Article: How To Find A Brand
That Fits Your Firm's Size
RainToday.com, February 2008
By Vickie K. Sullivan
Line up five branding experts, and you'll get 15 different
ways to build a brand. The reason: while most folks agree
that a brand is a "promise" you make to the marketplace,
solo practitioners, small professional service firms and larger
companies all make different promises in different ways.Therefore,
there is no such thing as "one size fits all" in
branding strategy. (Newsflash: it doesn't work in clothing
either.)
Here's a drilled-down comparison of what works and what
doesn't for solo practitioners, small firms, and larger organizations.
Solo Practitioners
Many solo practitioners are the master craftsmen of the professional
service industry. They want to attract the "cool clients"
for whom they can make a difference without massive brain
damage. They make the promises and they back up their own
claims.
The focus is on creating preference to qualified buyers.
The promise: I am uniquely qualified and able to solve your
problem. I care about and am committed to your success.
How branding works: when your face is on
the bucket of chicken, the marketplace wants to know who you
are and what you stand for. So, your story is the starting
point for many brands. It gives context and credibility for
your point of view.
Your point of view makes the promise that you can improve
the prospect's position. That promise drives the preference.
The branding effort is stealth: small targeted hits, customized
to the hilt. Compared to the other groups, more time than
money is spent on branding here.
What doesn't work: any broad-based campaign
that doesn't convey the uniqueness of the founder. The guiltiest
here are growth and sales consultants. Making standard claims
without a unique voice positions the founder as "one
of many" and doesn't get traction. This is the number
one reason why media efforts and speaking don't translate
into more clients.
Example: Thomas Friedman. A commentator
on all things global, Friedman's background with The New York
Times gives his point of view credibility. And interjecting
stories about his international travels makes the branding
promise, "You'll get the real inside scoop from me."
This promise drives the preference for his books and speeches.
You don't know what Friedman will say next, but you believe
it will be insightful and on-target.
Smaller Service Firms
Smaller service firms promise the best of both worlds: the
personal touch from the founders combined with the safety
of numbers. Clients get a customized approach, and know the
firm has the capacity to deliver.
The key here is a balancing act: take advantage of the principal's
appeal and at the same time, go beyond it. The promise: you
still get customized solutions and you have access to the
founder if things go wrong.
How branding works: when a firm has to go
beyond the founder's identity, the focus is using the founder
as a representative of a larger vision. He or she provides
the personal appeal and applies the values and approach that
promises a specific benefit. Instead of stories, these firms
use case studies. In addition to writing articles and speaking,
white papers and research are distributed.
The message here: you get more from the group than you would
from one person. The founder is only a conduit to the values
and approach.
What doesn't work: focusing too much on
the founder. That makes clients assume that they can only
get the "best" by working with the principal. The
other extreme – hiding the principal behind complex
processes – is just as bad. It negates the power of
a personal appeal.
Example: James Rodgers, of J.O. Rodgers
and Associates, is an affable CEO with teams of consultants
working with blue chip clients such as Shell Oil and Johnson
and Johnson. Jim uses his personal appeal to tout diversity
as a business strategy.
He also highlights the facilitative approach with courageous
conversations to promise the specific result of "getting
100% of your people, 100% of the time."
Although you see Jim speaking on his home page, his promise
is tied to an overall vision, not to his personality or unique
voice. Because his team is mentioned frequently on the home
page, clients see the track record and brand as a group effort.
Jim is branded as the representative of the team but not the
only player.
Larger Companies
What larger companies have that we mere mortals don't: piles
of cash to spend on getting their brand message out. And they
need these resources to solve their biggest branding problem:
overcoming the perception that they are a faceless conglomerate
that is too big to care. Therefore, the promise is: we use
our vast resources to help you personally.
How branding works: stories about the founder
take a back seat to creating a warm, fuzzy promise of personal
care. Branding is tied to a huge advertising campaign and
is slogan driven. The scope is narrow, focusing on one benefit
or idea and creating a larger picture around that nugget.
The trend gaining a lot of traction is fictionalizing the
delivery of the personal message with character-driven brands
(poster child: the Geico Insurance Gecko.)
What doesn't work: corporate speaker bureaus,
because many companies don't invest enough time or resources
to this area. Any "orphan" campaigns that aren't
tied to larger efforts.
Examples: Charles Schwab's "Talk to
Chuck" campaign makes the promise of personal attention
on a grand scale. The branding message: yes, we're huge but
we care and you can talk to us anytime. That brand creates
safety in an area that's very personal: our finances.
Another recent example: H & R Block's "I got people"
ad campaign promises a financial entourage that watches over
your income-tax back. They need to reframe their identity
from overpriced tax form preparer to caretaker for the financially
unsophisticated. Their behemoth website backs that up with
many tools and ways to help.
Strategy That Fits
At the core, branding is about nurturing perceptions that
create an unspoken promise, which drives preference. Solo
practitioners, small businesses and larger organizations all
promise safety and reassurance. They fulfill those promises
with different messages, communicated in different ways. By
implementing the strategy that suits your business best, your
results will fit your business like a glove.
Since 1987, Vickie K. Sullivan, President of Sullivan Speaker
Services, has generated millions of dollars in speaking fees,
book advances and ancilliary income for her clients. Sign
up for her free market intelligence at http://www.SullivanSpeaker.com
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