Promote your brand and grow more businesses

Is your brand alive? I ask because most companies operate as if their company or product brand is a fixed and static concept in the minds of their customers. They may feel that they already “own” a position in the minds of their customers, such as quality producer, price leader, or supreme service provider, and that may be true. But what many business owners don’t realize is that a brand is actually a living, fluid perception…one that fluctuates from day to day. In essence, it is more of an evolving and growing entity than a fixed and static “thing.” So if the brand is alive, dynamic and vital, what are you doing to nurture it and make it grow? And when I say nurture, I mean monitor it, care for it, care for it, and watch over it. Sounds a bit crazy? keep reading

A few years ago, Apple was known as an innovative computer manufacturer. They are now arguably more associated with music and video thanks to the popularity of iTunes and the iPod. So where does that put the Apple brand in consumers’ minds? Are they still a computer company that sells hardware? A software company? A music service? The truth is that your image/brand/reputation is undergoing a major change; and to continue to operate as if they were simply a computer manufacturer with a new and popular spin-off product would be a mistake.

I heard a speaker at an executive leadership meeting share that 40% of the average company’s revenue would come from a completely new source in five years. That amazed me. It talks about the constant change that takes place in every business. And because we’re so caught up in the day-to-day grind, we often miss out on those slowly emerging trends.

Take a few moments this week and look at your company’s image as if you were the “gardener” of your brand. Are you still in the same business you started in? Has there been any change in your products or services, pricing, or quality that needs to be communicated in your marketing, tagline, or name? If you were Apple, would you still advertise computers… or would you present yourself as the gateway to a digital lifestyle? If Burlington Coat Factory is “More Than Just Coats,” why not say what that means? If Southeast Airlines flies all over the US, why keep such a restricted name? When Abacus Computers came to us as a leading provider of POS to the restaurant industry, it was clear that they were no longer a computer vendor. They were solution providers. Abacus Computers is now Abacus Business Solutions with the motto “You can count on us”.

So take some time this week and do some image pruning. Add some Miracle-Gro® (and maybe even some herbicide for those outdated names and products). Then sit back and watch your brand and business continue to thrive.