Positioning
The final brand positioning building block is the brand mantra, which some refer to as the brand essence and others call a brand promise. A brand mantra is short (usually 2-5 words maximum), and encapsulates the competitive frame of reference, the points of difference, the points of parity, and everything
Positioning
You hopefully feel good about all of the points of difference that make your brand stand out. But while you’ve been busy thinking about how to make your brand stand out from your competition, your competitors are also busy developing points of difference that make them stand out from
Positioning
If you’ve ever been around anyone who talks about positioning, you’ve probably heard them talk about points of difference, differentiation, or the concept of key differentiators. A point of difference is a something about the brand that makes it different from other competing brands. But a good point
Positioning
Where Does your Brand Compete? It seems like a simple question, and it can be. If you run a furniture store, you probably compete with other furniture stores. If you run a tattoo parlor, you are up against other tattoo parlors vying to attract the same customers as you. Great
Positioning
We believe almost all great brands are built on a foundation of great positioning. Sometimes great positioning is led by a branding genius such as Scott Bedbury (who helped grow the Nike and Starbucks brands); sometimes a great leader and communicator with a very clear vision (like Steve Jobs at
Positioning
Achieving a great positioning strategy for your brand can be a complex challenge. It’s a little like scaling a mountain. Just imagine: the peak you’re climbing is high in the distance. The summit might be hard to make out through the clouds. Maybe you and your team are
Positioning
Last week, I watched The Power of Introverts, an excellent TED Talk by Susan Cain (she also has a book out on the same subject called Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking).In her talk, which has been viewed almost two million
Uncategorized
One of my favorite branding rules is a very simple one that I've written and talked about a lot over the years: Call a duck a duck. What does that mean? If your brand actually represents something very simple and clear, yet you: a) overcomplicate or confuse a
Brand Community
Once you've identified the key communities you think it is important to engage with, the next step is to identify the people you'd like to represent your brand within these communities. For simplicity, I like to refer to these folks as brand ambassadors. How to find
Uncategorized
Every organization has people who act or work in ways that are detrimental to the brand. Often, if these people get results (meaning they make financial targets or otherwise achieve the goals that have been set for them), they are praised and rewarded.These off-brand people are a deadly disease.
Strategy
There is no more important tool for rolling out brand positioning than a great brand story. The best brand stories can create gravity around a brand and also help build a strong brand community. They show the concepts behind the brand positioning in action, making it more than words on
Uncategorized
I admit it. I'm a total Jim Collins fanboy. Ever since my friend Paul Salazar first introduced me to the book Built to Last back in 2002, I've been a willing member of the cult of Jim Collins. During my time at Red Hat, we took