A journey not a destination

Too many people are looking for a destination. A place to be a place to stay. A safe place for them to hide from the rest of the world. However they will never find it. They are searching to be happy based on their situation. They think that your situation determines how you should feel. However the truth is. How you feel and your outlook determines your life and how you live it. If you decide each day to enjoy it you will enjoy life.

Good marketing is the same way. Do not have it paint a thick coat of fake paint on you. Have it leverage the opportunities in the market. Your business and its core is the fulcrum. You are the balancing point. The cornerstone. The market is the resistance. It will always be there sometimes heavier than before. Your market is the effort. The arm of the diagram is your brand. The more precise and defined it is the more work you can do, however if you are weak with your brand you have a flimsy arm. No matter how much force you apply with marketing it will not matter. In fact with a untrue brand and strong marketing you will break the brand and connection between you and the market.. It is what connects the market and your business The closer your business and market are aligned the more market can leverage the opportunity.

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.