Brand Boring or Brand Buzz?

I heard an advertisement on the radio the other day that surprised me, not because they were saying anything noteworthy, but because it was so banal. It was a national company's ad. They pay an ad agency to write and produce their commercials. There are so many words at their disposal, so many descriptions, so many emotional statements to attract customers, why would they use the trite phrase, " knowledgeable, friendly staff to serve you"? Even if they couldn't think of anything exciting, they could have used, "if you've got questions, we've got answers", "we specialize in providing answers"?"specializing in premium products and effective solutions"."Try and stump the staff with your questions, they love a challenge". "We don't have all the answers but we'll help find solutions"

Even if you don't have anything new to say, you can still say it with style, create a connection to the consumer or create a buzz. Use customers' experiences and what they have to say to create a unique message. There is a reason that a customer comes to you rather than the competition. You may have to ask a number of questions to get to the real reason. Even if the only reason is that you are closer than the competition..you can make a joke about it. You can brand your business with an attitude rather than a specific product line. If you present your business in a blasé manner, people will be blasé about dealing with you.

Ho Hum is not something you can take to the bank! Building a recognizable brand offers measurable results, measurable through increased response, increased traffic, and increased attention. Take a stand, chose a niche and give it different perspective.

Think about how long the t-shirt has been around. How many hundreds of times has it been reworked as a successful business? With the right words and vision it's not just a t-shirt; it's a billboard for social commentary, beliefs, attitude statements, advertising, fashion and/or art. Each of these businesses has successfully created a unique niche by creatively saying they sell t-shirts. T-Shirt Deli - Chicago www.tshirtdeli.com/, Turkish T-Box http://www.t-box.com.tr/v2/, Banka de Camisetas http://www.bancadecamisetas.com.br/, skwTeez www.squeezeteez.com

Yes, you do want friendly, knowledgeable staff working in your business, but if you want to convey that or any other message to prospective customers, present the information so that it's believable. Forget the clichés and take some time to put together words that mean something to your prospective customers.

Nancy Fraser is the president of Nota Bene Consulting an advertising and marketing company that offers "out of the box" communication advice,design development and implimentation of branding and marketing campaigns that require clients to "First Ponder and then Dare". http://www.notable-marketing.com

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Branding Information:

Related Articles

Why You? -- Professional Identity Branding
You can have first-rate products and services, but if you can't establish the need, communicate the benefits and differentiate yourself from the competition in ways that make people want to do business with you, you'll forever be selling up hill.As Robert Krumroy, Identity Branding, Inc.
Brand to Sell Well
Branding is an application of appropriate marketing techniques in the right proportion to a product. Brand management is to manage the forces in a market suitably to win favors for the product.
Does Your Message Pass the Test?
Develop an effective benefit message and you're well on your way to building your company's entire marketing program. After all, you need focus to create success.
The Secrets of Starting Business Successfully
Starting Business Secrets will help you to start your own business successfully. The American Dream is, and always will be, to come up with an idea, start a business and become rich from your own efforts.
Go Ask Alice
One of fiction's finest marketing minds, The Cheshire Cat,once told Alice in Wonderland something all business ownersand marketers should remember:"If you don't care where you are going, it doesn't make adifference which path you take."For businesses bent upon success, it does matter which pathyou take.
Living Your Brand on the Web - Part 2
Now that everyone has conformed to Living Your Brand on the Web, Part 1, it's time to add a couple of tweaks that will further reinforce your brand.Tweak #1: Your Signature FileA signature file is the simple text that, once activated is attached to your email automatically.
Value Proposition Writing - Brand Identity Guru
Your Value Proposition, or as I usually call it, your Core Marketing Message, is still misunderstood by most professionals. It's not just a tagline, sound bite or even an "Audio Logo.
Hiring the Right Graphic Designer for Your Small Business
Every small business needs it, but not many have it. I am not talking about cash flow, clients or even your product or services to sell.
You Bored Me at Hello - Top Three Strategies for Networking Your Brand
"You had me at hello," those famous words from the movie Jerry McGuire let Tom Cruise know that Rene Zellweger's character was hooked from that point and the rest of his talking was unnecessary. When in networking situations, many small business owners leave people with a slightly different feeling.
Which Of These Words Attract Your Clients
Whether it's your business card, tagline, article title, web site title and description or ad, just the difference of a few words can either pull in prospects and clients or push them away. Getting it right can determine whether your phone is ringing off the hook or you are twiddling your thumbs hoping someone will call.
Brand Equity
Brand equity can be defined in many different ways. I have developed a simple, yet powerful, definition of brand equity.
Understand Brand
Branding has been defined, explained and examined extensively. There are books, articles, publications, seminars, and groups all dedicated to exploring the meaning and use of brand today.
Boston Brand Building - Brand Identity Guru
"Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir your blood..
Profitable Partnering
Become your customers top-of-mind choice.Some of these snapshots of real life SmartPartnership success stories can be adapted to help your kind of business (or non-profit or government agency) thrive?1.
Living Your Brand on the Web - Part 1
OK, so you took the plunge and purchased your internet domain. Good for you! Now what? According to Google.
Getting Started in the Mail Order Business. How Much Does It Cost?
INTRODUCTION To get any business started successfully takes many ingredients. All requirements fall into one of the following four key categories: 1.
Corporate Internet Branding is only Part of A Business Success
Gaining new clients that are excited about developing a corporate Web site, and are gung-ho to get started is a dream come true. Trust me - as a creative individual with a keen understanding of what the Web can do for a business - I know what I'm talking about.
How to Write Classified Ads that Get Results Now.
SELLING DIRECTLY FROM A CLASSIFIED AD Classified ads can be used to sell products directly from the ad.This works best for items costing no more thanapproximately $5.
Build Brand Identity Through Product Branding
Building a product into a brand leader is not easy, but I truly believe that you can improve your branding impression if you follow these 2 rules; Passion & Consistency as well as the 4P's of Branding that I have developed, PRODUCT - PLACEMENT - PROMOTION - PEOPLE. These 4 P's will enable you to check the way your brand is interpreted.
How Much Is A Great Business Logo Really Worth?
A great logo can help a business project a positive image while a bad logo can bring a negative impression about a company. For many companies, a logo is the only identifiable mark a potential customer may ever see, so it needs to be memorable, descriptive and easily recognizable.