Comments on: Branding Is The Key to Differentiation

By: Toni Shortsleeve

Toni Shortsleeve — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:30:58 +0000

Thank you Mike,
This was great advice and even better reminders.
Aloha,
Toni

By: tanu mehtani

tanu mehtani — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:26:25 +0000

It is a great piece of knowledge for anyone running or starting a business with majorly all aspects taken care of. I would just like to add that brand value increases with power to retain your clients and that can only be done if you have a tight control on the quality of services or products you provide.

Also after sales, service will really matter in this case. So building of a brand is a process starting right from inception of the concept to the delivering of the product and rendering of good after sales service. A Lot of hard work …

By: Casey Knox

Casey Knox — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:17:40 +0000

Very fundamental and basic, but often forgotten and overlooked. Great refresher for any established or start-up compnay to read. Thanks!

By: Guruprasad

Guruprasad — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:54:06 +0000

Mike,

It is so true that we have to be very close to customer movements and understand their body language to promote our branding in terms of delivery of the product with consistent quality and meet customer expectation.

Thanks for sharing this info and it is very useful.

By: Mitch Rezman

Mitch Rezman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:53:15 +0000

You should always be branding – every email you send or respond to – every possible customer “touch” needs to be branded. One of the Blog responses suggested you spend $500 not $20 on a logo.

To that I say if you market on the internet you really need to be flexible. We started with a great looking logo but when you shrink it to 88×31 for say Shopping.com it was un readable. I now have several images I use for branding depending on the size and format of the logo spec

It was also notable that no one branded their blog response.

Mitch Rezman
General Manager
Windy City Parrot, Inc.
906 N Western Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60622
312.492.9673
877.287.0810 Toll Free
Skype: mitch.rezman

By: Steve Baird

Steve Baird — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:04:48 +0000

Mike, thanks for sharing this informative primer article on branding.

I’m so glad you indicated that the name should “suggest what your company does and what makes it better than competitors” — too many naming consultants fall into the trap of focusing on names that are “descriptive” instead of “suggestive.” The legal consequences of this misstep can be quite disappointing to clients when they want to pursue a copycat.

In addition, landing on the “suggestive” side of the line as opposed to the “descriptive” side of the line has significant legal consequences, as you apparently appreciate. You might be interested in an article I recently posted that uses a Gatorade example to illustrate the danger of how misuses can move perfectly good suggestive names across the line into the less desirable descriptive category here: http://www.duetsblog.com/2009/05/articles/staying-on-the-right-side-of-the-line-suggestive-vs-descriptive/

By: Laura Gontchar

Laura Gontchar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:54:33 +0000

Mike,

Such a great overview of the majority of points for any start-up! Thank you.

Definitely, it’s impossible to give the best referrals for logo designers and best promo tools. But what you did accomplish in this article is a step-by-step plan to build With Differentiation one’s business.

I’ve bookmarked this article and will email it to my circle of followers.

By: Mike Clough

Mike Clough — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:26:16 +0000

Although I agree with with your point, my point is that no matter how small your budget, $25 logos are far better than the “do-it-yourself” logos I have seen. But you do get what you pay for and oh by the way, for $25 there are no revisions. :)

By: Melissa Shimmin

Melissa Shimmin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:01:20 +0000

Mike,

Recommending that you don’t do it yourself when it comes to a logo is spot on. But when it comes to hiring a designer, you definitely get what you pay for.

A $25 logo isn’t a good way to differentiate your brand. Startups should plan on paying $500 at a minimum for a good logo.

A great logo may take considerably more time (and subsequently money) to develop.

More at http://bit.ly/wrhuQ

Melissa

By: Harold Baum

Harold Baum — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:45:28 +0000

Your article is a bullseye.
However, its not the brick and motor that necessarily differentiates the business but the products within.

Many retailers are spending a fortune remodeling their stores, showrooms, and website.
Who cares?!?!?! It is a short visit and no one remembers anything except what is found within.

To be successful and maintain customers and have them repeat their visits is to have innovative new products.

Sam Walmart used that as the basis to his success which is still continuing.

Most buyers ask “is your product in CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid”? I ask if it is, why do oyu have your position and why should I shop your stores?

To the Category Managers who use this logic, it is time for the stockholders to simply hire a clerk to order whatever these stores have and delete the directors, and catagegory managers or buyers of these departments since they have no value to their companies or to their shoppers.

With many more people shopping on line, what future do these people have for their companies since they are draging them down.

The outlook should be changed to innovative products in the stores to get shoppers back in and avoid the mee too products. After all, how many bottles of water can you have? What about a water substitute?

This is the real reason for our economic business downfall. Its not all bad politics! It is lack of creativity which other countries surpass us in.

Thank you