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continued Branding your business
Positioning
The second and equally important component of branding is a
verbal one. It is often referred to as a tagline or a positioning
statement, an example of which is given above in context of the
Citibank logo description. Other examples of well-known taglines
include �Built Ford Tough�, �Maybe she�s born with it. Maybe it�s
Maybelline�, and �The right relationship is everything� (the latter
of the Chase Manhattan Bank).
The tagline is usually used in conjunction with
the logo and business name in all promotional materials, from business
cards to web sites. This, once again, ensures consistency and continuity
of both visual and verbal image the company presents to its customers.
An effective positioning statement should:
- be as unique as the company logo. However, in this context,
the meaning of �unique� is slightly different. The positioning
statement is usually based on something marketers call a Unique
Selling Proposition (USP), i.e. the quality of the product or
service that is unlike any other, especially competing, product
or service. Simply stated, this means that a business owner or
manager has to be able to definitively identify that one quality
which makes his or her product different from the rest. Incidentally,
this often proves very difficult. A lot of smaller businesses
tend to lean toward generic statements such as �Your neighbourhood
_____� (fill in the blank with �grocer�, �florist�, or anything,
really). Clearly, such a statement cannot possibly be effective,
as it is not unique enough to be remembered. Further, any other
business in the same neighbourhood could claim the same. Examples
of effective taglines from two competing companies have already
been given above: Citibank is the bank that never sleeps, whereas
Chase is the one that places high emphasis on personal relationships.
These two companies, while being in the same industry and providing
essentially the same services, have managed to set themselves
apart from one another by describing the one thing that makes
them unique;
- be brief and memorable. A tagline should never be a paragraph
long, and even a sentence is often too much for a time-constrained
consumer to remember. As such, a business owner should attempt
to word his or her message as a short, catchy, memorable phrase;
- be honest. This has as much to do with being able to come through
on your promises as it does with potential false advertising claims.
Whatever you decide your unique quality is, be prepared to deliver
on that promise. An interesting example of a tagline that flopped
is presented by Domino�s Pizza, with its short-lived guarantee
to deliver take-out orders in less than 30 minutes. That marketing
tactic, while very appealing to the franchise�s consumers, didn�t
last for very long. According to the Association of Trial Lawyers
of America, hundreds of claims had been filed against the pizza
maker by motorists and others who alleged that their injuries
were caused by company delivery drivers who, in an attempt to
fulfil the company�s promise to its customers, were said to speed
and drive negligently or recklessly. This did not stop with allegations;
a St Louis, Mo. Circuit Court jury returned a US$78 million punitive
damages award against Domino�s Pizza, and the company dropped
its fast-delivery policy. Without addressing the potential financial
implications, something like this happening to a small business
could be a disaster from a public relations perspective�it can
forever ruin its credibility.
In addition to the above, some of the criteria used when deciding
on a logo, such as target audience appeal and the ability to withstand
the test of time, are also applicable here. Finally, although a
business owner may be able to determine what the positioning statement
would be, he or she may not be able to articulate it in a manner
of a professional copywriter or marketing consultant. As such, it
is also beneficial to consider bringing in outside help when working
on this aspect of branding�and this person can further collaborate
on development of future promotions, thus ensuring the continuity
of message and tone that is the main goal of branding.
Some words of caution
Just as all good things in life, successfully branding a business
costs money and takes time. Money tends to be the reason why many
small business owners choose the do-it-yourself approach; however,
bear in mind that the professional help suggested above doesn�t
have to come at ad agency prices. In today�s environment, technological
advancements have enabled many communications specialists to establish
freelance consulting practices which offer the same high level of
service at a much lower cost. So, when looking for a designer or
copywriter to help with your logo and tagline, not to mention many
other promotional materials your business may need, don�t forget
to consider the freelance alternative.
With the advent of internet-based listing services
that cater specifically to such needs, locating freelance talent
is now easier than ever. Just for the sake of naming a couple of
examples, the Designers’ Network (designers-network.com)
is an online database of small firms and freelance graphic designers,
and Guru.com is a service with
a broader specialization, providing access to writers, marketing
consultants and a variety of other talented freelance professionals
in all geographic areas.
It is important to remember that it will take
a while for the repeated exposure of your business name, logo, and
tagline to register and become memorable with your potential customers.
So, do not expect results overnight.
However, do rest assured. It is a proven fact
that businesses that have a coherent branding strategy do better
than those that don�t in the long term. And that is well worth some
up-front investment and waiting time. Julia Ptasznik
Julia
Ptasznik is an honours� graduate (BFA) and a faculty member of the
Advertising�Graphic Design department of the New York, USA-based
Fashion Institute of Technology. She has written and presently teaches
a course on Professional Practices to upper-class design students.
In addition to being the editor of Visual Arts Trends, a
quarterly "state of the industry" report and an online
source of information for the creative professional (http://www.VisualArtsTrends.com/),
Julia is a freelance consultant specializing in marketing strategy
development, copywriting, and graphic design. Her portfolio includes
work for companies and organizations such as the United Nations,
Buick, Bertolli USA, Sprint PCS, The Fragrance Foundation and Domino's
Pizza. Prior to starting her own business, Julia has worked on both
client and agency sides, most recently as director of communications
of an international trading firm, Atwood Richards Inc., which has
offices in 32 countries. Her previous experience includes working
on design projects for the US Open Tennis Tournament, well-known
apparel industry brands such as Bonjour, and varied toy packaging
accounts. Contact [email protected].
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