DIVADIGEST: OCTOBER '05, ISSUE 22

Choosing a Branding Firm: How to Get the Most for Your Money

Since branding is a critical step toward establishing your business, you're going to want to be sure that the branding firm that you choose offers comprehensive services which include a lot more than just the creation of a name. New business owners have enough on their proverbial plates as it is, and a good branding firm can be worth its weight in gold. The wrong one, however, can end up siphoning big bucks out of your company and offer little in return.

 

Of course, the first thing that you should expect to gain is a business name - a catchy, inspiring, memorable one. Let's face it, the name of your company should be outstanding. Otherwise, it simply gets lost in the merchandising jungle, along with all of those others that were not much more than mediocre. Outstanding doesn't mean lengthy, however. The best names are often simply one or two words in length, but pack a punch when it comes to getting the attention of the consumer. For instance, if you're a retailer who's interested in marketing fashions for household pets - consisting of outfits that come complete with a sweater and hat set - the best name for your firm wouldn't be something such as, "Pet Fashions". Instead, something such as, "PetSets" would be more apt to draw customers. Why? Simply because it's short, complete and catchy. In addition, it rhymes, which makes it easier for consumers to remember. Finding just the right name is no easy task, which is one of the reasons why branding and naming firms are so popular.

 

Getting your company to stand out among the crowd doesn't stop with its name. An eye-catching tag line, or reflective statement, is every bit as important. Some of the most successful industrial giants have adopted such a philosophy and have earned themselves enough popularity to become "household words". When you think of the tag lines, "It's the Real Thing," and, "Good to the Last Drop," you automatically think of Coca Cola and Maxwell House Coffee. When a tag line is effective enough to trigger that type of recall, then the business will surely be lucrative.

 

Since visuals tend to serve as great catalysts for people to call something particular to mind, a unique company logo is every bit as important as a great name and creative tag line. A good way to test this theory is to drive your young children down the road past McDonald's and see what happens when they get a peek at the golden arches. They may not be able to read the name on the building, but they certainly recognize the logo! If their favorite bread happens to be Wonder Bread, then they're going to be able to pick it out among the dozens of other brands on the shelf, simply by looking for the colorful bubbles that appear just above the name on the packaging. The creation of an effective company logo must include simplicity. Just as the firm's name should be short and to the point, so should the logo. It needs to be unique, easily recognized and relate - in some way - to the company itself. A logo that offers too many colors or graphics will only distract or overwhelm the senses. When consumers are made to feel this way - even on a subconscious level - your company will go into its death throes before it ever realizes success. The presentation of this type of logo, too, can be a problem, since signs that will bear the logo will often be restricted in size by certain malls. It wouldn't do to have a logo that doesn't fit on the sign, so keep it simple and be mindful of its shape. According to statistics, logos that are rectangular in nature tend to offer the most flexibility when it comes to applying them to signs.

 

Advertising online is one approach that most successful businesses utilize, and in that type of scenario, you're going to have to make your business name easily searchable and avoid using certain words at the beginning of the company name, such as "I" or "My". Introductory words of this type - as well as anything that starts with "e" - tend to shine an amateurish light on the company. Branding firms know that domain names need to be simple, yet powerful. You can't afford to scrimp when it comes to choosing a domain name, because the way you present yourself here is going to have a significant impact on the amount of business that you get - or don't get. An example of this would be a hair care company simply naming their domain, "eHair.com". As domain names go, this would be ineffectual and end up costing you a lot in lost sales.

 

Before finalizing the domain name, you have to be sure that it isn't currently in use by someone else. This means that a trademark search must be done by either an attorney or trademark specialist. You'll be able to get a general idea by visiting www.uspto.gov, but it will still need to be researched further, and branding firms have access to trademark attorneys in order to initiate this type of search. Though many people aren't aware of this fact, the law protects the first person to actually use the name as opposed to the one who first filed for trademark protection. In other words, there's no trademark guarantee. Most people, however, won't attempt to do this if they see that you've already filed for a specific name. Don't misunderstand that to mean that no two companies can use the same name or wording. As long as they're listed in different business categories, it can legally be done. For instance, a company by the name of Dell Books shouldn't have to worry about being sued by Dell Computers, since they belong to two different business categories, even though they share the name of "Dell". One might try to instigate legal action against the other, but would probably lose on that basis. Branding companies have the means to offer guidance in this area, since the decision as to whether or not any law has actually been violated is typically up to the one who receives the paperwork and processes the case - which translates into the fact that there's no guarantee that this approach will work, either.

 

All of the elements of your business naming and branding must be cohesive and include a strong message about what your company offers. If these are disjointed, it will only serve to confuse potential customers and, as a result, you'll suffer a loss of business. If you're the owner of the type of company that has involvement in a variety of areas, then it could be quite challenging to define your firm. On the other hand, if the elements work together to provide a smooth flow that easily communicates your business's message, then you can anticipate a far more successful result.

 

If this all seems like quite a lot of work, you're correct in your assumption. That's why firms that specialize in naming, branding and marketing are such a valuable resource. One of the best companies that's currently in the business of providing such services is DivaDesignWorld in Portland, Oregon. Headed by Monique Danielle, this highly successful firm specializes in the areas of naming and branding, and have built a solid reputation for providing reliability, flexibility, innovation and outstanding customer relations. The professionals at DivaDesignWorld can provide all of the right tools to get your company on its feet and headed toward success - saving you time, money and a significant amount of legwork.

 

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Generating New Business: The Guide to E-Mail Follow-Ups

In order to gain a clear shot at establishing business with prospective customers, you need to acquire and maintain a strong line of communication. These days, the telephone and snail mail are pretty much out; e-mail is the way to go for getting your message across in a clear and timely fashion. That being said, the key to generating new business isn't as simple as whipping off quick notes to send out for mass mailing. There are some very definite tactics which should be employed when designing your message so that would-be patrons will stop and take notice of your message and read the content, which should be inspiring enough to drive their business in your direction.

 

The golden rule of the e-mail based marketing strategy is to present your messages in such a way that consumers will actually open and read them, rather than simply dismiss them as spam or, at the very least, simply a nuisance. The first way to ensure that they're read, of course, is to provide a captivating subject line. Every bit as much time should go into the development of a strong subject line as it should to create an inspiring message. The best approach to take is to generate around a half-dozen subject lines, and then sift through them until you settle on the one that you feel is best suited for enticing folks to read the message. Make it a point to use the person's first name in the subject line. This usually helps to attract their attention enough to read the body of the message.

 

Tap into the natural curiosity that most people possess. By including something with a bit of intrigue in the subject area, folks will be more inclined to go on to the content of the message, rather than chucking it into the recycle bin without paying any attention to what you're trying to convey. Of course, don't forget to include the mention of some sort of benefit to the potential customer, or they may not take your message seriously.

 

Since the general idea is for the consumer to continue reading, you'll have to pepper the content of the message with further bits of mystique, such as tapping into the "suspense" tool. When a person's curiosity has been piqued, they'll typically want to continue reading to get to what they feel is the "punch line". It's generally accepted that, the longer someone reads, the more ensnared they become in the sales technique. Therefore, the longer you hold their attention, the more likely they are to become actual customers.

 

Another technique is to weave a tale through the message. For instance, if you're marketing hand-knit sweaters, you might say something to the effect of, "Margaret's life has revolved around the knitting of high-quality sweaters since she first learned the skill at the hand of her mother when she was a young girl. As the years went on, she learned to perfect these techniques and produce a top-quality line of fashionable, customized garments that are unique in design and unchallenged in craftsmanship." Your title, then, might be, "Tricks of the Knitting Trade". This will entice readers to read on much more than the title, "Hand-Knit Sweaters". Why? Simply because the first title arouses the consumer's curiosity enough to want to learn what those tricks involve. The second is too generic and doesn't inspire any curiosity.

 

Use your e-mail as an educational forum. Quite often, people are drawn into purchasing a particular product simply because it performs better than what they already have, even though they weren't in the market for that particular product before reading the message. For example, those who are interested in hair care products that are specifically formulated to care for a certain type of hair (and they happen to have that type) might also be inclined to buy a blow-dryer that further enhances a positive effect on that particular quality of hair. In their effort to find and purchase the hair care product, they also end up making the commitment to buy the blow-dryer.

 

Offering free services such as tutorials or specialized courses regarding the use of your product will further entice consumers to buy what it is that you're offering. This is simply because these extras give them a comfortable cushion that they can use as a safety net for learning how to use your product. They'll, then, feel more secure about making the decision to purchase it, knowing that they have some back-up reference tools. In addition, this will show your willingness to help, rather than giving the impression that you're simply a faceless manufacturer of some mass-produced commodity on the internet. The human approach is always the most successful.

 

To further gain their trust, it's best to make light of any little imperfections that may be intrinsic to the product that you're selling. That's not to say that you should degrade its value or usefulness, but simply pointing out a few minor downfalls will help consumers to feel that you're being honest in your approach and not trying to pull the proverbial wool over their eyes - and you certainly wouldn't want any negative repercussions as a result of any minor drawbacks, at any rate, so it's best to pave the way for those from the onset.

 

Including details, descriptions and other pertinent data within the body of your message will further elicit trust among potential customers. In addition to facing the many challenges of rival businesses, you also face the test of convincing skeptical consumers that your product is of value to them. Another way to drive this home, of course, is to continue to send follow-up e-mails with reminders and, perhaps, additional information. The average person needs to be prompted up to nine times before making the commitment to seriously pursue purchasing an item that they didn't original set out to buy.

 

Tap into the consumer's natural aversion to missing out on something special or significant in some way. For instance, if your message cites a special sale that's on for a certain period of time which allows customers to save money or be the recipient of some extra product, they'll be more inclined to purchase the product. Don't make it sound "too good to be true," however, since consumers tend to look for "the catch" in the midst of any deal. Be candid about why you're offering the deal, and they'll be more inclined to turn off those internal alarms that warn them against such tactics.

 

When you consider all of the thought, work and details that must be considered in the sending of a simple e-mail (much less, a series of them), it sounds like a lot to have to do in order to advertise your product. With so much involved in running a business, most people don't have the necessary time that it takes to compose, send and resend these necessary tools of the trade. One very valuable option that you might consider is the contracting of a reputable marketing firm to take care of your advertising needs. There are a lot of them out there - many of which are well established and offer a respectable reputation. For those of you who may need a bit of direction in order to find such a marketing firm, DivaDesignWorld of Portland, Oregon is definitely among the top-ranked marketing agencies of today. Innovative, focused, committed to quality and customer satisfaction, the staff members of DivaDesignWorld are highly educated, talented folks that are under the direction of Monique Danielle - "head honcho" of the company. With modest prices, flexibility and the willingness to work closely with their clients, this particular firm comes highly recommended.

 

 

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Painless PowerPoint

Whoever invented PowerPoint did one of the greatest things for business - and one of the worst. A good PowerPoint presentation is interesting and useful. Anyone who has ever sat through a long PowerPoint presentation, though, knows that there is a certain purgatory quality to bad PowerPoint presentations. If your company needs to create great presentations, there are eight basic secrets to making your presentations sparkle instead of crash: