Branding

5 ways brands connect to customers

5 Ways Brands Connect With Customers

After our last blog post discussing how to develop a brand, we’re on to the next thing to consider which is connecting with your customers.  You want to draw them in, but how do you do that and create loyalty? This is what will keep your business running consistently. When customers are extremely happy and well cared for, they tell others about it. Word of mouth is one of the most effective forms of promotion. You also build a reputation, which carries weight with those interested in what you offer.   We’re going to examine some of the most well-known brands and dissect what sets them apart, and how they interact with their customers. You know all of these brands: Apple, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and Google. What's made them household names? Why are customers so loyal to their products and services? Let's see what's worked for them and how you can learn from...

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When developing your brand, being authentic is key

How to Define and Develop a Brand

In Forbes’s list of top brands you will likely recognize Apple, Google, Microsoft and Coca-Cola as the top four brands on the list. But when you compare that to another Forbes list of top public companies in the US for example, you will see names like Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase.  Apple moved from the #1 slot in Brand Value to the #8 slot in biggest public companies.  What is the discrepancy? Effective brands are those that have a perceived value greater than the sum of its assets.  In other words, their customers are willing to pay a premium for their brand over competitors because of a perceived premium value. Developing a relationship with your customers where they place a premium on doing business with you creates a powerful relationship that can have lasting results.   Brand value then is essentially the value customers place above your tangible assets and is...

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Management without Fear

In this economic climate it’s easy for an organization to dissolve into a reactive environment.  Without a strong vision for the company, management and employees can get distracted by the bad news from Wall Street, from other companies’ failure and general bad news that seems to surround us these days.   It is well documented that companies that invest in downtimes emerge first, fastest and strongest when the economy begins to recover.  It is essential that management remain steadfast in providing a strong vision and clear direction to employees during this time.  With employees becoming restless and fearful during this time of bad news at every turn, what can management do to keep everyone focused and create a healthy work environment that encourages innovation, dedication and ultimately yes, success?  Here are a few tips:   Manage to facts, not perception. Keep a solid benchmark in front of employees about the health of the...

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Dealing with crisis

A BRAND New You: A personal branding story

During the National Women’s Conference hosted by the Nation Diversity Council I joined some extraordinary women Christine LaFollette (Partner in Charge at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP), Kera Wright (VP, Finance at McKesson), Marie Myers (Finance VP at HP), and one man our fantastic moderator Eddie Turner (Executive Coach), on a panel “It’s all about a BRAND new you” in Houston, Texas. During the panel discussion, we shared our collective insights on what is and how to develop your personal brand. Here I’ve collected some of my favorite tips from our session...

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