Branding vs Relationship

I had an interesting discussion Rick Pederson of The Rom Group in Green Bay, WI. When I first stepped into his office I was sit on just getting some pointers as to what I should be doing in this current economic situation. However I left with more than I could have imagined.



From the research that his agency conducted they found that Brand is no longer king. They discovered through their hard research and work that due to technology people are no longer interested in brands. They can find what they are looking for for the exact reason they need it making them untied from a brand.



This got me thinking. What should you be doing building a brand or building a relationship? A relationship and a brand our similar but there are differences. With a brand people know who you are. However with a relationship you know who your customers are. You also become more personal to them. This willl help you gain more of their business and of course dollars. They will also see your mission and vision instead of just your slogan.



I feel that building a relationship is the new wave of what is happening. Lets call it branding 2.0.

Coke's secret formula

Coke is an amazing brand leader. This company has been busy developing its brand since the day it was started.

To me I see a few simple key take aways that we can learn from Coke and how to build a brand.

Know your audience-Who are you talking to and what do you want to get across to them. What will your brand bring to them that no other brand can. How do you seperate your self out from the rest of the clutter? However this brings up an interesting question. Should you find what people want and then make it or should you make what you want and find the people that want it. To me the answer is simple you must make what you want and find the people. However there must be a need for it!

Classic is not always bad- A simple rule to look at. I see that many cmpanies today are trying to be the new thing. They are trying to be the next big trend. However a trend is just that. It is NOT permanant. Trends die off but classics stay forever.

Stick to what you know- Coke has brancehd out into different areas of the refreshmen biz but it has kept them under a seperate label. Even looking at Diet Coke it is Diet Coke not Diet Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola name has once owner only and it makes it their flagship brand. This is a problem that I see Pepsi running into. You can say you want a pepsi but do you mean a diet pepsi or a regular Pepsi? It blinds the brand.

Brand Life

A Brand goes beyond the walls of a company.

You HAVE a brand whether you know it or not. Your brand is your repuation just like it is for a company.

A comapny constatnly builds its brand and if they want to be good at it make sure they stay alligned with their brand through out its life. This is the exact same thing that you do when you are making the brand for your life. In every path that you take you in your life you must make sure it alligns with your brand. Is this going to make your brand stronger or weaker?

Live your brand and live it well!

Getting Started

I am new to blogging. I am looking forward to the chance it will give me to express my ideas and feelings about where branding is going and where I think it needs to go.

YAY