Posts Tagged ‘communications strategy’
Monday, July 19th, 2010
Branding has been shown to be a very effective activity in an organization’s efforts to increase its influence in a marketplace. This increased influence equals increased sales, increased awareness, increased understanding, increased margins, increased business valuation, etc. And this strategy is as effective for non-profit organizations as it is for companies.
The Young Men’s Christian Association is a charity well known by its initials, YMCA. And as is popular in the marketplace, names are shortened in common use. Jennifer Lopez is known as JayLo. And the Young Men’s Christian Association has for years been known as the “Y.”
Now the Young Men’s Christian Association has formally dropped those four descriptive words in favor of the single letter “Y.” And they have modified the visual identity and logo as well. Is this a good idea? The short answer is (more…)
Tags: asset, brand equity, Branding, business strategy, choosing a name, communications strategy, influencing purchase decisions, marketing strategy, rebranding
Posted in Branding, Logo Design, Naming | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Most companies during last year’s recession thought it wise to reduce marketing budgets, and the drop has been extreme as spending plunged 12.3% — the largest annual drop ever, more than three times more severe than the next worst drop of 3.9% in 1991.
But 26 of the top 100 marketers bucked the trend and boosted 2009 marketing spending. 70% of those spending more saw a U.S. sales increase – double the success rate of those who reduced their spending according to (more…)
Tags: Advertising, brand equity, brand value, Branding, business strategy, communications strategy, competitive advantage, influencing purchase decisions, Marketing, marketing strategy
Posted in Advertising, Marketing | No Comments »
Friday, March 26th, 2010
What to do when faced with declining sales.
Sales in the “refreshment beverage” category are falling. The segment includes colas, energy and sports drinks, juices and bottled water. In 2009, for the second year in a row, sales were down. Down 3.1 percent according to a survey by Beverage Marketing Corp. This represents a steeper decline than was 2008. And there was one unusual statistic: (more…)
Tags: asset, brand equity, Branding, business strategy, choosing a name, communications strategy, competitive advantage, influencing purchase decisions, marketing strategy, rebranding
Posted in Branding, Naming | No Comments »
Saturday, March 20th, 2010
Palm seems to be on life support.
According to the Bible, the first task given to man by God was to name all the things on earth. And he’s been doing that ever since. And it is very important work. A name represents characteristics and properties that identify a particular thing.
Selecting a name.
Many think coming up with a name for a company or product or service should be simple. Some may even think it’s not even very important, convinced there are “bigger’ issues than naming to deal with when launching a new venture. Those who believe that are hoping (more…)
Tags: asset, Branding, business strategy, choosing a name, communications strategy, influencing purchase decisions, Naming
Posted in Branding, Naming | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
Good thing they announced the “change,” otherwise we would’ve missed it. Of course, a new logo won’t turn around the channel’s image without improved programming. That said, a change in visual identity could
(more…)
Tags: brand, Branding, communications strategy, company symbol, competitive marketplace, logo redesign, MTV, rebranding
Posted in Branding, Logo Design | 2 Comments »
Friday, January 29th, 2010
Now we can see the value of a branding investment.
If Toyota ever struggled to determine the value of spending money over the years to build a brand in the competitive automotive marketplace, it is suddenly becoming clear. With the revelation that 2.3 million cars must be recalled and tested for a potentially deadly flaw – their sticking accelerator pedal. This in addition to the recent recall of 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus automobiles, the car manufacturer is getting a clear revelation of the precise value of its brand. (more…)
Tags: brand, Branding, building a valuable brand, communications strategy, competitive advantage, competitive marketplace, evaluating brand value, Toyota
Posted in Branding | 9 Comments »
Sunday, January 17th, 2010
Houston made the short list of cities under consideration for the 2012 Olympic Games but ultimately lost out in the final culling. But then, regarding the 2016 Olympics, Houston didn’t even make the short list. This despite having the best collection of physical assets and excellent leadership. In 2006 I wrote an article for the Houston Business Journal about this Olympic site selection review.
U.S. Olympic Committee Board Chairman Peter Ueberroth said of Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Bob Eckels, “They were spectacular. They were in a class by themselves in terms of administration. They were just so far ahead of any other city, it wasn’t close. … (more…)
Tags: brand, Branding, business strategy, communications strategy, competitive advantage, competitive marketplace, evaluating brand value, Marketing, Olympics, rebranding
Posted in Branding | 4 Comments »
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Which Brand has the best team?
We’ll soon find out. Meanwhile, which school has the best logo? Well, the University of Texas has a much older logo, designed in 1950. That’s 60 years ago! Few logos have survived that long. The University of Alabama’s was designed in 2002.
Evaluating brand appropriateness.
What do these animals represent? Are they suitable to each school?
(more…)
Tags: Branding, color, communications strategy, company symbol, competitive marketplace, evaluating brand value, University of Texas
Posted in Branding, Logo Design | 2 Comments »
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
The risks and rewards of “Profiling.”
Profiling has become a “dirty word” in America. Probably because of its association with the practice of “racial profiling.” Indeed, in a perfect world people would not be judged by appearances. Of course this is no perfect world but with laws against it and public opinion all across the country firmly opposed to it, do we still see it in operation? Does it provide some unique benefit to those employing it? A benefit that we cannot replace?
The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 forced a debate. And December 2009’s two incidents involving Nigerian Muslims on Delta flights to Detroit have renewed the debate. (more…)
Tags: Branding, communications strategy, company representation, company symbol, competitive advantage, competitive marketplace, influencing purchase decisions, managing identity, Profiling
Posted in Branding | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Is The Detroit Lions Logo Change Appropriate?
President Obama said it was time for change. And apparently the beleaguered Detroit Lions got the message. At a news conference April 20, 2009 the Lions announced that they changed their Logo from the one they’ve had since 1961. And it’s a good thing they told us they changed it, because if they hadn’t, it’s doubtful anyone would’ve noticed. Of course, Lions president Tom Lewand also admitted the obvious saying that this won’t turn around the team’s image unless the team improves on the football field. That said, a change in visual identity could serve as a powerful signal for change on the field and can motivate and encourage fan support. It’s an important clue. No other initiative offers more promise in enabling business transformation than effective branding. The key word however, is “effective.” By accurately defining the new company position, expressing it consistently through all marketing materials and forming tight alignment across the organization, it will: (more…)
Tags: Branding, communications strategy, company symbol, competitive marketplace, evaluating brand value, logo redesign, Marketing, rebranding, sports logo design
Posted in Branding, Logo Design, Marketing | 6 Comments »
