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UnF*ck Your Legal Marketing

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 04:17:41 GMT

Value Prop Interactive

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 04:43:37 GMT

Why it’s Important to Invest in Branding

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 02:10:41 GMT

Q: “Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?”

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Fotis Georgiadis for Authority Magazine’s series about “Brand Makeovers” and will be sharing a few of the highlights here over the coming months.

I read a quote once (from Christy Liu – founder of Wanderfly/acquired by TripAdvisor ) that said, “Great companies have marketing built into the DNA of their products”. I love that. It’s true because marketing is so integral to business success. And branding is where it all starts.

Most people think of logos and color palettes when they think of branding. But those are just one component — the visual manifestations of the brand.

Branding is really the internal work that is the foundation for everything else you do in your business. It’s how we express who we are as a company and it’s how we communicate — and connect — with our customers.

Without doing the work of branding we’re rudderless.

With branding, we have purpose. We have vision. And going through the branding process is often the catalyst for all the other pieces of their business to begin falling into place.

Read the full interview on Medium .

Many businesses – especially small businesses – don’t invest in branding. My theory is because branding is methodical and internal. Results are not always immediately tangible. And there is more a sense of something happening when content is being posted on social media or sales calls are being made.

Seeing those posts on Instagram may bring immediate gratification, but is your message attracting the right audience? You may feel like you’re doing a lot by scheduling a ton of meetings and sales calls, but are your conversations with prospects resonating?

It’s easy to promote a business. There are countless opportunities and platforms where you can spend your time and money. But at the end of the day, we need to make sure the actions we take are purposeful. That the platforms we choose are where our audience is. That the content we post will connect with them. That the message we’re communicating has meaning for them.

So, whether you’re a company of one or one thousand, it’s important to take the time and invest in branding and building your brand.

The Big Impact of Small Touchpoints

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 02:26:06 GMT

Small Touchpoints with Your Network

Last month, as I do each December, I sent out a holiday email.

It was a short holiday message with well wishes for the coming year. Simple. Some might even say of little consequence.

Or was it?

Within an hour of sending it, I received several responses from colleagues I haven’t spoken with in years. Which led to a lovely email exchange with one and a group reunion lunch with another.

A simple holiday message. A small touchpoint. And yet…

How often do we let those “little” things slide? How often does our to-do list become so enormous that, one by one, we start pushing all those seemingly inconsequential tasks to the bottom of the list? Or abandoning them altogether.

I’ve had old clients reach out for some new work after sending a newsletter. Some have referred me to businesses in need. This time it was a chance to re-connect.

It got me thinking about all the opportunities we have to make a big impact with just a few, small touchpoints.

Treat Customers Like Friends: On a crazy, hectic “mom” night, I went to my local Rubio’s to grab dinner for myself and daughter. Ordered our food only to realize I’d left my wallet at home! As embarrassed and frazzled as I was, the man helping was so kind and understanding. Insisted on providing my order and wouldn’t even hear of taking my payment when I came back the next day. That act of kindness has stayed with me and earned my loyalty throughout the years since.
Do Something Different: One of my clients, Saf Keep Storage , manages and operates storage facilities throughout California. To help make a trip to the storage unit a little more fun, they feature a “prize wheel” at the front office. Customers get a chance to spin the wheel at move-in and on special occasions to win free items like gift cards to local coffee stores.
Add a Special Touch: A local jewelry store near me always has a tray of cookies out. If I’m there with my daughter in tow, a cookie always makes the outing more pleasant. A simple tray of cookies helps create a friendly atmosphere and instill a positive association for customers. (I mean, who doesn’t want a cookie now and then?)

Small Touchpoints with Your Clients & Customers

Support Your Network: Take 5 or 10 minutes out of your day to help your network increase visibility. Like their post on Instagram. Comment on an article they shared on LinkedIn. Congratulate them or thank them for something they did for you on Twitter.
Handwritten Note: It always makes my day to receive a handwritten note thanking me for a referral or just saying how nice it was to meet. Sometimes a notecard, a stamp and just a few minutes is all it takes to stand out.
Pass along opportunities: Eve Gumpel , who is a wonderful Editor and Ghostwriter in my network, recently forwarded a HARO contribution request for a series of articles focused on Branding. (If you’re not familiar with Help A Reporter Out , check it out!) Passing along potential opportunities not only shows those in your network that you’re thinking of them, but it shows that you are a good partner because you understand their business. The next time you come across an article or request that looks like a fit for someone in your network, let them know!

Support Your Network: Take 5 or 10 minutes out of your day to help your network increase visibility. Like their post on Instagram. Comment on an article they shared on LinkedIn. Congratulate them or thank them for something they did for you on Twitter.
Handwritten Note: It always makes my day to receive a handwritten note thanking me for a referral or just saying how nice it was to meet. Sometimes a notecard, a stamp and just a few minutes is all it takes to stand out.
Pass along opportunities: Eve Gumpel , who is a wonderful Editor and Ghostwriter in my network, recently forwarded a HARO contribution request for a series of articles focused on Branding. (If you’re not familiar with Help A Reporter Out , check it out!) Passing along potential opportunities not only shows those in your network that you’re thinking of them, but it shows that you are a good partner because you understand their business. The next time you come across an article or request that looks like a fit for someone in your network, let them know!

And then of course, there are emails. Whether it’s through a monthly newsletter linking to your blog or weekly e-blasts of tips, announcements or motivational quotes, don’t underestimate the impact staying top-of-mind with your professional network, customers and prospects can make.

Because sometimes opportunity is just one LinkedIn like, spin of the wheel, or holiday email away.

Navigating a Single Point of Failure

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 02:39:08 GMT

Three Steps to Navigating a Single Point of Failure

Sometimes there’s just no way around it. Sometimes there is only one person managing social media, promotions, online chat and ensuring the web store is updated with current products and pricing.

Sometimes your office manager is also your receptionist and business development representative.

Sometimes your team is so maxed out that there is nobody else to pass responsibilities to. Sometimes – until revenues increase enough to justify additional staff or hiring 3rd-party vendors – you just have to make do and hope for the best.

The problem with single points of failure in business isn’t that it’s one person doing a particular job. It’s that typically one person has all the knowledge and information of that job.

If your office manager unexpectedly left, who else in the office knows how to get payroll out?

If your project manager got hit with the flu right before a big product launch, who knows enough about what needs to be done and who is involved to step in at the last minute?

If your go-to, wears-all-the-hats marketing/sales/customer service juggler finally takes that long-overdue vacation, who else on your team will be the one to answer online chat questions, manage social media accounts and knows who to call when it turns out your website password isn’t actually the latest password and you’re locked out of your site?

When your single points of failure are a temporary necessity, how can you navigate them to make sure all those balls that they somehow keep flying don’t come crashing down around you?

1) Identify

First you need to know where your single points of failure are. This can be the most difficult part of the process because we often don’t recognize them when they exist. Often the person managing the task does it so effectively that we never consider it as a potential bottleneck. Other times, we just don’t want to admit that there is too much on one person’s plate.

Second you need to determine which are critical to keeping the business running smoothly.

Your business can probably survive a missed Facebook post or delay in getting the next email newsletter out. (Unless, of course, it’s right before a big sale or product introduction.) But missed sales calls? Delaying a product launch? Missing payroll?

If these balls came tumbling down, chances are there would be a ripple effect that would be more difficult to recover from than missing a scheduled Instagram story.

2) Codify

Once you’ve identified the points of failure that could have the greatest impact on your business, write it down.

Have those responsible for each task, create an outline of everything that is involved in implementing it. No matter how obvious or mundane it might seem. Remember, what is second nature for the person doing the task day in and day out is completely foreign to others.

Include:

Steps involved
Links to sites involved and login info (username and password)
Contact info for any 3rd-party providers that can help troubleshoot

As an example, when it comes to maintaining the company website there are a lot of components involved. If something went terribly wrong (and knock wood it never does!), you’ll need to know:

The platform for the site (WordPress, Squarespace, custom-coded, etc.): And all login information
The hosting company for the site (GoDaddy, Bluehost, HostGator, your web developer). And all login information (which is most likely different than your site login)
Where the latest back-up of your site is stored
Contact information for the person/company that designed and developed the site

3) Assign

Know who will be able to jump in and take over before it’s needed. You don’t want to miss important deadlines because you were first trying to figure out who could step in to help. Or have important calls go unanswered because everyone thought someone else would pick up the phone.

This can be as formal or informal as you’d like. But it should be something that you, at the very least, think about.

Your backup for customer service (phone sales, online chat, etc.) should be someone that 1) is good at interacting with customers and 2) knows enough about the product to answer questions, or at least knows who to go to for the information.
Your backup for project management should be someone who is detail-oriented and is comfortable leading a team.
Your backup for social media should know where your library of product images is and have a basic understanding of how to construct a post.

Once you’ve identified which tasks are critical to the business running as it should and are potential points of failure, you’ll be better positioned to know which would be best implemented by an outside vendor or consultant when the time is right.

Single points of failure are a reality for most small and mid-sized companies. But they don’t have to have devastating effects. When you know where they are, you’re better positioned to navigate around them.

Keepers of the Conversation

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 03:49:51 GMT

Who are the keepers of our online conversations?

I started thinking about this after a friend posted something on Facebook that didn’t go quite as planned and ended up with them full of angst, wasting away the day responding to every missed point and accusation.

We’ve all been there. That seemingly innocuous post we made on Facebook. That tweet we forgot about soon after sending.

And then the barrage of notifications inundating us with comment after comment. Ones that are long on ire and not short on opinion.

Conversations are rarely linear. A simple question about where to go for dinner can weave its way into a heated debate about parenting choices and whether restaurants have the right to not allow children. A post about that night’s homework becomes a debate about Common Core and whether schools today are assigning too much homework.

Some people love when a post catches on like a wildfire consuming everyone on the thread into a dizzying stream of opinions, insights and memes.

For others though, a hijacked thread can be the cause of a day’s worth of stress. Anxiety about people missing the point and releasing an opinion genie that, despite our best efforts, simply cannot be shoved back in that bottle. So we delete the thread, keep our head down, and vow never to post anything again.

But what about Brands?

Brands thrive on engagement. Marketing professionals are on the constant quest of increasing likes, comments, and shares. Testing various forms of content. Measuring what content performs best. Forever after the holy grail of their digital efforts taking off, winning over customers and establishing loyalty.

So as Marketers and Business Owners what happens if our post doesn’t go as expected?

Sure, the post and subsequent thread are on our branded page. But who owns that conversation? As stewards of our brand reputation, it is our duty to monitor activity on our social media platforms. But what happens if our thread gets hijacked?

What happens when a post about women’s fashions suddenly becomes a thread arguing about school dress codes and opinions on what teenage girls should – or should not – be allowed to wear to school?

Can we simply delete it and move on?

Are we obligated to engage in threads that have veered off course, or do we simply look away and reassess our content strategy?

I’ll be honest. When it comes to this topic, I have more questions than answers.

Right now, it’s the beginning of the conversation. One that I am certain I do not own.

Getting in Your Customers “Ingroup”

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Mon, 20 May 2019 04:04:49 GMT

The “Ingroup”

The holy grail of marketing is to get in your customers “Ingroup”.

I had this epiphany while walking with good friend, Elizabeth Pillsworth, Ph.D, who is a professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Cal State Fullerton.

We were talking about how cultural divisions form. Why people tend to seek out others that are like them. And just how “like them” gets defined. Maybe I missed a calling in the psychology field because understanding what makes people tick – why they make certain choices over others – has always been fascinating to me.

You see, as humans, we are all pre-programmed with implicit bias.

As Sahar Andrade, MB. BCh describes it, “ We all have an unconscious bias because as humans we are wired to see patterns. ” Our brains instinctively categorize whatever we come in contact with in our daily lives as a survival tool. And surprisingly, the brain can only digest about four to five pieces of information at a time.

What does that mean for marketers? Well, it means that we have mere moments to connect with prospects because they are categorizing our business, our product, our service within milliseconds.

Yes. MILLISECONDS.

Implicit biases often predict how we’ll behave more accurately than our conscious values . And while the most common biases are based on characteristics such as age, race, social group or appearance, there are those that focus more on our own experiences and associations. In fact, some experts say there are more than 150 various biases out there.

And, unconsciously, we tend to hold biases that favor our own Ingroup.

What is an Ingroup?

As Elizabeth explained it in our walk that morning, Ingroups are how humans innately categorize themselves and others. In the most simplistic terms, Ingroups establish “Us” vs. “Them.”

In Ingroup Favoritism and Prejudice , Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani and Dr. Hammond Tarry describe, “Ingroup favoritism is a fundamental and evolutionarily functional aspect of human perception, and it occurs even in groups that are not particularly meaningful.” Being part of what we consider a valued group, provides us a positive experience in social identity.

Because our ancestors lived in small social groups that were frequently in conflict with other groups, it was evolutionarily functional for them to view members of other groups as different and potentially dangerous (Brewer & Caporael, 2006; Navarrete, Kurzban, Fessler, & Kirkpatrick, 2004).

Differentiating between “us” and “them” probably helped keep us safe and free from disease, and as a result, the human brain became very efficient in making these distinctions (Mahajan et al., 2011; Phelps et al., 2000; Van Vugt & Schaller, 2008; Zaraté, Stoever, MacLin, & Arms-Chavez, 2008).

The problem is that these naturally occurring tendencies may lead us to prefer people who are like us, and in some cases even to unfairly reject people from outgroups.

Consumer “Ingroups”

Yankees vs. Red Sox.

Coke vs. Pepsi.

Apple vs. Android.

Humans are tribal. We innately categorize our social world, socially constructing our Ingroups based on personal taste or arbitrary factors. When we join a club or association they become “our” group. We tend to identify with those that live for CrossFit like us or only eat organic or who have kids the same age as ours.

And when we walk into a store, land on a website or pick up a brochure, we either connect with a Brand. Or we don’t.

Creating emotional connections with customers isn’t new. But as the concept of implicit bias moves to the forefront, we have an opportunity to more deeply understand how that connection is formed. To understand the psychology behind consumer purchasing decisions.

It’s one of the reasons we’re seeing a rise in corporations taking stands on political and social issues.

Because Brands want customers to view them as one of their own… as part of their group.

Creating Your Customer “Ingroup”

So as marketers and business owners, how do we tap into the power of the Ingroup?

We connect with them.

We demonstrate how we are alike, how we understand, how we are similar.

We let them know through everything we do – from website design to office to décor to how customers are greeted when they walk through the door – that we are part of the same tribe.

1) Find Your Tribe:

Your tribe is more than your company’s key target groups. Your target buys goods and services from you. Your tribe believes in you.

They follow you on social media and join your newsletter. They stand in line for hours to buy your latest product. They give you their business – even if it’s a little more than the competition – because you understand them. Because you’ve connected with them.

Your tribe is your core. They are your ambassadors. They will champion your Brand and promote it among their peers.

2) Believe in Something:

As I discussed in The 5th “P” of Marketing , customers are shifting their criteria for loyalty to values. Evaluating whether, or not, a Brand’s values align with their own.

While some companies have chosen to take a stand on political issues, it isn’t necessary for you to go down that road. But you do have to believe in something beyond your product or service.

Your Brand has to stand for something.

CHOBANI funds its own healthy-living food incubator and gives a portion of its profits to charity, focusing on access to food for underserved communities .
REI “walks the walk” of enjoying the outdoors by closing their doors on Black Friday to give, as CEO Jerry Stritzke states, “… our employees time to do what they love with the people they love during the holidays.”
WEWORK is a co-working office space whose mission is to build community. So they created their Summer Camps as a way for WeWork members and employees from around the globe to connect and learn . And through their Refugee Initiative , they work to connect refugees and employers across the globe.

Don’t worry. You don’t have to be a Fortune 500 company for your business to stand for something. Your values can be about your integrity, about giving back, or an issue you care about. But it has to be real. And it has to be true.

If you provide products or services geared towards women, then champion the rights of women.
If you are a brick-and-mortar business, get involved in the local community by sponsoring the local Little League team.
If you are a veteran-owned business, plan an employee volunteer day with an organization that provides housing for homeless vets.

Remember. Our prospects are categorizing our business, our product, our service within milliseconds. We have a mere blink of an eye to connect with them.

If we want them to categorize us as part of their Ingroup, they need to instantly identify with our Brand.

Whether it’s how we look (a brochure, website or office space)
Whether it’s what we say (our story, the specific language we use)
Whether it’s what we value (do we believe in something beyond our product or service)

One of the things I see businesses get most wrong is thinking it is enough to have a branded website and be done. Or that outdated brochures and business cards don’t matter. Or that the receptionist snapping gum when you’re checking in for an appointment doesn’t reflect on the business.

It all matters. It all goes into the subconscious evaluations we make when we’re deciding: “are they like me?”, “do I fit in here?”

As Mark Schaefer so aptly stated in his recent post The Compelling Business Case for Belonging , “Hyper-empowered consumers show little brand loyalty except when they feel they belong to something. Down the road, will ‘belonging’ be the only marketing strategy we have left?”

It’s too soon to speculate if it will be the only strategy for marketers. But one thing is for sure. Understanding that need for belonging – our anthropologic pre-disposition to form Ingroups – is something worthy of marketers’ attention.

3) Demonstrate How You are Alike:

Critical Mass Business Talk Show

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Sat, 09 Feb 2019 04:27:56 GMT

Big or Small. Marketing Matters.

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 02:53:38 GMT

Every business can have good marketing. And every business should.

Whether you are a corporate giant like Apple, a small business owner with a team of 20, or an individual professional going it alone, Marketing Matters.

One of the biggest mistakes I see small businesses make is thinking they don’t need to focus on marketing. But marketing isn’t some glitzy luxury item exclusive to Fortune 500 companies. Marketing is an essential business tool that helps to set a direction and establish goals.

Marketing isn’t just about spending money on promoting your product and service. It isn’t just about hiring creatives to design fancy logos and brochures.

It’s about having a strong foundation.

It’s about gathering insights. It’s about having a plan. And it is the difference between getting lucky every now and then and knowing how you intend to generate and keep customers.

Why Marketing Matters

Marketing Answers the Who, What and Why

If you cannot clearly articulate who you serve, what it is you provide and why people should choose you over a competitor, how can you expect your customers to know?

Being able to answer these questions is critical to the success of your business.

Good marketers know that the answers to these questions come from Branding . The internal work that is the foundation for everything else you do in your business – from product development to how you interact with customers – and answers the fundamental questions:

Who your customers really are and what drives them
What solution your product or service provides for your clients
Why prospects should choose you over the competition

Think you know how prospects and clients view you and your services? Think again. It is only by actively engaging in the process of branding that we can truly understand our customers to better align what they do think with what we want them to think.

Marketing Gives Voice to Your Customers

Marketing is the only discipline within a company that is primarily focused on customers and advocating for them.

It isn’t just about telling prospects about your business, products or services. It’s also about listening to them. Understanding their needs. Knowing their pain points.

Successful marketers are always looking at the feedback. What works. What doesn’t. And what needs to be changed to get your message, generate leads, and then convert those leads into clients.

By listening to your customers , you’ll gain invaluable insights to help you;

Develop products and services that meet their needs
Position your business in a way that will appeal to them
Find them so you can promote those products and services to them

Customer service agents are a direct link to your customers. For many companie,s their focus centers on answering questions about existing products and services and handling complaints. But if leveraged correctly, they can provide a trove of insights as to what your customers want and what is, or is not, working for them.

If your company does have a person, team or department dedicated to customer service, leverage their knowledge by making sure your marketing team is working in partnership with them.

Marketing Provides a Roadmap

Every business starts with a vision… a goal… a dream. But how do you go from vision to reality?

Marketing is where you set the blueprint for how you present your organization to the market. It’s where you decide what tools and tactics to implement… and how to implement them .

But marketing isn’t simply about execution. It’s about strategy.

Marketing is an indispensable business discipline that helps set a direction for your business, clearly laying out what you want to accomplish and the exact steps you plan to take to make it happen.

“Marketing is food, not medicine… It’s the regular, sustained nourishment that gets your business where you want it—and keeps it there. You need it throughout the day, every day.”

– Forty.co

Marketing isn’t something to focus on solely when there’s a problem. It’s an essential investment into the health and well-being of your business. It’s a discipline that requires regular attention in order to have any meaningful impact.

When you get sick, reaching for a pound of vegetables isn’t going to cure you overnight. But eating a healthy diet every day can certainly help boost your immune system to keep those viruses at bay.

Marketing is the nourishment that sustains your business.

Marketing is the foundation.

Marketing matters.

The 5th “P” of Marketing

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 03:02:23 GMT

The reason is simple. Customers are shifting their loyalty from Brands to values.

There’s an interesting phenomenon happening in the world of marketing.

If you follow the news at all, you may have noticed there is a sizable number of businesses jumping into the political fray. And while we may be quick to brush it off as an anomaly given our current political climate, it’s actually a trend that has been steadily on the rise for several years now.

Rather than making purchasing decisions solely on whether a person likes a product or service – or even their experience with a Brand – more and more it’s becoming about whether they like the company’s stance on political and social issues. They’re evaluating whether or not a Brand’s values align with their own.

The data:

A 2014 study by the Global Strategy Group showed that 56% of Americans thought it appropriate for corporations to stand up for what they believe politically regardless of whether or not it is controversial
60% of millennials identified as “belief-driven buyers” globally, according to a 2017 study by Edelman .
In a study by Forbes , they found Americans 8.1% more likely to purchase from a company that shared their opinions and 8.4% less likely to purchase from a company that doesn’t.
A Sprout Social study found that two-thirds of those who responded said it was either “Somewhat Important” or “Very Important” for brands to take a stand on social/political issues

Mark Schaefer referred to this in a recent video as the “5th P of marketing”. That “P” being politics.

And businesses are taking notice.

In 2013 Procter & Gamble set out on creating their ‘Like a Girl’ campaign to introduce a new generation to their commitment to empowering girls. Heineken premiered “Worlds Apart” early in 2017, pairing strangers with vastly different – yet unknown – backgrounds in completing several tasks while getting to know each other. Challenging society’s pre-conceived notions about those of differing political beliefs.

P & G’s ‘Like a Girl’ campaign:

Heineken’s “Worlds Apart” campaign:

And then, of course, was the big announcement last month from Nike about a partnership with controversial figure Colin Kaepernick and an ad that dropped featuring a close-up of the former NFL quarterback with the words “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

A calculated risk for sure by Nike. Not surprisingly, it was met with an onslaught of negative reaction from calls for boycotts to consumers burning shoes to a loss of almost 4 billion on the day of the announcement.

But Nike did their homework. Based on research, they know that their customers skew younger, more urban and more diverse. In fact, 67% of Nike’s customer base is younger than 35, according to NPD Group via Bloomberg. So they made the calculation that those who would be offended by the partnership were probably not a big percentage of their customer base to begin with. According to the research, young, liberal-leaning shoppers – Nike’s core customer base – are more likely to respond positively to companies taking a stand on issues… as long as it aligns with their own beliefs.

To Get Political or Not

Whether your business should take a stand on political or social issues or stay neutral depends entirely on your business and your customers.

Tucson-based Cup it Up learned this lesson the hard way after publishing a list of things they did and did not support politically. Employees quit, the community spoke out and three days after the post went up, they closed the business entirely.

There is a lot to lose.

But the advantages could also be great in winning customer loyalty while opening the doors to a new audience. Inc. lays out some great points to consider when weighing the question of getting political .

The two main takeaways:

Know your customers and run the numbers

You need to know your customers. Not just the demographics. Where are they likely to be on the social/political spectrum?
You also need to know how much business you can stand to lose for a period of time… or permanently and still run a profit. Perhaps there is an untapped audience that may be drawn to your business if it aligned with their values.

Focus on issues that make sense for your brand

P & G ran the #LikeAGirl campaign under their Always brand of feminine products. Heineken showcased people coming together for a drink.
These were issues-based campaigns that made sense to the brand. Another question to consider is, “do your brand values and position require you to take a stand on a particular issue?”

Patagonia’s mission statement is to, “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” So it was natural for them to make a statement on their home page when policy on protecting federal lands changed a couple of years ago.

Whether or not Nike’s gamble will pay off is yet to be seen. Though they did see an immediate boost in online sales . And in the weeks following stock prices surged 36 percent on the year .

The point is before engaging your Brand in any political discourse or controversial social issue, make sure you have a good understanding of your customers. Really know them.

Or you need to believe so strongly in your position that you’re willing to close your doors for good.

Implementing vs. Doing: Two Different Methods to Success

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 03:23:07 GMT

Planners vs. Doers

What do you think is most effective? Implementing a plan or just going forth and “doing” without any real sort of plan in place?

Anyone who has ever worked with me or spent any time reading my posts will probably find that an odd question for me to even ask. After all, I am all about the plan. About having a strategy. About being really clear on what you want to accomplish and how you are going to do it.

But here is the thing about plans. They can only work if you implement them. And you can only implement a plan that you’ve actually put in place.

At our core, people are innately more planner or doer.

I’m a planner. I tend to be more methodical and thoughtful in my thinking. I perform better when I can be thoroughly prepared; researching, reviewing and understanding a project rather than jumping in blindly. But once I’ve researched, reviewed and understood – once that plan is in place – I happily move on to implementing.

Then there are the doers.

A very dear friend of mine is a doer. She is a pound the pavement, get-out-the-door kind of person. When she has a project to start or a problem to solve, she just jumps right in. Trying various things out to see what sticks .

I remember when she was getting married. All of the guests invited for a week together at a villa in Italy.

Aside from the wedding party, villa rental and room arrangements, there wasn’t really a plan. No order for the procession, no flowers, no concrete plan for food at the reception. We all just…. went to Italy. And to the surprise of my very methodical brain, it all worked out. It was spontaneous. It was fun. And it was absolutely stunning.

Implementing vs. Doing

The difference between implementing and doing is that implementation always starts with a plan. Doing does not. Can both methods be successful? Well…. it depends.

The problems come when business owners are too firmly planted in either category:

Planners don’t act. I’ve had clients over the years that become so entrenched in the planning process that they become frozen with inaction. Fearful that the results won’t meet expectations. So they do nothing. Or they spend months, if not years, refining and adjusting. Losing valuable time. All of their planning is wasted, and their business becomes stagnant. Surviving, but certainly not thriving.
Doers don’t plan. Because they are constantly trying new things they’re able to gain momentum. And from what I’ve seen, many are able to build fairly sustainable businesses. But there is always a limit to their success. Wasteful spending and a lack of focus mean you’ll eventually hit a wall. Shifting priorities means employees spend more time moving from side to side instead of moving forward. Lack of direction results in short-term gains over long-term growth.

Obviously, in order to run a successful business you need to both “plan” and “do” . And I still firmly believe in starting with a plan.

Because the thing I’ve observed throughout my career is that the difference between truly successful companies and those that sort of just get by has a lot to do with planning. With having a strategy that serves as a guide for all marketing activities.

If you are leading a team, it is imperative to have a plan in place.

If you want your team to produce results, they need to understand their purpose. Not just what their responsibilities are or what tasks they are expected to complete. But to really understand the goals and objectives – where it is they’re headed.

For some solopreneur “doers” – where they are a business of one – a formalized plan might be more of a challenge. Despite their willingness, despite their belief in it, following a plan is incompatible with their nature.

Making a Plan of Action

I’ve recently shifted away from creating deep-dive, all-encompassing Strategic Marketing Plans for many of my clients.

Why?

Well, because “doers don’t plan” and “planners don’t act”. And too many plans wind up sitting on shelves. Forgotten. Lost in the abyss of digital documents and email attachments.

For bigger companies, marketing teams, and those with more complex marketing needs, there is still a place for a more comprehensive Strategic Marketing Plan. After all, you wouldn’t start building a house without having a blueprint. Otherwise, you might wind up with rooms that have no access and doors that don’t lead anywhere.

Sometimes, however, you just need to start building a room.

I switched to creating Marketing Action Plans to help with building the room. This type of plan still addresses longer-term, big picture strategies (to know how you want the room to look). It still establishes goals and identifies target audiences (to know who the room is for). But it emphasizes results and forward momentum by focusing on a limited number of actionable items (what is needed to get the room built).

For the Planner: It limits the amount of actionable items so that it’s not overwhelming. And it provides an outline of next steps to keep them focused on those items that need to be addressed now. Not in the future.
For the Doer: It provides the strategy that is needed to give their actions purpose. Clarifying what it is they want to accomplish so that they can stop wasting time and money. But it also allows for the flexibility to shift the how without losing sight of the what.

Don’t get me wrong. I love planning. Planning is great. But at some point, we have to put down the pen. We have to step away from the keyboard. We have to stop planning. And we need to start doing.

Women Lead TV

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 04:49:37 GMT

Integrated Marketing: The Art of the Integrated Plan

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 03:30:09 GMT

Defining Integrated Marketing

A Sunday on La Grande Jatte – George Seurat’s definitive work – is a beautiful depiction of people relaxing and enjoying a Sunday afternoon at the park.

But take a closer look.

What you’ll see are countless dots and patches of pure color that when viewed alone have seemingly no bearing on the image at all.

It’s when we take a step back and view the painting in its entirety that those small, distinct dots of color begin to form patterns and come together to create a scene of people enjoying their afternoon.

Integrated Marketing is much like Seurat’s use of pointillism in his work.

Each detail working together in support of the bigger picture. Every dot of color has a purpose. Every decision about color, every decision about placement is well-thought and planned.

Do a search online for Integrated Marketing and you’ll find a lot of different definitions.

Some focus on communications. Some focus on promotional tactics. Some focus on customer-centric campaigns. All support an idea of integrated marketing, but so far I have not found any that support the true meaning and spirit.

Integrated Marketing – truly integrated marketing – considers every aspect of your business.

Every Aspect.

Because on some level everything about your business affects the customer experience – from staffing and sales to brand development and advertising.

That might sound like a stretch for some. But, consider this;

I worked with a company that wanted to improve its image with a local market.

So we set forth in devising messaging strategies emphasizing “commitment to service” in order to help rebuild trust among its current client base and solidify trust with prospects. I worked with a company that wanted to improve its image with a local market.

The problem was their office culture didn’t really promote longevity and key client contacts did not stay with the company for long.

Because the strategy of “commitment” was out-of-sync with the realities of the office culture, it wouldn’t matter how well-written the message was or how often and where it was delivered. They were not set up internally to uphold the promise.

The Integrated Marketing Plan

The Integrated Marketing Plan goes beyond ensuring consistent messaging across all platforms.

It takes a holistic approach, looking at all business segments and marketing channels in order to create more impact and yield better results.

While consistency is important, creating an Integrated Marketing Plan requires the marketer to have a deep understanding of 1) the company 2) the audience and 3) current marketing platforms and tools in order to select the right mix of strategies, tactics, channels, and activities that best support the plan objectives.

Each detail should be well-thought and planned.

Each tactic, channel, tool and activity selected should serve a specific purpose.

Each channel needs to be understood individually.

And each platform’s intrinsic strengths should be built upon and leveraged so they are working together in achieving the greatest impact.

Because like Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, it’s only when we can a step back and view the Integrated Marketing Plan in its entirety that the individual components have any true meaning.

Has Marketing Changed?

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 03:42:57 GMT

The History of Marketing: Has marketing changed?

Marketers like to talk about how much marketing has changed over the past couple of decades.

And when you look at the vast landscape of digital options available today, it could be difficult to suss out any semblance of marketing from years past.

But each time I hear grandiose statements such as, “Marketing has changed more in the past two years than in the past 50”, “The definition of marketing is changing” or, “Don’t get stuck in old patterns of marketing,” I admit, I shudder. It’s like there’s been some earth-shattering shift in the fundamentals of marketing.

Seems to me, marketing – at least good marketing – hasn’t changed at all.

As Corey Eridon stated in a post about the history of marketing: “ Ever since people have had something to sell, we’ve been marketing ”. And the concept of marketing has been the same throughout:

Understand the customer – who they are and what they need/want
Develop products and services that will appeal to them
Position those products and services in a way that will resonate with them
Communicate and promote those products and services to them

So if the concept of marketing really hasn’t changed since traders first started exchanging goods, what has?

I think Forbes contributor, John Ellet , got it right;

“What is different today is the unprecedented rate of change in the both the development of marketing tools and the escalation of expectations for better experiences from customers. Our choice of marketing tools has so greatly increased and evolved that it has enabled marketers to reach larger – yet more targeted – groups of people and interact with them in a far more personal way than ever before.”

A few highlights include:

1450: Printed Advertising. We’ve still got that
1839: Posters. See them all the time
1867: Billboards. Still lining our streets and highways
1922: Radio. Listen all the time
1941: TV. Even with the rise of DVRs and streaming, Superbowl slots still cost a pretty penny
1970: Telemarking. Unfortunately, we still have that
1992: SMS Messaging. And we all know mobile is still going strong!

And the list goes on…

I’m not sure how much the way we use print ads, posters, billboards, radio and telemarketing has fundamentally changed over time. Other than becoming a smaller portion of the marketing pie. And the fundamentals of marketing certainly haven’t changed.

Maybe the thing that’s seen such a dramatic change in recent years isn’t marketing-related at all. It’s technology.

In fact the only technology I can think of that may truly become obsolete is the Fax machine – and thereby fax advertising. But I suppose that’s just a matter of time…

As marketers and business owners, it’s important to distinguish between the purpose of marketing and the tools we use to implement a marketing strategy.

We cannot disregard a tool simply because it’s been around forever. And just because a platform is new, doesn’t mean it is the right platform for us. It’s only when we understand the difference between marketing and the tools we use to market, that we can make sound decisions on what tools are right for our own business.

As industry and technologies evolve, we evolve with them. Marketers adapt in order to take advantage of the tools and technology that are currently at our disposal with the goal of reaching more of our customers, better engaging with them and persuading them to take action (whether that action is to buy, attend, etc.). If a platform has an audience, marketers are going to find a way to promote their products and services on it.

In HubSpot’s “ The History of Marketing: An Exhaustive Timeline “, it’s interesting to note that throughout the evolution of marketing tools we have, in fact, simply added to our bucket of advertising tools instead of replacing them.

Personal Brand or Business Brand?

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 02:20:01 GMT

But what happens when you are your business?

What’s the difference between a personal brand and a business brand?

Seems like it would be pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?

A personal brand is about you. A business brand is, well, based on a business.

Whether you are a business of one or the face of a multi-million dollar corporation, how do you distinguish between the two? Which do you need… or do you need both?

I recently shared my frustrations about fine-tuning my own brand with Career Coach – and aligned partner – Jim Dodgen.

Even though much of my business is helping business owners uncover their story to build a solid brand strategy, the process of branding is something that is difficult to do from the inside.

So I’ve been like the cobbler who has no shoes.

Jim’s response to me was expansive in its simplicity: “Maybe you need to redefine your personal brand.” And it was right on target.

When you are your business your business brand is an extension of you. Of your strengths as they relate to your business and, more importantly, what they mean to your customers. So when your personal brand shifts, your business brand suddenly seems off-kilter.

Your Personal Brand

As Jim describes it, a personal brand is attached to you. It goes where you go.

Your personal brand is a combination of five elements: 1) your core strengths, 2) your work style, 3) your articulated passion, 4) your personal mission statement (12 words or less that informs the work you do) and, 5) your value propositions (what people can hire you to do). I use three assessments: the Strengths Finder 2.0, the MBTI and your “story” (our passion comes from our story) to help clients get clear about who they are at the core and the passion(s) that drive what compels them to do excellent work.

But your “Personal Brand” doesn’t just have value at work. You take “it” with you no matter the venue – to family events and projects, in volunteering, in pursuing a hobby or a sport. Wherever life takes you, your strengths, style and passions are always there revealing your core, most important contribution.

– Jim Dodgen, Career Coach, Futurist & Personal Branding Expert

One of the things that sets Jim apart is how he uses these assessments – and interprets and aligns them with your passion – to help you develop your personal brand.

One strength that rose to the top in my StrengthsFinder assessment was the quality of “Connectedness”.

People with this trait see the links between all things. “Connectedness” people instinctually understand how things, people and events are connected and impact one another. Like immediately zooming in on those things that have the potential to head south quickly at a wedding (when the photographer is taking too long with the wedding couple). Or talking the landscaper’s ear off about how to make some extra income with a portfolio site for all of the amazing nature pictures he takes.

Your Personal Brand

A business brand is attached to a business entity.

More than just a name for your company, a business brand is an identity built around the business. A persona created to help inform what you want customers to think about your business and the experience clients can expect from you – and everyone who works there.

The benefit with this is that the brand is fixed on the business. It is your company that the client hires… which can decrease the expectation of having your personal attention 24/7. It also makes it easier to step away and sell, should the time come.

But what happens when it is just you? Or just you and a small staff?

This is where the lines between the two blur. But the basics still hold true:

A personal brand is about you.
A business brand is about your business.

The difference is that when you are your business, branding your business starts with you. Because the business brand will always be a reflection of you and what you are known for.

But it is just a slice of you.

We all have many strengths and facets of our personality.

Not all of them relate to our business. The trick is to pull out those attributes that translate into benefits for your customers.

One of my clients was starting a business completely unrelated to anything she’d ever done before. But the #1 thing that she had always been known for is being reliable. Whether it’s being at a friend’s side through a family crisis or reaching out to her professional network to help find answers to a client’s question, she’s there. She does everything within her power to help. Reliability is a trait that will be true to her wherever she goes… so we established it as a core tenet and attribute of the new business.

You may have a passion for numbers. Be the epitome of punctuality. Or be more of a free spirit.

Build that into your business brand.

So how does “Connectedness” translate to my business? As a marketing consultant and strategist, my focus is obviously on marketing. But I’ve always intuitively approached it within the context of the business and the owner/key staff. After all, a marketing message or tactic may be perfect for the audience. But if it is at odds with anything happening in the business or the owner’s own personality and passion, how effective would that message be?

Do You Need Both a Personal Brand and a Business Brand?

The short answer is yes.

Everyone could benefit from having a clear understanding of their own brand… the way that they want to be perceived in the world that can transfer with them from job-to-job and from corporate life to business owner.

Is a Personal Brand necessary to establish a solid brand for your business?

To figure that out, I’d recommend sitting down with your business coach, marketing professional, or whoever you would consider your “board”… those people you rely on for advice and counsel regarding your business.

People who can be objective about you and your business.

The closer you are to the face of your business – whether you are “it” (meaning the primary contact with customers), or you’re Richard Branson and “who” you are is as much a reflection on your multi-million dollar company as the actions of the company itself – the more you need to understand your own, personal brand.

If you open up a dog grooming business, hire several groomers and don’t identify yourself as the owner to customers, then the business brand stands on its own. However if you are the groomer – are clearly the person in charge and interacting with customers all day – then the brand is all about you.

I used to go to this dog groomer who looked like he stepped off an 80’s heavy metal album cover (if memory serves, he was in a metal band in his previous life). Unlike the sleek storefront I go to now, lined with organic dog food and frilly bows and collars, the location was in an industrial park and was very low-key… clean, nice… but “no muss, no fuss.” It worked for him. And he was always booked.

As for myself, I’ve begun the process of redefining my personal brand. I’m expecting it will help clarify some things in my business and am looking forward to getting my business brand back into focus!

Branding 101: The Positioning Statement

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 00:42:40 GMT

And it all starts with the Positioning Statement.

One of the things I find most gratifying as a business and marketing professional is witnessing a client’s “aha” moment. That moment when their perspective shifts just enough that their purpose, their vision, their audience and what it is that makes their business unique all come in to focus.

It’s empowering. It can be transformative. And it is often the catalyst for all the other pieces of their business to begin falling into place.

In simplest terms, a Positioning Statement is a sentence or two that describes how an organization wants to be perceived by its target audiences. It’s an internal tool (part of the branding process ) that answers the who, what, where and why of your business.

The formula for the Positioning Statement is pretty basic:

For [insert Target Market], the [insert Brand] is the [insert Point of Differentiation] among all [insert Frame of Reference] because [insert Reason to Believe].

But it’s the process of getting to that statement. And then what you do with it that brings about those “aha” moments.

Don’t let the simplicity and brevity of that statement fool you. The Positioning Statement is powerful in that it brings direction and focus to your business. Get it right and your service offerings, marketing message and business goals will start falling into place.

Get it wrong, and you set yourself up for endless shifts, wrong turns and questioning of where your business is headed.

The Positioning Statement: What it is and why it’s important:

1) Establishes your purpose

“If it’s not obvious what you do to help others, why are they going to spend their money with you?” – Chris Brogan

Do you know how you help others? And equally important, do you know why? The Positioning Statement is powerful because it causes us to stop and really ask the question, why am I doing what I do? Why did I start this business? Why do I want to help this group of people? Why is it important to me?

If you can articulate your “why”, you’ll be able to more clearly articulate what it is you do to help your audience.

Several years ago, I worked with a non-profit organization in the education sector. They were struggling with articulating to donors how their organization served a vital need in the community and why they deserved funding.

After meeting with several key personnel, the issue became crystal clear. When asked to describe the organization, each staff member would focus on themselves and their particular program – talking about what they, personally, did every day. Not about benefits. Not about the community. Not about the problem the organization solved.

So in essence, what one person was describing sounded like a completely different organization from what someone else described. It’s no wonder funders were confused and reluctant to donate money.

What they needed was a unifying Positioning Statement that spoke to who the organization was as a whole. Not what each person did.

2) Differentiates an organization and describes how it wants to be perceived by its target audiences

What problem are you solving for your clients? Put yourself in the mind of your customer. From their perspective what problem are you solving for them? What benefit (or experience) are you providing them?

Note that this is not a claim about a specific product or service.

The Positioning Statement is about the core of your business and the emotional benefit you provide to your clients. And it will require “demoting” certain messages so that one clear and consistent message rises above the rest. The challenge is choosing a message that resonates with the broadest audience.

3) Serves as an anchor for your brand

“Simply put, a brand is a promise…” – Walter Landor

Are you keeping your promise to your customers? Or do you keep getting distracted with products and services that sound great, but aren’t what they need or want?

Some clients come to me lost in a web of services that they’ve accumulated over the years. It’s not always obvious. They just know that some service offerings always feel forced. Are tiresome to describe to prospects. Or they just don’t like doing the work involved with it.

Having a Positioning Statement in place will help you deliver the experience your customers expect. Whether it’s interacting with office staff or offering the right mix of services to meet their needs.

A good Positioning Statement serves as the anchor for the brand . It provides focus for the organization’s “reason for being” and is the foundation for all communications and business decisions.

Every decision you make about target audiences, products, services and marketing efforts needs to align with and support your Positioning Statement.

3 Key Elements to Getting Positioning Right:

Can you deliver on your promise? If you don’t have the resources or company culture to support your promise, you will be setting yourself up for failure from the get-go. Make sure you can align your promise with the customer’s actual experience with your business.
Are you committed to it? The Positioning Statement is designed to be an ongoing effort that requires buy-in from your entire organization to ensure it can be implemented at all levels of your business.
Is there room for growth? Positioning Statements don’t include claims for products or services for a reason. Businesses evolve. Products come and go. Services change. But the core values of your business… the benefits you provide your customers… those all stay the same. If those change, then it’s time to revise your positioning!

So if you are ready for your own “aha” moment and to see the pieces of your business start falling into place, start with the Positioning Statement.

If you would like to find out more about how I help client’s craft Positioning Statements and develop their brand, contact me for a complimentary consultation.

Marketing vs. Advertising vs. Branding

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Thu, 26 May 2016 02:01:35 GMT

Here are just a few examples of what marketers have to say about the differences between marketing, advertising, and branding:

Marketing, Advertising & Branding…. Oh My!

It’s no secret that there is a lot of confusion between marketing, advertising and branding. But I think marketers are partly to blame.

If you do a search online, you’ll find no shortage of articles explaining the differences.

In fact, “What is the difference between marketing and advertising?” brings up over a hundred million results alone. A hundred million! And that doesn’t even include queries on branding.

“Marketing is a “push” tactic. Branding is a “pull” strategy.”

What does that all mean anyway?

Part of the problem is that marketers have a tendency to get caught in a cycle of “marketing speak” that, in truth, can become meaningless to others. “Push tactic.” “Pull strategy.” And the like.

I know. I’ve done it. And I’m trying to break the habit.

So I thought I’d try a different approach to help make sense of it all.

Written for the small business owner. Not marketers.

“Marketing is about preparing your product for the marketplace. Advertising is spreading the word about your products to the marketplace.”

“Advertising is the message about your business. Branding is the message you receive from others.”

Branding = Understanding Yourself

Who are we? Who do we serve? How are we different? What problem do we solve for our customers?

These are the fundamental questions of Branding.

Branding , also referred to as Brand Development , is the internal work that is the foundation for everything else you do in your business. And it all starts with you. Your business.

Before you can determine who you serve and what problem you solve, before you can build upon that foundation to grow your business, you have to understand what your business is about.

You have to know your story.

Sure. You make widgets. But what makes your widgets different, better than all the other widgets out there? Superior quality? Low-cost? A unique port that enables you to attach all sorts of gadgets and gizmos to the widget?

Are you quirky like Southwest Airlines? Or more posh like Virgin Atlantic?

Did constantly losing suction inspire you to reinvent the vacuum cleaner? Or are you carrying on a family tradition of service to the community?

Your story is what gives your business purpose and sets you apart. It’s what inspires your team and connects you to your customers.

But, you can’t tell your story until you know your story.

It’s the core of all branding work. And, I’m not going to lie, it just scratches the surface of branding.

Things like brand strategy, logos, color-schemes, messaging and maintaining that work are all part of the branding equation.

But it essentially all comes down to figuring out who you are, what you stand for and what you offer customers.

Marketing = Understanding Your Customer

“Marketing” is such a confusing term because it is so broad in nature and covers a variety of disciplines.

“Marketing” is the whole enchilada.

Market research, product development, pricing, customer support, websites, brochures, social media, SEO, publicity, public relations, event planning, blogging, community outreach, etc., etc. are all subsets of marketing.

As are branding and advertising (hence the confusion).

And while they all fall within the marketing bucket, they are each a different discipline that use a different skillset.

What is good to remember is that marketing is a process.

It’s a process by which your business gets and keeps customers. How your business gets and keeps customers is going to be different from how another company gets and keeps theirs.

And it all comes down to knowing the customer.

Understanding who the customer is and what they need/want
Developing products and services that will appeal to them
Positioning those products and services in a way that will resonate with them
Communicating and promoting those products and services to them

So where Branding is about You. Marketing is about Them.

Advertising = Paying Someone to Tell Your Customer about You

People have a tendency to use “advertising” and “marketing” synonymously. Advertising is not the same as marketing.

I’m going to say that again. Advertising is not the same as marketing.

Like social media, event planning, etc., advertising is a subset of marketing.

Generally, when I hear businesses say that, “We’re not ready to market,” – and I hear that a lot – what they really mean is that they’re not ready to spend money on advertising. And usually they’re right. They’re not ready to advertise.

In simplest terms advertising is:

Creating an ad
Paying a third-party to run that ad on their platform

One of the reasons for the confusion is that advertising used to be a much larger – and expensive – piece of the marketing pie. If you wanted to promote your business you had to pay to run an ad someplace. And that someplace was usually TV, radio, print, direct mail, outdoor billboards or digital banner ads.

Social media and blogging changed all that.

The available options for how to get your message out have exploded. There is now an abundance of tools and tactics you can use in promoting your business – from maintaining a blog on your website to taking your own photos and uploading them on Instagram. None of which require paying a 3rd-party to run an ad for you.

Unless you’re paying someone else to run an ad on a platform you don’t own, you’re not advertising. You’re marketing.

Is there overlap between the three? Sure. Do the lines still get fuzzy sometimes? Absolutely.

And while marketing, advertising and branding in practice are interconnected, the terms are not synonymous.

Why is this important?

Because “we’re not ready to market” can keep a business stuck. Not engaging in the marketing activities that will help keep them in business.

Because side-stepping the work of branding keeps you from setting yourself apart. Without knowing your story – without knowing who you are and why you’re doing what you’re doing – you can’t clearly communicate with your customers and tell them why you’re different from your competitors.

Yes, when marketers fall too far down the rabbit hole of “marketing speak”, our words can become gibberish. But using the right word at the right time can make a difference. In business, it can be all the difference.

When we use the right terminology we can be better understood. When we are better understood, we can do better work. And when we are doing our best work, we can build a better business.

Still have questions?

Reach out . I’d be happy to see if I can shed more light!

So…

Branding = You
Marketing = Customers
Advertising = “Someone Else”

Branding Beyond the Logo

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:02:04 GMT

I recently came across a great article posted on Entrepreneur about branding. Except for one teensy, weeny premise that I wholeheartedly disagree with: “The foundation of your brand is your logo.”

Yes, logos are important. But, a logo is a result, not a foundation. It is a visual manifestation – a component of the visual identity that communicates your Brand Strategy.

The foundation of a brand is the Brand Strategy

The Brand Strategy is the first step in the process of branding –defining, developing, implementing, and maintaining your brand.

It’s where you define the who, what, why and how of your company. It gets to your business’s core essence; reflecting who you are as a company (or product/service) and effectively communicating that core essence to your customers and prospects.

Strong brands like Apple, Coke, and Starbucks don’t just rely on their logos to build a loyal following. They are diligent and consistent in their strategic branding efforts – they’ve built strong connections with their consumers by deeply understanding their needs, accurately defining who they are as a company, and effectively aligning the two so that their intended vision and message is what is reflected in the minds of their customers.

“The secret of Starbucks wasn’t just the products they made, but more so, the welcoming environment they created, where a barista will call you by name and ask how you are doing.”

– Stanley Hainsworth, Past VP Global Creative

That Starbucks baristas are friendly, can call regular customers by name, or maybe let you slide on that tall non-fat chai when you’ve mistakenly left your wallet at home, is not some chance happening.

It’s intentional. And it’s at the core of everything they do from product development to community engagement to employee training.

In his HuffPost article, What’s Your Brand Promise? Stanley Hainsworth describes how new employees – even executives – have a chance to work inside a retail store in order experience the culture of Starbucks from the perspective of its customers. To see Starbucks’ personality of being, “A welcoming environment that provides those moments of Daily Inspiration” first-hand. And to fully understand its brand promise.

{Check out Sydney Berger‘s The Guy Behind the Counter for the story behind her “Good Luck” cup.}

Photo by Sydney M Berger

How to Develop Your Brand Strategy

So what goes iintoa good Brand Strategy? It starts by answering the fundamental questions of:

Who are we?
Who do we serve?
How are we different?
What are our core strengths?
What is our personality?
What is our promise to our customers?

And it will include:

A Positioning Statement that differentiates the company and describes how it wants to be perceived by its target audiences
Key Messages that can be used across all marketing platforms in ensuring a consistent and unified voice
A Visual Identity – logo, fonts, colors, etc. – that represent the strategy and the company’s personality

So before you start designing your logo, take some time to develop a solid Brand Strategy. It will help ensure that logo accurately reflects who you are as a company and resonates with your audience.

Interested in having a loyal following like Starbucks? Reach out, and we can create a Brand Strategy for your business that turns customers into loyal followers.

Photo credit: apple logo by Acid PixCC BY-2.0

Branding 101: Brand vs. BRANDING

duda@jubjub.com (Lydia Chiu) — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 18:14:10 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

I participate in several LinkedIn groups focused on Marketing and am constantly amazed how convoluted conversations surrounding “brand” and “branding” can be.

Understanding the use of brand in reference to a company – as in the “Target brand” – or as a product – like “Kleenex” – is difficult enough, but then to have “brand” and “branding” be seemingly interchangeable on top of that can be dizzying. If the so-called marketing professionals can’t even come to a consensus, how are business owners to understand the difference?

So here are my two-cents at differentiating Brand vs. Branding.

“A brand is a result, not a tactic.”

– Lucas Conley, Fast Company

A brand is a promise that lives in the minds of consumers. It’s what people think about your company – the result of their interactions with it. It’s subjective, it’s emotional, and its truths are fluid, fluctuating from consumer to consumer depending on their individual experiences.

Think your company owns your brand? Think again. Consumers create brands. They own them and can be fiercely protective of them.

When Gap launched a new logo design back in 2010, it was met with a storm of negative comments on social media, with some threatening to no longer shop at the retailer – and within a week Gap swapped out the new logo with the original. And, how about the JC Penney disaster? When then CEO Ron Johnson changed the store’s pricing platform, he didn’t just take away customers’ coupons. He changed the customer experience and expectation of interacting with the brand.

Customers can also build and grow the popularity of a brand. As Jerry McLaughlin points out in “ What is a Brand, Anyway? ”, a brand is like a nickname bestowed upon a company by its customers – he points out “FedEx” and “Tar-jé” as perfect examples of this.

“Branding is the art of aligning what you want people to think about your company with what people actually do think about your company.”

– Jay Baer, Convince & Convert . Author with Amber Naslund of The Now Revolution

Branding is the process of defining, developing, and implementing a Brand Strategy that will guide people in thinking about and reacting to your company. Branding is figuring out who you are, what your story is, how to tell your story so that it resonates with your audience – and then making sure you’re sticking to that story across all your marketing platforms.

And the truth is that branding happens whether you are an active participant in the process, or not.

You, your team, and your customers are developing and telling the story every day without, most likely, making a conscious decision to do so. From logo development, to how you decorate your office, to how the receptionist answers the phone – it is all part of creating your story. Making a conscious decision to brand – the process of branding – helps ensure you are telling the story you want to tell, in the way you want to be telling it.

Without branding there is no alignment between what you want people to think and what they actually do think.

So, if you want to impact the customer experience and create brand ambassadors – customers who are loyal to your brand and promote it with their peers – make sure you are actively branding your company. Develop a brand strategy that reflects who you are and resonates with your audience – and implement it throughout all levels of your organization.

Who knows… you could wind up with your own great nickname!

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net