The Brand Boutique

Monday, November 17, 2008

THE LOGO.....FREE ANALYSIS

You've worked hard developing your product or service, you've created the perfect name, you've chosen just the right colors and fonts. It all looks fabulous.

One question though – Do you have a great logo??

Your Logo is a mini ad for you company. Just as your company name represents you - your company, your brand - so too does your logo.

Your company name, logo and tag line are all part of a cohesive business package. Each must ‘present well’ for your brand.

When a potential consumer sees your logo, do they know what your company does or what your product is?

Will they know what industry you’re in?
Does the logo match the company name?

The answer to all three questions should be yes.

The Brand Boutique Holiday Gift:
For the months of November & December, The Brand Boutique is offering Free Logo Analysis. Just email your logo, your company name, and the industry you are in, and we will offer helpful hints and suggestions for your Logo.
(One logo analysis per company.)
Happy Holidays!

Friday, November 7, 2008

Fitting In is for High School

Fitting in is for high school, it is not for business and it’s especially not healthy for your brand.

It’s more than just the tagline for my company, it’s how you succeed in business – you must be bold to stand out.

Be bold. Stand out.

If there is certain advertising style or marketing trend that is popular, think about how you can go the other way and make yourself stand out.

I’ll give you an example. I deal with companies in the equestrian industry, more specifically farms and horse breeders. The majority of the ads you see in horse publications are the same. Most utilize the ‘standard’; a large full body shot of a horse, a few smaller shots (either movement shots or headshots), use of a script-ish font, and inclusion of pedigree and award information. You see lots of “quality” this or “bred for…” that. Typically the horses are beautiful, so the ad makes for a pretty picture, but it’s not memorable, and memorable is the name of the game.

I can flip through a horse publication and “oohh and aaahhh” over all of the pretty horses, but ask me if I remember any of the farm names. Nope. Do I remember the names of the horses in the ads? Still a no.

If you are doing what everyone else is doing, though it may be pretty & nice, you will just look like everyone else. Looking like everyone else does not make for a strong brand.

Be bold. Go against the grain. Do what others are not doing, or what others have not thought of doing yet.

Be a pioneer. Set the trend instead of following it, and you set your brand up for success.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Are You Prepared for the Holidays?

Is your store, your website, your brand ready for the holiday season?

Being ready means you are working the Incentives, Events and Emails.

Incentives
Offer discounts, coupons, gift cards, shipping deals.

Special Events
Have a holiday party, fashion show, trunk show or gift giving event in your store.

Emails
Create a holiday email campaign; send e-cards to your customers.

Work these three and you will have a Happy Holiday Season!