap, grin! the toddler picked up a yellow cylinder, easily pushed it through the circular hole and looked up at her Daddy with pride. He beamed and tenderly planted a kiss on her plump cheek and picked up a red star. Together they located the star-shaped hole and the young'un tried a repeat performance. Uh-uh. Didn't happen. :(

She tried again; no; and again, but this was NOT quite the same. She looked up at her Daddy for encouragement and he just gently told her to keep turning the star in different directions and to keep right on trying. Well, this was one determined little girl and hey presto! After several attempts, the star was magically inserted into the shape-sorter. Yes! Success at last!

But, but the shape and the hole were a perfect fit all the time, so why .............?

Ever felt that something or someone was the perfect fit and yet things were not going the way they ought? You know, this reminds me of a couple of business partners I know who keep incurring losses. One loves chef-ing while the other collects wines and both understand profitability; they have a great team too! You'd think they are they perfect fit to please customers palates, wouldn't you? They think so too! They've changed menus, pricing, promotions, etc but to no avail. So, what's missing then? The 2 experts have not engaged in Brand Alignment (lining up their skills, products, resources & targets) and so they keep sending mixed messages to customers.

When something is a little more complex and has many angles, it really is essential to align the talents and products to ensure the perfect fit happens. Just like the little girl had to gently get the points of the star to snuggle into the triangular spaces in the hole, it works well to identify how partners can fit into each others strengths and weaknesses. I like Hamilton's Wealth Profiles as a guide to profitability, especially when you have a team of 2 or 3 opposites. They are a perfect fit if and when snuggled well, and result in harmony and $$$$$$ too! Guess what? Works outside of business too - my opposite parents remained devoted through happy inter-dependance and stayed very contentedly married :D

If you're not getting the results you want from your business even with great products and a super team, call me at 6-03-21697704 and we can lay them out, line them up, and align them in a game plan for your business success :)

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