Effective Product Branding for Small Businesses

By Ajaero Tony Martins Ifeanyi

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What benefit could a business gain in coming up with a remarkable product name? If you promote a product that really sells, giving large profits and creating quite an impact to millions of clients locally and worldwide; perhaps your business strategy is working best for you. Product branding was efficiently instilled aside from the quality you produced. Apparently, product naming is just one aspect of Product branding. There are many phases to still consider like:
The Branches of Product Branding
1. Conceptualization (consider the objectives as well)
2. Total Image/outlook of the product
3. Packaging
4. Positioning, designing and sizing the business logo
5. Marketing Activities (for your targeted market)
6. Existing Patronage
7. Beneficial attributes of the product
8. Innovative ideas
9. Linguistic strategies (consider language barrier and cultural differences)
10. Trademark security & protection
Being aware that Product branding is a discipline applied in building a name for your company's product. Consider the fact that when a company more often produce products of great quality and satisfaction; chances are that the same kind of people will patronize more and more of the brands of products you produce. Because you have created a sound image, people tend to be impulsive of any product your company will produce in the future. This is where the Product branding task becomes less difficult. A dependable product brand maintains customer's loyalty in years to come. It is also believed that a stable customers' patronage lessens the overhead costs of any business when we speak of promotion and advertising. Whereas, for those businesses that just entered the competitive market, it would take a period of time before they can come up with a rightful, striking product name to create an image in the world market.
Four Categories of Product branding:
a. Descriptive
These are the type of names that describe a product's feature, characteristic, appearance, ingredient or even geographical location.
Example: Florida Orange Juice, Philadelphia Cream Cheese
b. Suggestive
This product naming is so commonly used, it hits business to consumer with more impact through directly hinting the key features of the product, stating the benefits up to describing the image of the company. A suggestive name simply implies all the positive associations of the product to the consumers. Some metaphoric quotes are even adapted to create a slogan which is but an effective way to attract and convince clients.
Example: Kellog's Nutri Grain, Bounty Paper Towels
c. Arbitrary
This technique in naming a product do not directly or literally describe the product, its approach is not really adapted from any product's feature, description or benefits. The names can be composed of natural or coined words.
Example: Apple Computers (Steve Jobs' favorite fruit, and that he had worked in an apple farm before becoming a billionaire in computer world)
d. Fanciful (or coined names)
These Product branding names seemed completely made-up, often perceived as a current phenomenon but scientifically not proven to be true yet; often referred to as neologism. These fanciful names have already been long established, approved and accepted.
Example: Kool-Aid, Crayola,
Product branding plays a vital role in attracting buyers and users alike. Some product names already became an icon for a specific product line. It is well accepted by the society that brand names that are meaningfully coined are more effective to create an impression to consumers. However, Descriptive and Suggestive names created the exact meaning for the targeted market because these names are mainly composed of natural English words that can work alone or through combination that can also create in the formation of a unique abstract name or the literal counterpart.

And just before I drop my pen, if you need Expert Advice on How to Start a Business from scratch; please feel free to visit my blog. In addition, you can also download my Master List of Best Small Business Startup ideas for FREE.

A Branding and Advertising Mistake That Kills Small Business

By Ken Sundheim

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Not every businessperson is great at advertising and marketing their company in a positive way that draws in their target crowd and subsequently grows their business. However, every great businessperson is superb at branding and advertising and knows that you could hire the best of the best to do it for you, but at the end of the day, you are the one who raised this baby.
If we run down a brief checklist of the different mistakes (just a few of them) that businesses - mostly small businesses - make when branding and advertising their company, we can see how those businesses unknowingly give buyers the perception of an uncool, incompetent and tiresome business.
The first mistake made is the "boutique" marketing angle. Companies, tellingly still small after many years, fail to see the parallel between marketing your business as small and not having the ability to drive enough revenue to implement what should be the goal of every company: growth.
Corporate America is full of individuals who don't like risk taking. When choosing vendors, these businesspeople glean a sense of insurance against incompetence on the vendor's side, when they can point to the vendor's marketing and branding campaign. Whether or not the campaign reflects reality, a non-boutique marketing and branding campaign signals solidity and trust to the skittish buyer.
For instance, if one of these vendors were to take payment and not come through with promised services, when called to answer to management, John or Jane Corporate America can justify their choices by saying vendor X had experience working with enterprise-level companies and seemed to have the support and infrastructure in place to deliver.
On the other hand, if John or Jane were to take a risk on a "boutique" company that failed to deliver, the explanation process of the logic they used to choose this company in the first place would be a heck of a lot more painful for them than it would be if they chose Corporate Option X.
Not everyone is entrepreneurial in this world and most don't understand that the word "boutique" is synonymous with hard work, sweat and dedication to the company's base of clientele. Corporate America is the money driver in this world and those in it don't understand the entrepreneurial business drive. Corporate America does not like to venture into the unknown.
Luckily, this problem is easily solved with some basic replacement adjectives such as "precise," or some sort of description that infers you are a leader within the industry. Brand yourself where the money is and, both in marketing terms and in numbers, that "boutique" description will no longer fit the amount you see on your business's bank statement.

Ken Sundheim is the Founder and President of KAS Placement Chicago Headhunters in Chicago Headhunters a sales and marketing staffing agency that helps both U.S. and International firms recruit all levels of sales and marketing experts throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Building Your Brand With 4 Simple Questions

By Tyrone Holmes

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Branding can be a powerful tool in the development of your business. It can increase your recognition and successfully differentiate you from your competitors. An effective brand can also communicate your value proposition, clarify your market niche and help you demonstrate your expertise to potential customers. You can build a successful brand by answering 4 simple questions.
1. Who do I serve? In other words, who are your customers and who do you want to have as customers? Many business owners make the mistake of casting a wide net that includes as many potential customers as possible. Avoid this mistake by focusing on a relatively small market niche where you can offer unique value and expertise. For example, as a cycling coach, I specialize in power development. Specifically, I work with competitive cyclists and multisport athletes who want to increase their power on the bike. Likewise, a management consultant might specialize in performance coaching for front-line supervisors in the automotive industry. Make sure you are clear about your particular market niche.
2. What value do I provide? This question is arguably the most important because it refers to your value proposition, which is what your customers are able to do because of you. For example, if you are an engineering consultant, what is it that your clients can do because of your services? If you sell sports nutrition products, what do these products enable your customers to do? What value do you provide as a cosmetics distributor? You must have a very clear and concise answer to this question if you are going to develop a successful brand.
3. How do I help my customers achieve this value? Specifically, what products and/or services do you offer that allow your customers to obtain the aforementioned value? For example, I provide value to my cycling and multisport athletes through my publications and the one-on-one coaching process. A management consultant might provide value through the 360° feedback process for individual supervisors. A store owner might provide value through competitive pricing, the procurement of higher quality goods and specialized customer services. Make sure you are clear about how you achieve your value proposition.
4. How does this differ from my competitors? In other words, what is your competitive advantage? Why should a potential customer buy your goods and services instead of those offered by a competitor? What tangible and intangible steps do you take to exceed the value provided by your competitors? These are not easy questions to answer, but it is important to be clear about how your products and services differ from the competition.

Dr. Holmes provides Business Coaching for speakers, coaches, consultants, trainers, facilitators and other entrepreneurs. Visit http://www.holmesfitness.com/business_coaching.htm to sign-up for a FREE coaching session, and to access resources that will help you achieve your goals.

Product Branding Propaganda - An Overview

By Ajaero Tony Martins Ifeanyi

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Every business bears a trade name even from the small-scale market traders to the largest multinational corporations. However, a minority of businesses today can be classified as a brand (or a brand name). For those attuned to commerce, branding is the term commonly referred to in the field of promotion and advertising. Product branding, however, is a specific term referred to in naming a product which is manufactured or fabricated by a particular business entity. How to acquire a product's brand name is not at all a difficult task for the small-scale business. But for the multinational business, it requires years of intensive analysis. How it will benefit your business is a matter of strategy. The most effective definition of Product branding is (practically inter-related with product naming) the discipline of coming up with a decision to what name a product will bear and should carry while in existence. The concept of the product is to be considered in creating its patented name.
Product naming is just a critical part of product branding processes, which in all aspects include activities in the marketing field that will primarily affect the image of the brand. Product branding has some aspects to consider, such as the right design and positioning, the business logo, the packaging of the company's product, and of course, a name that is depictive of the benefits of a particular product. Product naming involves authenticity, a linguistic strategy and creativity to result in a product's shorthand identity, most especially for the new innovations as technology keeps on improving in a faster pace. Product branding tactic is one of the major components of business strategy that aims to identify a company's product. A renowned brand name is a symbol of success when a product is easily recognizable by many and becomes a household name by a majority of people (in business term referred to as buyers, customers, clients, consumers). The process of naming a product could take months or even years to complete. It is similar to the approach of naming a particular business entity.
7 Key Steps in Product branding
1. Formulate a concept.
2. Consider the features and specifications.
3. Mention all the products benefits.
4. Name the restrictions.
5. Evaluate the proposed product name in consideration of a targeted market.
6. Work with your creativity as you name the product; originality matters.
7. Secure a patented trademark for more protection against imitators.
One common mistake that you may encounter in Product branding is committing naming faux pas. You may opt to be futuristic in effect but take note of the literal meaning of your proposed product name; it can hamper its image. Language differs even if you use the English language; you should think twice about those names bearing multiple meanings that may offend your clients, and those names with homonyms. People differ in dictions and right pronunciation; heed caution in all aspects.
Apparently, it is not a matter of being conservative; you just want to appeal to a majority of people within your target group. If the concept of the product is dedicated for the young generation, you can consider the hip-hop and all those hypes in a name, but let it be known that these minority groups are not just the ones in your target market. Finally, take into account that your market is not just within your country. Aim high as you project international sales. Product branding should consider using the universal language in describing the product's image. Language and culture differences may present a barrier in understanding your trademark globally. With over 380 million English-speaking people around the world, majority of trademarks were derived from English language.

And just before I drop my pen, if you need Expert Advice on How to Start a Business from scratch; please feel free to visit my blog. In addition, you can also download my free definitive guide on How to Make a Million Dollars fast in less than a year.

How to Make Your Building Logo Compassionate, Current, Cool and Contemporary?

By Beverly Houston

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It's not wrong to say that a logo design is the face and personality of a company. The same holds true for all the industries in the world.
The biggest challenge that a logo designer faces is to make a design compassionate enough to draw attention and contemporary enough to be fashionable.
So, if you are trying to create a building logo design and want to make it fashionable and appealing, here are the below mentioned tips:
You can use these tips whether you are creating a monogram for a construction business or an architectural company. The main objective of your brand mark should be to appeal to a wide range of audience and assure them that you are innovative yet professional.
• Use Images Related To Architecture:
Images are the central focus of a monogram. That is why you should make sure that the pictures you choose for your brand mark should portray the true essence of your company. Here, you should use pictures that are related to architectural and structural designs. For example, you can craft an image of a building created from LEGO. Similarly you can use illustrations of playing blocks for your trademark.
• Use Green Color:
The use of this color in the corporation trademarks is the latest fashion. Green color signifies that you care about the environment. This will create a soft corner for your corporation in the viewers' minds. You can use this color for the image or the text in the brand mark.
• Use the blank spaces in the image smartly:
A smart design is always appealing. For that you should make sure that the empty spaces in your monogram have been utilized wisely. For example, if your emblem consists of the letter 'H' then you can insert a silhouette of a building within that letter. That way the empty space in the letter will be cleverly utilized. This will create an overall smart impression of your business mark identity.
• Keep The Fonts Straight And Bold:
Try to use straight and bold fonts for the business name. This shows that your corporation is professional and proficient.
• Use 3 Dimensional Effects:
To show the viewers that your corporation is up-to-date with the latest styles, you should use 3 dimensional effects in your company image. This will also give you a greater margin for creativity as far as crafting your building logo is concerned.
• Use Company Initials In The Brand Mark Instead Of The Whole Business Name:
Instead of using the entire business name in the trademark sign, you should only use the initials. This will make your emblem easy to read and remember.
In conclusion, follow the below mentioned tips and create an emblem that is smart, contemporary and compassionate.

Beverly Houston works as a Senior Design Consultant at a Professional Logo Design Company. For more information on building logo design find her competitive rates at Logo Design Consultant.

3 Ideas to Ick-Proof Your Brand

By Erin Ferree

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Do you ever feel like your brand is out of alignment with your values system? Like you have to do things in your marketing that you wouldn't want your mother or your mentor to see?
If you said "yes", I'm curious: why is your brand icky?
Your brand is made up of the look, the feel and the experience of doing business with you.
Does it look like a mess? Is your design all over the place? Have you outgrown them and become more sophisticated and evolved?
Does it feel pushy or sleazy? Are you using tactics that you think you need to use to make sales? Do you find that when you market, you wind up feeling like a slimeball?
Is the experience in your brand one where your clients feel comfortable, cherished and welcomed? Do they understand what's going on every step of the way with you, so that they know how to make the most of their time working with you? Or do they feel like you're just trying to get them to buy, and then rushing through the deliverable so you can move on to the next client?
In any case, an icky brand is no fun. It's gross and uncomfortable, for both you and your clients.
Join me in stamping out ickiness in branding.
Your brand should represent you with integrity and make you proud. Your marketing should make your precious, ideal clients feel special, honored and seen. And once you welcome new clients in, they should be made comfortable and really taken good care of - throughout the process of working with you.
What if you could move away from the icky energy of trying to "make" them click this, opt-in, buy from you, or rush through your service delivery, and create a brand you're proud of and that your clients love?
Here's 3 ideas for how you can create your ick-proof brand:
Brand from your values. There's a lot of talk about creating a brand that "targets a niche" or "stands out". While those are both things to consider, they're certainly not the place to start from in your brand.
With standing out and branding for your clients, then you're reaching outside of and shining the light on things outside yourself. Which are both important perspectives to consider in your brand, this leaves out the most important part of your brand of all - aligning your brand with your values.
Your values - what you think is right and what you think is wrong - show up in your brand in a lot of ways: They show up in your:

• Core positioning: What you and your brand stand for.
• Words and tone: How you speak about your beliefs and the level of passion and conviction you convey.
• Consistency: If you're not in alignment with your values, your brand will be inconsistent and all over the place. Once you're aligned, consistency becomes easy.
• Affiliations and recommendations: Are you promoting for profit or because the people you recommend will help your clients?
• And, really, everywhere and all throughout your brand.

Know that you're not strapped into your brand's look forever. If your brand's look has gotten messy, your business has outgrown your brand, then never fear! You can always evolve and change your brand to make it look as good as possible, and to match the current level of sophistication in your brand.
There's a common belief about branding - that when you design your brand, you're stuck with it for life. There's nothing that could be further from the truth.
In fact, here's the thing... when you're an evolving, growing, learning entrepreneur who's always going deeper into how you serve your clients, I don't think that it's possible to design your brand at the beginning and then have it be relevant for the life of your business.
You're learning, growing and changing. Your clients are becoming more sophisticated as they work with you. Your brand needs to grow and change with you as you evolve, and as they grow with you - to keep up with how awesome you've become.
Your charge is... to evolve and stretch it with care and in a way that keeps your clients comfortable.
Take excellent care of your clients after they buy. The emphasis in branding is on marketing and selling. This approach doesn't take into account the most important part of your brand - the experience that your clients get with you after they buy your services.
There's a statistic that 20% of your clients will make up 80% of your business. That's a comfy place - where you're serving a small, close-knit group so well. You can really transform them!
In order to make that magic ratio happen, you've got a responsibility to your clients - you've got to induce mutual comfy-ness. Make them feel welcome and secure, and like they know what's going on throughout the process with you - so they can surrender their trust to you.
These 3 ideas will give you a solid, non-icky start to creating a brand that's inviting and welcoming.
If you want to get your hands on 10 more ways to create an ick-proof brand that invites your clients in to work with you... party favor below!

Erin Ferree is a branding coach, design genius and strategic thinker. She's been told that her right-brain, left-brain combination of creativity and logic is hard to come by... and that it's what small business owners need to be successful. She loves connecting the dots between passion and profit, mixing strategy and inspiration and shaking things up.
She deeply enjoys working with entrepreneurs who want to help more people and look good doing it. Who want all of their branding and marketing to make sense and speak to their ideal clients. And who want an open, honest, inviting brand with integrity - instead of using icky, pushy, sleazy marketing tactics and trickery.
She's branded over 450 small businesses in the last 10 years. She's been published in so many books and periodicals that she stopped counting. She's shared stages with some awesome people - like Michele PW, Linda Hollander, Lisa Cherney, Sheri McConnell and Kelly O'neil.
In the rare moments when she's not obsessing about branding or design, she can be found hugging her corgi-dog Stanley, going for long walks, cooking improvisationally, or throwing parties so her friends can enjoy them. http://brandstyledesign.com

Branding, What Is It And Can You Do It Successfully

By Harmesh Mal

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It can be the very reason why an individual buys from your company and not your competitors.
Today all the major big companies and corporations can successfully distinguish themselves from one another, for example, Virgin, McDonald's to name but a few. Quite literally when thinking of these individual companies immediately brings to mind their own unique identity through logo's that say to the world this is who they are.
Not only do they spend millions, upon millions in successful marketing, companies also spend vast amounts in sponsorship deals ensuring that their names are seen worldwide - football matches being a prime example of this. Billboards that are strategically placed within and around football grounds, being highlighted every given second on televised sporting channels as well as to the thousands of spectators who come to see the football match itself. The logo and message of the company is being bombarded to them without even their conscious awareness of the fact.
It is therefore imperative that your message is consistent, the same no matter where it is seen, simply because if it is not, it can create confusion in the minds of people who will not be able to relate to your brand, or your identity. It can be the difference to your success or your failure. Branding is therefore:
An identity
It is portraying a consistent message
If done successfully, can provide you with business credibility.
Branding is You, your name and how you look.
It can become a status symbol.
By combining your own individual company message and your look, you automatically can become unique in your individual style and approach.
Your branding gives your customers reassurance that the product comes from a reputable source. The disadvantage to this is emphasis can be placed highly on both quality of the product and the expectations that come with it, get it wrong and the consequences could be disastrous to both you and your company.
Tips to brand yourself successfully:
1. Join as many social networks that you can manage comfortably. It is important to remember not to join too many all at once and let them overwhelm you, being able to keep track of them yourself successfully and grow them, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, joining forums, blogs etc.
2. Be consistent in your branding message throughout.
3. Customize your website to your own particular niche, make it unique to you. Unique colour, unique theme, unique product, unique brand.
4. Remember you are your brand, don't forget the most important person - You.
5. Promote yourself physically by promoting a picture of yourself, let people see who you are.
6. You should have an email address list - use it - each and every email is an opportunity to brand and promote yourself, use it wisely and effectively.
7. Write articles and publish them through reputable sources.

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How to Give Retail Space a New Look Without Remodeling

By Wayne C. Meyer

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Plan the space to make a great first impression - Ensure that customers can browse through your products with ease. Shelving units should be placed at comfortable heights and the aisle spaces should be wide enough for maneuvering yet close enough to maintain a cozy feel. The overall aesthetic layout and impression goes a long way in influencing the purchase decision. Think of the competition - how can you make a stronger first impression? Think color, design, theme, and seasonal excitement.
Have you done any market research lately? Is there something you are offering that the competition isn't? Are you promoting it so that potential customers are aware of your products and/or services? Plan color and graphics to your advantage. Select colors that will help you achieve your retail goals. Have you been using a corporate theme or have you been using the same colors for far too long? Would you like to project a warm and intimate feel? Or do you want something cool and contemporary?
Select your Slatwall Covers to literally transform your space at a very low cost - A minimal investment will change your existing wood slatwall into a completely new color and or graphical theme. Think color, logos, photos or illustration. The sky is the limit since even images can be printed on the slatwall covers. Covers can be matched to any color as well. You could go with a PMS logo color or even expand on a particular background such as fall leaves. Maybe you want to be more subtle or generic and go with something that will stay fresh through several years like a subtle floral pattern or a sports theme.
Or are you looking for something bold and exciting? An example of what you can do with images is a zoo which has a marine theme for its gift shop. The walls are covered with aquatic images for larger than life interest. Their old wood slatwall was covered with the inexpensive imprinted slatwall covers. The look and feel has been noticed by customers. In addition, employees are thrilled with their new surroundings.
Consistent Retail Marketing Provides Big Payoff - Integrate your new theme into your other marketing materials as well. A consistent message along with your superb customer service and product offerings ensure ever rising sales. Make sure you tie in your new theme with your social media marketing as well for maximum benefit.
You can have your cake and eat it too! Jifram's Easy Wall Slatwall product provides a multitude of design options. Select any color or finish to enhance the décor of your retail establishment. Or enjoy the option of imprinting your logo, photos or customized graphics right on the Slatwall. Make your displays sell. Personalize them.

Wayne C. Meyer, Director of Sales & Marketing at Jifram Extrusions a plastic profile extrusion manufacturer specializing in stock and custom plastic extrusions, plastic profiles, plastic channels, and plastic pallets. We are your plastic extrusion supplier.
Jifram Extrusions, Inc.
Sheboygan Falls, WI 53085
Phone number: 920-467-2477 ext. 315
Cell Phone: 262-490-8922
Email: sales@Jifram.com
Web: http://www.jifram.com