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Read More Great Marketing Articles
Transform Your Business Name Into A Brand Name
It's easy to think that because you have a name, logo and tag line, that you have a brand. But corporate identity is just the first step of building a brand image.
By: Phillip Davis
It's easy to think that because you have a name, logo and tag line, that you have a brand. But corporate identity is just the first step of building a brand image.
By: Phillip Davis
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The name, logo and tag line are two dimensional elements in a three dimensional world. And to become "real", to become a living, breathing, brand name, companies must possess three dimensional attributes. In other words, they must possess the same qualities that people do -- specific, consistent traits and characteristics that customers can easily identify, remember and relate to.
This is where most companies fall short. In an attempt to be all things to all people, they have no identity. They try to compete on every level... price, quality, service, selection and so on. It sounds like a good strategy but it fails nearly every time.
Why?
Because our minds are like little mail rooms. When we get incoming messages, we sort them and file them in their proper slots. Wal-Mart goes into the low price mail slot for when we need to save money. Rolex goes into the quality slot for when we win the lotto and want to enjoy the best. Nordstrom's goes into the service category for when we want to really be pampered. The more specific the trait or characteristic, the easier it is to recall.
So when companies try to appeal to everyone, it's the equivalent of meeting someone named "George".
George who? George Washington? George Foreman? George Jetson? Curious George?
If you lack specific, identifiable features, you will be sorted, discarded and tossed in the mental mailroom trash basket, never to be recalled.
Here's a hypothetical, but typical, example. A bunch of zealous entrepreneurs want to form a sporting goods company. They want to succeed on every level and win over every potential customer. So what's synonymous with being on top, king of the hill, a company at the peak... what else but...
Summit Sporting Goods
So let's say they now want a tag line. Not wanting to limit themselves, they develop a "positioning" statement such as "We're more than just sporting goods". The logo is a large "S" on a triangle. So the store opens and a customer sees an ad that says
"Summit... We're more than just sporting goods"
What does that say about the company? Not much!
Let's say another bunch of enterprising types get together and decided to place all their marbles on basketball equipment. They name their company...
Page 2
Phil Davis is president and owner of Tungsten Branding, a naming firm specializing in brand creation, product naming, tag line development, corporate identity and comprehensive brand repositioning. Phil's client list includes PODS, TeamLogicIT and Coghead.com to name a few. His complete client list and company naming philosophy can be viewed at www.PureTungsten.com.
This is where most companies fall short. In an attempt to be all things to all people, they have no identity. They try to compete on every level... price, quality, service, selection and so on. It sounds like a good strategy but it fails nearly every time.
Why?
Because our minds are like little mail rooms. When we get incoming messages, we sort them and file them in their proper slots. Wal-Mart goes into the low price mail slot for when we need to save money. Rolex goes into the quality slot for when we win the lotto and want to enjoy the best. Nordstrom's goes into the service category for when we want to really be pampered. The more specific the trait or characteristic, the easier it is to recall.
So when companies try to appeal to everyone, it's the equivalent of meeting someone named "George".
George who? George Washington? George Foreman? George Jetson? Curious George?
If you lack specific, identifiable features, you will be sorted, discarded and tossed in the mental mailroom trash basket, never to be recalled.
Here's a hypothetical, but typical, example. A bunch of zealous entrepreneurs want to form a sporting goods company. They want to succeed on every level and win over every potential customer. So what's synonymous with being on top, king of the hill, a company at the peak... what else but...
Summit Sporting Goods
So let's say they now want a tag line. Not wanting to limit themselves, they develop a "positioning" statement such as "We're more than just sporting goods". The logo is a large "S" on a triangle. So the store opens and a customer sees an ad that says
"Summit... We're more than just sporting goods"
What does that say about the company? Not much!
Let's say another bunch of enterprising types get together and decided to place all their marbles on basketball equipment. They name their company...
Page 2
Phil Davis is president and owner of Tungsten Branding, a naming firm specializing in brand creation, product naming, tag line development, corporate identity and comprehensive brand repositioning. Phil's client list includes PODS, TeamLogicIT and Coghead.com to name a few. His complete client list and company naming philosophy can be viewed at www.PureTungsten.com.