Can Branding Be Augmented Without Working At It?

The answer in most cases is NO. Branding takes a very conscious effort on the part of the brand manager/ entrepreneur. Sure there is always an exception to the rule; however, it doesn't mean the principles of branding were not present, it just means that the manager did not have a specific plan. The brand has to stand for something to build the perception in consumers mind that it is worthy. The best approach for branding is to take charge, understand your brand, and make sure that your brand tells a story.

How do you do this? A few assignments to get you started might help:

• Vision, Mission, Core Values. There is a direct correlation between your brand, its success, and these components. If you haven't already, write down your vision, mission, and core values. A vision statement is based on where you want to be in the next 5-10 years. This is usually derived from several factors but most importantly - strategy. Do a SWOTT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity, Trend, and Threat) Analysis and you might learn more about your industry and the direction you need to take in order to achieve long-term growth. The mission statement should determine how you are going to get the internal and external audiences to achieve the vision (5-10 yr. plan). Core values are typically 5-7 attributes that you and your staff can buy into to achieve your goals. For instance, integrity, sustainability, environmentally responsible, etc... See www.bp.com for excellent examples of how to establish strong values to drive your brand.
  
• Tell a story. Once I understood that every brand tells a story, a light bulb went off for me. Explaining to clients what branding is can be difficult and the concept of telling a story makes sense to most people. If you aren't sure, put on your journalistic hat and write down what you 'think' your brand's story is and see if you can develop a compassionate story line to weave in the fabric of your brand if you haven't already.
  
• Express your brand. If you have found the story of your brand and you know where you want to be in 5-10 years and beyond - it's time to express yourself. Create copy, collateral, and ads that represent your brand from the inside out. Your brand should connect the dots for consumers. Your brand is competing with over 2000 messages a day your audience is exposed to on average. It has to be simple, make sense, and tell a story.

Learning more about branding is critical for the sustainability of your brand. You can learn more about branding here on this blog or read the Seven Myths About Branding. It's your responsibility to know as much as you can about how to build your brand efficiently and effectively.

A good example of this: Cingular, BP, Coca Cola, and Starbuck's.

Trisha Ahlman is the CEO of Augment Marketing Group and has nearly 20 years experience in marketing for corporations and small businesses. She sits on several creative and strategic development boards nationwide. "Inspired by growth" from its inception, Augment's mission is to inspire growth in all businesses large or small when developing strong brands. We believe in inspiring, learning and growing. She can be reached at trisha@augmentgroup.com

Is Your Design Balanced?

The "Magic Box" by Trisha Ahlman

Here's the test. In advertising, there is a theory called the "magic box". It's the place where you want to draw the consumers attention. I like to use no more than three (3) focal points (in most cases) when designing a piece of collateral. Do not over do it! This is difficult because we are tempted to get our logo, the message, the promotion and all the other important facts in our ads.

In order to find the "magic box", you need to draw a box around the item you want your audience to notice first. For instance, if you're Coke it might be around the coke can. If you are selling diamonds, perhaps it's the hand with the diamond that is prominent. Then draw a horizontal line and a vertical line (I like to off-center the magic box). If there are other objects fighting for my attention, there are several techniques that work. All other objects outside of the "magic box":

1. Create smaller text and use a lighter color (i.e. gray so that it's not too prominent)
2. Keep it clean and take some of the other objects out all together
3. Using a graphic design program, make the "magic box" object more prominent
4. Make other objects smaller from a perspective point of view
5. Ask friends and colleagues if they think the ad is balanced for a quick field test
6. Off-center the focal points (I prefer asymmetrical design)
7. Blur out background images so the focal point is more prominent
   

Some graphic artist say that balance is achieved through symmetry... I say, achieving balance doesn't mean that you have a perfect, symmetrical ad or design - it just means you need to find the "magic box" and make sure that your focal point isn't fighting for real estate from background noise.

Always follow the rule K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Stupid). Sorry to be so brash, but I see too many great ads that over do it when it comes to layout. Can you find the magic box in the ad posted here?

Trisha Ahlman has been marketing for nearly 20 years. Out of high school, Trisha Ahlman was awarded a four year art scholarship in which she won from an impressionist painting she entered into a contest by the Houston Art Society. She has a team of designers and artists that work with her and is creatively directs nearly every project. She now teaches Visual Communication part-time at the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University. Her company, Augment Marketing consults hundreds of businesses on marketing, branding, layout, and design. For more information, visit www.augmentgroup.com.

Are You a MicroPreneur?

Harry Futch of MicroBiz weighs in (or visit MicroPreneur),

"Business blogs are very popular right now, but we intend to focus on the MicroBiz - and for our purposes that means less than 10 employees and a burning desire to compete on the level of much bigger companies. We have assembled a talented crew of guest writers from our local area (Houston, TX). As we progress, we will be asking some of our respondents to serve as guest writers also.

As the CEO of a microbiz (that’s Chief Everything Officer), I’ve spent hours on the Web searching for information on running my business more efficiently and effectively. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by people much more talented and much smarter than myself. I have been, however, smart enough to get them to share information about what made them successful. I intend to pass along as much of that information as possible.

Unlike many blogs, this one does not have the feel of Holy Writ. What works for one business might not work for another. The importance of this type of exchange is to keep a free and open flow of ideas and techniques. Together we are more powerful than we are alone. Let us hear from you. "

For more information on how you can grow your business visit the MircoPreneur Blog