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Branding show online
The Bloomington Business radio show which featured Cairril
Mills, principal of Cairril.com Design & Marketing, is now archived
on the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce web site for online listening.
Our topic was "How Branding Can Help Your Small Business"
and covered branding basics, how small business can use branding
to its advantage, and examples of strong Bloomington brands. More
information and instructions on how to listen to the show are available
on the Chamber's
site.
Get emotional: How strong brands differentiate
Regular Sparks readers know strong brands command customer loyalty
which leads to more revenue. How do they do it? Not by focusing
on features and benefits.
The power of brands derives from their power to go beyond the rational.
Life isn't rational. Life is decidedly emotional, instinctive, intuitive,
and even a little messy. People are driven by deep-seated emotions,
particularly fear and desire.
Cell phones were initially marketed to women based on the fear
factor: "Don't be alone at night!" "Don't be alone
on the road!" But after it became clear that the desire for
connection and convenience was much stronger than fear, cell phone
marketing switched to emphasizing how cell phones could help women
better juggle work and home life.
The Apple brand is based in part on simplicity. Its phenomenal
success with the iPods shows how it tapped people's desire to have
a "soundtrack to life" with a minimum of fuss.
Nike transformed itself from "just another tennis shoe company"
to one of the world's most successful brands by shifting their focus
from shoe features to storytelling. "Just do it" was the
the first in a long series of campaigns that connect the Nike brand
with the human desire for excellence.
While small business marketing tends to focus on recitations of
features and benefits, a more compelling strategy is to connect
with your audience on an emotional level. So tell stories. Find
out what emotional needs your product or service meets in your customers.
Think about how your offerings impact your customers' lifestyle.
Then go ahead: Let your marketing get a little emotional.
World Day of Design 27 April
World Day of Design is an international holiday celebrating the
vital role of design in the public arena. This year marks the first
time the U.S. is participating in the holiday which is recognized
from Brazil to Sweden to Iran. We're proud to be part of a tradition
that includes architecture, product design, textiles, interior design,
the graphic arts, and interactive design.
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