Large corporations spend lavish amounts seeking names for their products that grab a consumer, or convey positive feelings. Book authors do the same. As do magazine writers. So, say you are planning something that needs a name: your new company, a speech, an article, your website, your email address. STOP! Stop, and think. Don't go with

"Personal branding" is the latest buzzword. It's a topic that cuts across a number of career management areas. The concept can be extremely helpful, but the language leaves many people feeling that there's a big mystery out there about how to be successful. Let's demystify it, shall we? There are products, and there are brands. What's the diffe

Coke. Pepsi. Adidas. Nike. Levi's. You. You? Yes, you. For the home-based business owner, establishing a brand is key to success. Powerhouse corporations spend millions of dollars establishing their brands in the hearts and minds of their target audience. However, for most small business owners, buying a commercial during the Super Bow

The business world is all about first impressions. If a customer likes what they see right away, they are likely to invest. This is what makes branding so important. Your brand is what consumers will initially encounter when introduced to your company. You want your brand to entice potential customers to dig deeper and further explore what your com

If you've read my work for any length of time then you know that I recommend articles because you can use them to brand yourself as an expert, brand your products and services, and the search engines love them because they are content. However, once you've written your article, where do you promote it? Although there are many ways online to p

While marketing and branding are alike in some ways, they are also sometimes mistaken as the same business action. This is not true, but definitely understandable on the two can be misconstrued as the same. There are several brand tools that can also fall into the marketing category. This is what makes the two concepts so closely related, but

I received an e-mail message from "Paypal" not to long ago. The e-mail stated that PayPal needed me to update and verify my security information for their database. I didn't. One of the sentences in the e-mail read: "Complete the necessary verification tasks within 5 days, or your account might get temporarily suspended." That didn't sound l

It was the famous publicist PJ Barnum who said in 1855 "I do not care what people say about me but get my name right". In today's international marketplace, getting names right is vital. Marketers and brand managers are becoming more and more concerned that their newly created name will be inappropriate in their target markets. We've all s

Awareness Bracelet Craze Ever since Lance Armstrong started the silicone wristband craze with the release of his yellow "LIVESTRONG" wristbands, millions of people worldwide have discovered a new and effective method of supporting their favorite causes. Today, there is almost every color imaginable to be found on these ubiquitous silicone brace

We have all learned about the 4P's of marketing in undergrad: Product, Place, Price and Promotion. If not, you can open up one of your old marketing text books, blow off the dust and read about it there. The 6 C's, however, is a not a concept that replaces the 4'Ps; rather, it just expands on the promotion element and provides a more granular look

Have you seen the new commercial and re-branding from Bill Ford and the Ford Motor Company? As you know Ford is in big trouble. So they seem to be changing their positioning and re-Branding. Here's the brilliant re-positioning they came up with (and it pretty much includes everything): 1. American Auto Industry is facing new challenges and fierc

No one would disagree that the Internet has changed the way we all view marketing. After 25 years in traditional advertising, marketing and brand building, most of which was spent watching the degeneration of the ad agency model as centric to the marketing process, I now wake up in the mornings with the knowledge that I am ahead. Let me repeat.

Many people say that the key to succeeding in business is through constant improvement and innovation, the ability to keep up with the ever-changing trends in the industry. So if you ever notice why some of your competitors enjoy more attention and interest than you do, you better move fast and find out the answer before its too late. Complacency h

Corporate gift marketing is one of the best marketing strategy that you seriously need to consider to be included as part of your overall marketing plan for your business. By giving away corporate gifts, you will be able to build up your brand awareness, as well as to promote feelings of goodwill between your business and gift receivers. One ver

If your company has a good product and a hungry market for that product, you're closer to success than 90% of the rest. But to take that final step, some of the most successful companies in the world have hired a Branding Company to craft their company's brand image into the sales and loyalty-generating machine it needs to be. How have these suc