9:06 am
Saint Paul
Marketers often confuse Brand with Branding, and think they have control over the public’s perception of their company.
Wrong.
Here’s the difference.
The idea of a “brand” comes from the marking of cattle, with a red-hot branding iron, to identify the owner of that animal.
It’s a logo or other identifiable mark.
The owner decides what it looks like. And beyond the cattle ranching, marketers might add “brand colors” and “brand voice” and a special font to try and stand out.
Now, changing your brand/logo can confuse and alienate people who once knew you… but no longer recognize your new brand.
And market penetration–the number of people who recognize your brand as trustworthy–often falls when a company changes its brand.
It’s a dangerous path, changing one’s brand.
GAP clothing tried it in 2010: new font, new colors, new $100 million price tag.
Customers hated it.
And GAP went back to their familiar brand within a matter of weeks.
On the other hand, “branding” is not a logo.
Companies try to create their branding, confusing their logo and colors and fonts–their brand–with the narrative around their solutions–their branding.
Once you (or your company) is in the public, your branding is no longer what you say you are.
Instead:
“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” –Jeff Bezos
and
“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is. It is what consumers tell each other it is.” –Scott Cook
Your branding is your reputation. Your ability to solve problems. Your fan base.
Your haters, too.
That’s not to say you can’t influence your branding and your company’s story.
But it must hold up to scrutiny.
Tell your story and give the people something to talk about.
Claude Hopkins writes about this in his book, My Life in Advertising.
He wrote the story of Schlitz Beer and how they produce their beverage.
Before that, it wasn’t known.
After that ad, their story was talked about. It helped sell beer. And that story became their branding for years.
“If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you.” –David Brier
That’s harder to do today, when everyone can broadcast their experiences on social media.
So don’t spend too much time worrying about your brand, or your branding.
Instead, worry about your customers. Make them happy. Share in their pains, share in their successes.
Let the rest take care of itself.
Love you,
Jeffrey
P.S. Last week I wrote a new direct mail package for a financial planning company. Their previous mailer, while profitable, received a 0.02% response.
I immediately identified a number of changes to make to better address their customer needs and desires, and had the package back to them within a week. It will mail in March.
If your business wants a better response with your marketing, check out my marketing book summaries and other resources here.
Or, reply to this email and we can discuss your unique situation. Maybe I can help you rake in some unclaimed profits this year.