Excellent Article: Defining Your Company; It's All About the 'B' Word--as in 'Brand'

Keith Cassell, who is founder and president of Durham-based Cassell Design Group, has written an excellent article entitled Defining Your Company: It's All About the 'B' Word--as in 'Brand'. The article was published on WRAL Local Tech Wire.

Some tidbits from the article:

- Too often people hear the word "branding" and immediately think about a company's logo or the corporate identity pieces. As a designer, I can understand and relate to that. But it's a small piece of a much larger puzzle.

Our view: This statement is dead on point. Most effective marketing communication campaigns rely not on one tool, but on a well thought out comination of carefully selected tools to achieve their goals. At Pioneer Strategies, we believe this is necessarily preceded by a thorough strategic plan.

- Your brand is a symbol for who you are. It's a feeling that the consumer gets when they use or buy your product. What kind of experience do you want your customer to have when engaging with your company and products? What feelings do you want them to experience when they see your company logo? People don't leave their emotions at home. They travel with them day-in and day-out. Your brand should capitalize on those emotions.

Our view: Again, this is dead on point. People frequently make buying decisions based on their emotional response to a product or service. While your marketing communication effort should certainly communicate facts and build a case for your product or service, it should also seek to evoke a favorable emotional response from your target audiences.

- Entrepreneurs focus on their product or technology. Yes, that's critical. But what makes a product sell? Is it understanding the nuts and bolts of how your product works, or is it making the customer want to buy it? Understanding doesn't always lead to a purchase. I can't tell you the first thing about how my car works, but I can tell you how I feel when I'm driving it. That's why I bought it.

Our view: Again, dead on point. It is all too easy to get caught up discussing features when the consumer is interested in benefits. We must put ourselves in our audience's shoes when developing our messages.

Click here to read the full article.