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!

Product Placement can boost profits while reducing costs

Hmmmm. Kinda empty.  Business was slow because of the holidays.  The owner of the hair salon plonked himself down in the chair next to me to chat - he'd just taken the place over and had become its sole owner instead of a partner and came more often now, intent on boosting his business.

The tv show? At Owner's greeting I recoiled at the memory of poor support from a penny-pinching producer which had me doing my own hair - without any tools! Aaargh! You know what?  After that particular shoot I decided I was going to have to budget for my own assistant in future. Sigh :(

On Owner's mind were ideas for re-vamping the salon and we chatted about how to effect visual changes inexpensively.  The staff and he are service-oriented so I'm a regular there - they are lovely and always warm and friendly.  Nice!  All that was needed was some visual branding and pricing strategies to attract new customers to his salon.  Boy were we having fun tossing ideas around!

Then BINGO! We hit on Product Placement ie using his salon's services and crediting them, on my next series. Less expense, improved Brand Reach for him, and an on-site hairdresser for me. Cool!!!

What about YOU? Whom do you know who can showcase your business in win-win ways?  By arranging to cover costs in exchange for services, you could save yourself some $ expenditure while earning a very credible advertising channel.  Want ideas for how this can apply to your business?  Just call me at 6-03-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net.

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

Great credentials! Good service! What else?

Financial freedom! Ah! How technology has made that so very much more achievable!  The super thing is, many jobs can now be accomplished from home and this is SO good, especially for those with dependants. And so it was with Ms. Accountant:  her marriage had ended and she had to care for 2 pre-schoolers plus put food on the table.  Her ex-husband?  Weeeeell, let's not even go there :(

Ms. Accountant called to ask if I knew of any Accounting firms which need outsourced help; her professional credentials and testimonials were excellent.  She had the skills and the time to do the work from home and needed only the opportunity.  The fly in the ointment was, she had not registered herself as a company - simply hadn't thought about it, because she was accustomed to working in an office.

Does she need to?  Here's the thing: working from home i.e. small office home office (SOHO) means that you become a service-providing company and have more entitlements than a casual worker.  The annual registration fee is minimal and there's no rent, salaries to pay and when you lease or buy equipment etc., you can claim it as a business expense. AND, companies who outsource pay greater respect to being billed by a company (SOHO or not) than by an individual.  It is more profitable for the service provider! And guess what?  You know how sometimes it is difficult to collect payment or deal with some other complaint?  It lends greater weight if the grieviance is lodged by a company than an individual :)

So where does Branding come into this, you ask?  Mmmmmmm well, when the professional chooses a company name, it is the start of a Brand, even if it is in the name of the individual.  Think designer Jimmy Choo or seamtress Coco Chanel.  Hey don't laugh! Even YOU are a brand, you know - just depends what you want to do with it?

Know someone who wants to kick loose and get financial freedom working from home, or even providing services in people's homes?  Tell them they can start a Brand in a small way and get more profit from it than as an individual.  I have a great team of associates who can help them from A-Z and all it takes is the know-how to get launched properly.  Just call me at 03-21697707 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net

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

The relationship between market-entry and Branding

"I have tried EVERYTHING you know, but they just won't deal with me!"  Sigh.  Several colleagues had reached out to introduce this foreigners' products among their connections, because they were high quality and profitable, but to no avail.

Yes indeedy, there are times when the product may be excellent and there is a market demand, but consumers want to buy from people whom they have a previous affinity with.  Brand association / prejudice / protectionism etc., etc., Call it what you will but its right there, staring at you in the face!

It's like the tale of the Jaffa oranges (text book case from Marketing classes yonks ago) and how they got into some markets.  The buyers had no problem with their quality or price, but wanted nothing to do with the label.  So, the importers sold to an acceptable label that promptly placed theirs over 'Jaffa' and voila! instant sales! hehehe.  Aren't people so easy to please when you know how? And if you're willing to re-brand?

Back to my foreign friend:  He did something similar and tied up with an 'acceptable' marketing channel which fronted his goods for him.  Last I heard, he was getting buyers! woo hoo!

Know someone with a good product but is struggling with market-entry?  It could be the channels, or pricing strategies or even the timing.  If they would like an analysis, just say to call me at 603-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and we'll get it sorted. :)

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

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!

Brand Credibility aka 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it'

Bing-bing! Bing-bing! went my phone, rudely demanding my attention when I was busy.  I glanced at the screen and didn't even recognize the sender.  And the message?  WOW! WHO was this????? I just had to find out.

Ha ha ha! I was delighted to find that it was someone whom I had not met for several months and we happily caught up with each others' news. She had seen a recent photo of me and reacted: "What have you been doing or taking? You are really looking good and I want to know your secret!!!! I have desperately been trying ALL sorts and NOTHING is working :( Aha! Now THAT is Brand Credibility at its best, and I was really pleased to be able to share my not-so 'secrets' with her :)

And you know what?  Just last week when I stopped off at a regular supplier, she had asked a similar question and then too I was able to tell her how she too could benefit from that brand too!  Have you noticed that people don't want to be sold to, but prefer to buy ie make their own choice of which brand to spend their money on?

There are ever so many good products available, with great credentials too, so competition is very keen. But NOTHING beats a personal brand that is a walking testimonial!!! Wouldn't you just looooove having your own Brand Ambassadors? woo hoo!

How can YOU have your brand promoted by walking testimonials to those who want to find out more, and get them literally panting to buy from you?  Call me at +603-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and tell me what you represent and we'll work out a marketing strategy for YOUR brand!

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

Hilarously hijacked! Not funny though :(

I was most perplexed! WHAT was I missing? The couple is extremey successful, owning several homes in different countries; the company they are with is rock solid with a fantastic Brand Heritage; but I remained very uncomfortable in their presence without being able to put my finger on it.

Then BINGO! Friends were very interested in knowing more about their products and services, but what I witnessed was horrifyingly insensitive.  Excited by the keen interest my friends had, their promoter go SO carried away that she force-fed them with an overload of information AND literally held them captive by plastering them with products during lunchtime. Sigh!  You should have seen it!  They were ravenously hungry (so was I) and had another appointment to go to, but were stuck in their seats.  I was aghast and helpless.

My friends were too polite to protest - perhaps that was part of the problem; others might have just stormed off.  But they complained afterwards and the promoters reputation was irreparably damaged!  I was in the doghouse too :(

You know, building relationships is terribly multi-faceted as we're all different, but being sensitive and respectful is essential for sustaining those we want to keep.  Sure there are ppl who'll endure anything as long as there is $ to be made, but then again there are others who won't.

It's about the cultural fit - about HOW things are done to please customers and retain them.  Hard selling tactics gain in the short term, but also foster high fallout rates.  I really do believe that sales tactics ought to be the end result of marketing strategies that benefit and retain customers, NOT just to fulfil unrealistic quotas.

Why waste time and resources on damage control? If you'd like me to be a sounding board for a campaign you have in mind, just call me at +603-21697704?  Together we can weigh the pros and cons and plan for how to please the type of customer you want for a particular product or service.

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

Square pegs in round holes

Oooooo the platters of food were simply yummy! A group of us (who said we weren't hungry, LOL!) had descended on the restaurant and decided to share a few delectable dishes among us so that we wouldn't eat too much - yeah right!


Well anyway, yes, the food and thirst quenchers were so good that we promised ourselves to visit again in the not-too-distant future. Then, it was time for 'afters' and coffee became a topic of conversation.

"You should taste the special coffee at my chain" new friend said, and went on to describe it quite evocatively. She works at a chain owned by someone who prides himself in knowing what the best is, and to having it served at his up-market outlets too. BUT one of his outlets was not doing well, and they were in the expensive process of re-locating it. WHAT had gone wrong??????

The food was good, the drinks were good, the service was good, the furnishings were classy - and, all the other outlets were doing well, soooooooo? Well, it so happened that when the market planning was being done they had over-estimated the tastes of those who patronized that particular mall, and so the volume of sales was less than desirable. The situation had more to do with a poor cultural fit than with anything else, and that had resulted in heavy $ losses.

Has that ever happened to you? Ever felt like a square peg in a round hole? When you realize that your environment and you are incompatible, don't blame yourself if you have tried to make the adjustments and it has not worked out. Just move on, because the core values of your products and services won't be well received. At the personal level, you may be misunderstood, no matter how hard you try. At the retail level, the volume of sales probably won't justify the overheads. Hanging in there heroically might cause heartache in addition to $ losses :(

If you are experiencing losses and aren't sure why, do call me at 6-03-21697704 and we can go over the manyfacets of marketing and sales that affect your type of business.

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

What's your price tag saying?

Hmmmm. That's an interesting pair of shoes. Nice colour too! "May I try these on in my size?" Felt sooooft and comfy too. And offered at a double digit price? "Where are they made?" "Paris! the sales assistant said confidently.

Hello???? That price considering the labor costs in the EU? If you had said made in Malaysia for export to the EU that would sound plausible. But made in Paris? At that price? Ummmm.

One of the most popular modules in my 'Branding' workshop is on Pricing Strategies as there are many aspects to consider before setting a price. Some offerings look to be of high value until they are examined more closely and vice versa too. Like it or not, a price tag sends a message in itself - even if it is an offer for a free service. Actually, if you realy, really want to capture customers who will bring you repeat business, offer a money-back guarantee and see how that goes down :).

But back to price tags. Customers do want good things cheap, but don't really expect that. So if something is cheap, the canny buyer will wonder if the sale is legitimate or whether the products are genuine, or even whether the seller is going to disappear without a trace; or if there is some other hidden agenda. They believe you when you have been at the same location or industry for a long time, or are known to someone whom they trust. That's Brand Credibility and is also where money-back guarantees play a part. (Personal branding also has an impact on closing a deal).

Perhaps you're wondering how YOU might build a money-back guarantee into your offer? Let's talk about yourproduct or service and work our what your customers will appreciate - you might even find that you are under-charging! I'd be glad to offer some insights - just call me at 6-03-21697704.

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

What do you mean it's not about the $!!!!!!

Mr. International Product Manager was most perplexed, and quite honestly so were the rest of us! He was part of my class on Branding Strategies and had the most unusual issues - his company was cash rich, BUT the expenditure was not allocated towards making profits. You know what? in fact, what stumped all of us was that he has actually been tasked with providing support to small companies that were competing for the same markets he's in! Can you believe that, hmmmmm??? The directions from his principal office were crystal clear - no compromising on his deliverables! He was in a fog, and so was I :(

But aha! As the class progressed and we went deeper into discussing market postitioning, I was able to analyze his responses and translate them into what the principal office was really after. You see, their product/service was research (so the Product Manager said) and that is what he had been promoting all along. BUT what had not been so clear was that the research being done on local herbal products was not an end in itself. And that's why his task was not to focus on bringing in the profits, but on profitability - NOT the same thing. Actually, his role was to use his marketing budget to enhance the Brand Credibility (profitability) of the smaller companies so that they could focus on leveraging on his support to plan their Sales i.e. profit campaigns for distributing the herbal products. His role is to influence their customers as opposed to bringing in customers for them.

Why? Because his job was to represent a global name, whose market position is to help others to be profitable, that's why he was 'selling' his company's research. Well, once we had honed in on the essence of his Brand, we could derive action plans for him to meet his sales targets. You see, Marketing (profitability) is about resulting in sustainable sales (profits) that bring in repeat business; NOT just the quick $ transactions. Mr. Product Manager left the class a very happy man :)

Are you positioning your Brand towards profits (quick sales) or profitability (repeat business)? I'd be glad to offer some suggestions on how you can leverage on your strengths to bring in repeat business, and so gain you more time for doing other things you'd like to. Just call 6-03-21697704 and we'll get started :)

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

What’$ in a name? LOT$!

The gentle breeze teased the wisps of hair around our faces as we luxuriated in the view from the balcony. The well-manicured greens rolled and stretched out below and the twin towers thrust their perky peaks skyward not too far away. The well-located, high-security apartment set away from traffic carried a 6-figure price tag, but it wasn’t always so.

Within the apartment boasted a collection of art and craft from around the world, along with photos of remarkable people. My host was a much-traveled retiree who had been looking around for a home to settle into when she would eventually give up being an employee. She had bought the apartment brand new, when it might have been considered as being a speculative move, paying half its current market value.

“I heard about the re-branding of Sentul from being a run-down area into a decent suburb, and the prices were very attractive, so I took a look at the plans. Everything looked in order, BUT you never know how things will turn out do you?” she said. So, why would a highly-intelligent and discerning person part with a lot of money for something that was only conceptual, you ask?

“The only reason I bought it was because the developer was Francis Yeoh and YTL, so I knew that he would keep his word and deliver!” she said emphatically. Aha! THE family-conscious man who is known for preaching (pun intended) about quality and spreading it, who brought Pavarotti to Pangkor Laut, the 3 tenors to Bath, and Andrea Bocelli to Singapore for concerts that were free of charge to the public.

How’s that for Brand Association commanding a price tag, hmmm?

Would you like to know what the elements in your life say about your business dealings? Just call me on 6-03-21697704 and we’ll chat about that – you will definitely get insights into how people perceive what you are offering in your business dealings!

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