Stretch Brand

The one question every business, branding, and marketing consultant asks is “what makes you special; what makes you different?” If you want to grow your business and get to the next level, defining what makes you special is a good place to start.

Most businesses are copycat companies, selling the same thing, in the same way as most of their competitors, making for a real challenge in providing an adequate answer to the “what makes you so special?” question. But fear…

Gone are the days of opening a store and waiting for customers to walk in, using your personality as much as quality products and pricing to convince them to buy from you. Gone are the days of buying into a franchise of a known retailer or service provider and benefiting from their name and reputation. Here to stay is the competitive struggle of operating an internet based business.

When a person agrees to buy into what amounts to a franchise of…

No matter what your line of business, branding may well be your most important tool or getting consumers to remember you long after your advertisement budget is spent and forgotten.  Now before I start touting companies like Coca-Cola, or branding masters like Donald Trump and Martha Stewart, I want to assure you that branding does not necessarily mean spending lots of money on marketing or cool logos.  Branding is about getting the public to remember your brand, even if they…

Emerging technologies continue to force the most sacred corporate dogma and business practices to evolve. While many old tools and techniques are being rendered obsolete the traditional stationery ensemble – letterhead, business card and envelope – is more vital than ever.

Next to a logo the basic stationery package is the most fundamental means of graphic communication in any business’ branding arsenal, and one of the most powerful self-marketing tools at your disposal. An engaging business card, letterhead or envelope can command undivided attention, communicating…

Marketing is difficult because it is unlike any other business discipline. Most of our business day is filled with left-brain tasks that may be complex but are for the most part logical and procedural in nature whereas marketing and branding are right-brain activities governed by that hated enemy of rational business thinking, psychology.

Most businesses advertise; a rather common practice designed to get the word out about your company, product, or service. A lot of companies despair at the thought…

What does brand management do? That is, what is the power of brand management? In the business world, what separates your business from the opposition that faces you and challenges for your market share, ownership and consumers? Yes, you heard me right – your own particular brand. Your own brand separates you from the competition and his brand and this is a key point. You need a particular branding and from this flows brand management. This business education article will…