Fools chase the branding grail - winners build relationships.
I first wrote about this concept in the Financial Post earlier this year. Since then I have discusssed the dangers of chasing the brand with my clients and they appreciate this refreshing perspective.
A longer article from me, The Branding Fallacy, recently appeared in Enterprise magazine.
The point is that small business needs to stop worring about their brand and instead focus on bulidng stronger relationships. Relathships should be the goal - not branding. If they build strong relationships - the brand will be a byproduct.
Small business gets fooled by the "branding clergy" who point to the success of the big corporate brands.
But small business can't compete with the resources that the corporations spend on branding.
And small business has a tool that big business does not have. Small business can build relationships which is a far better business-building tool. Big business can't build relationships so they take the weaker second choice - branding.
Read more about this discussion on the blog of Nicky Jameson at http://nickyjameson.com/
George Torok
Marketing Speaker
I first wrote about this concept in the Financial Post earlier this year. Since then I have discusssed the dangers of chasing the brand with my clients and they appreciate this refreshing perspective.
A longer article from me, The Branding Fallacy, recently appeared in Enterprise magazine.
The point is that small business needs to stop worring about their brand and instead focus on bulidng stronger relationships. Relathships should be the goal - not branding. If they build strong relationships - the brand will be a byproduct.
Small business gets fooled by the "branding clergy" who point to the success of the big corporate brands.
But small business can't compete with the resources that the corporations spend on branding.
And small business has a tool that big business does not have. Small business can build relationships which is a far better business-building tool. Big business can't build relationships so they take the weaker second choice - branding.
Read more about this discussion on the blog of Nicky Jameson at http://nickyjameson.com/
George Torok
Marketing Speaker
2 comments:
George, I've Stumbled your excellent post. I think that many Small Businesses should feel a sense of relief from the heavy expectations of branding and I hope more people come across it on SU.
Branding experts are unlikely to be as enthusiastic of course, ;) however when I speak to Small Businesses now I can offer them an alternative option - that of worrying about branding and focusing on what they can control.
Nicky, Thanks for your comments and for speading the message.
Small business will need all the smarts it can get to make it through the next year.
George Torok
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