What is the rule on branding when it comes to clothing?

September 25th, 2009

This is one of those questions that seems minor to me, put as it turns out is a big deal to some of our team members, so want to get a professional opinion.

Scenario:  We have some logoed shirts. We have a new shirt order being made by various people within the firm. The shirts are in good taste, look professional, etc. All will have our logo. Controversy – all sorts of styles (all professional) and colors are being requested – a navy polo, a white long sleeve, a pink whatever. So, what is appropriate?

  • a) Company apparel with uniform colors (ie, company colors); various styles ok, but uniform colors?
  • b) Company apparel on whatever colors (they will match of course); various styles ok?
  • c) Something else? Sorry to bother you with this, but I need some support to back up my decision, whichever way it may be.

    • - CPA Partner 

    This is one that you may not like my answer, but it’s what I’ve seen time and time again, and my personal management style matches up to this, so here goes. This is classic employee relations FIRST, brand second. What you’re discussing, like you mentioned, is minor. It’s not making or breaking your company. Losing an employee or keeping one happy, is far more important than if someone wants a pink shirt with a white logo.

    So let them get what they want. Let pink go on pink, let white go on pink, let anything go that stays under a professional looking umbrella. Color, in this instance, is just not as important.

    Tags: ,
    No Comments »

    Why Should Big Business Care About Twitter?

    June 16th, 2009

    I just don’t see the value of Twitter to big business. Why would those of us in corporate America care or see value in using Twitter?
    - CPA

    Good question.  We’ve talked before about measuring your return on the time you spend on Twitter, and it’s important to make sure you’re getting value.  A lot of the media attention about Twitter right now seems to be focusing on how an individual can easily connect with a large network.  In fact that was the rallying cry of Ashton Kutcher as he raced CNN to 1 million Twitter followers.  He won that race.  The corporate Goliath fell, and Twitter was the new slingshot.  It’s a compelling story, and not completely baseless.

    Twitter had it’s first big break through in the realm of big business, though.  Computer manufacturer Dell created a big stir when they announced at the end of 2008 that they had earned $1 million in revenue through posting discount offers on their Twitter account.  While Twitter can certainly help small business owners who are looking to make personal connections, there’s no reason corporate America can’t leverage this social media platform.

    1. ) Create a culture – Twitter is an opportunity to develop a loyal following.  Just creating a Twitter account and sending out headlines isn’t enough, though.  You need to give them something through Twitter that they can’t find anywhere else.  Maybe it’s special discount offers.  It could be links to resources that you only share through Twitter.  How about a channel to get a quick personal response when they’re afraid they’ll need to wade through red tape?  Which leads to…

    2.) Give your organization a face - We could blame Hollywood.  There’s a perception among the general public that big businesses are often evil, soulless entities that are only interested in profit.  Individuals are good and corporations are bad.  So give them an individual to connect with.  Ever eat at a restaurant where the chef comes out and asks you how your meal is?  That’s the feeling you should be striving to recreate. 

    3.) Brand monitoring – Even if you aren’t personally using Twitter, millions of other people are.  When someone talks about your business or your product, that’s going to be seen by a lot of people.  If the comments are critical, you need to know about it and respond.  When someone complains about you on Twitter, you need to be watching for mentions of your name and immediately jump into the conversation to help find a resolution.

    Tags: , , , ,
    No Comments »

    How do we brand ourselves as generalists?

    June 1st, 2009

    We don’t have a focus for our brand, we are generalists and want to stay that way. This is very different than our industry where everyone else focuses on a niche. How do we brand ourselves in this manner?
    - professional services firm

    There are lots of ways I could take this question, but since you have stated you WANT to stay a generalist for your industry, then here is my initial reaction to your question:  deliver a consistent, inspiring, and unique experience for your audience. Make your brand be about your style, your people and your processes, not a product attribute, service or industry theme.

    Thanks to the Internet and rise in social media, you can have the luxury of being your brand. You have the ability to be your own voice and you alone can be the experience and base in which your brand thrives. Take the focus off of your industry norm and put it on the attributes of your processes and relationships – the key touchpoints your audience experiences. Make them great each and every time. Creating a brand that’s about your expeirence in delivering your service is just as strong as a niche offering.

    Tags: ,
    No Comments »

    « Older Entries