E2 Marketing | Marketing & Web Design | Savannah Georgia » Marketing

What is Branding Really?

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:47:16 +0000

The other day I heard a radio advertisement professing to to help brand your business through radio advertising. I cringed. When I came into the office the next day my co-workers here at E2 Marketing had heard the same radio commercial and we all equally laughed out loud in amazement that a company would simultaneously use the word branding with the word advertising.

The word branding has fallen so deeply into a cesspool of other painfully overused business and marketing buzzwords that it has inadvertently lost its identity, which is sad, because branding is the most important aspect of any business or individual. So, it would only make sense people should know what it actually means.

Branding Isn’t Marketing

Or advertising or PR. Branding happens before all of those other things. As Gail Guge, managing partner of Wilkin Guge Marketing in Ontario, California so eloquently pointed out a couple of years ago, “If you’re spending money to advertise and market without being connected to a brand position, you might as well pile the money up and burn it.”

You don’t brand your business with a radio commercial — you market your brand with a radio commercial. You don’t brand your business with an advertising or PR campaign — you advertise and enter into PR campaigns in order to get your brand out there.

If You Rush it, You’ll Crush it

Branding is an art form through and through. And, like any great art form — you can’t rush it. Branding is who you are as a business. It is your entire philosophy condensed into a single, concise, clear message that personifies throughout any advertising you do. From your logo, to your tag line, to your mission statement, to your letterhead, to your website, to your print collateral — everyone needs to know what your brand is and recognize it immediately. It must be that precise and sharp.

Yet many people look at the branding of their business as a secondary action. They rush into marketing their idea and services without actually establishing their brand from the inside out. When this happens, your company is destined to fail because there is no clear, concise message in which to market. There is no single, well-honed image and idea. It’s like a man walking into the mall with no trousers to advertise his tailoring services.

Because branding is an art, you can’t rush it. The entire point is to brand yourself first, because every body has a specific style. You have to figure out yours. We can help.

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ANNOUNCING NEW SAVANNAH LOCATION

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:19:34 +0000

E2 Marketing has relocated from its swanky Richmond Hill location to an equally swanky location in Downtown Savannah. Our gorgeous new location is right off historic Factors Walk and clients coming by for a visit will now be treated to an enchanting view of Savannah River. Even we’re distracted by the big cargo ships mulling by our windows throughout the day!

We vehemently look forward to developing relationships with all of our Savannah neighbors in the Historic District and beyond.

Check out some videos below showcasing our new creative think tank!

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High Smith Dentistry Richmond Hill GA Logo Design

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:48:48 +0000

Project: Logo Design
Software: Adobe Illustrator

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River Street Savannah GA Logo Design

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:48:14 +0000

E2 marketing was given the pleasure of working with Kenny Hill of the Savannah Waterfront Association to help develop an Identity for River street, this was a tall task because it needed to encompass the history of river Street, the activities that happen there and still have a hip young and modern feel. We tried to achieve this goal by keeping the design simple and focusing on a clear and strong identity that would be easily identified large or small and also fit in with the visual aesthetic of Savannah and River Street.

Project: Logo Design
Software: Adobe Illustrator

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Ok, so you’ve got someone to visit your website once. What if you wanted them to visit again, and again, and again? Ooh, that’s hard, isn’t it?

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:54:52 +0000

Ok, so you’ve got someone to visit your website once. What if you wanted them to visit again, and again, and again? Ooh, that’s hard, isn’t it? Not really. Find out how to attract them back without begging with this simple internet marketing tool. First, The Myth. Ask most web designers what is more important: a unique visitor or a repeat visitor? Most will choose, the former. I tend to disagree.

Let’s analyse a unique visitor. They could just be browsing, like shoppers in a mall, or they could be a potential customer. Now, don’t get me wrong. Unique visitors might be important, because they are like new customers. However, with new customers,it is on you to prove your credibility.Existing customers already know what you do and how you do it.

You do not have to prove yourself over and over again.

Why Is It So Important To Retain Existing Customers? Because, it costs eight times as much to get a new customer than it does to retain one. That alone should make you want to keep them. Also, since you’ve developed a relationship with them, it’s now easier for you to do business, to re-sell, up-sell and get referrals (really, really important). If you play it right you can use your website (amongst other communication material) to stay top of mind with them.

My Customers Have Already Seen My Website: Why Should They Go Back? Precisely!

Do something constructive. Put your ego in cold storage and start re-engineering your website and your internet marketing to give information to your customer. How Do I Go About Giving Them Information? The system is amazingly simple. You know everything (or rather a lot) about your business. Your customers will never know quite enough. If, you provide them with a steady stream of information, you are already two steps ahead of the competition. You are taking the time to educate your customers and you are keeping in touch with them.

Take a look at this website for instance. It’s essentially a power marketing vehicle. With minimal effort it gets existing customers to have a look at it repeatedly, simply by giving them information that would help them in their business or their jobs. If you are a casual browser, your curiosity will be aroused, and you will find yourself wanting to read more.

Once you’re through with the How To section, it’s almost natural to move on to the Client Results section. At this point in time, I am no longer selling. You have begun to sell the concept to yourself.

Why The Website Is Such An Important Tool For Your Business. It’s dynamic, that’s why! Say, you printed your cards and brochures last month. You spent a small fortune on them. But now you discover you need to add something that will dramatically change what you’re communicating. You can’t throw out a thousand brochures or cards, but updating a website is easy-peasy! Simply tweak it, and you’re on your way.

Remember, customers aren’t always willing to buy when you’re willing to sell. By keeping them informed and in touch with your website, they can reach out to you whenever they are ready! How To Match Information And Credibility. Credibility is important. So you definitely need to have the About Us factor. What you need to do, however, is to tailor it in such a way that the customer understands what you’ve done, why you’ve done it and how you can help them. You can still strut your stuff, just make sure you’re doing it with your customer in mind.

That alone will change the way you write it and present it. It will make the difference between it being read or being ignored. If You Don’t Have Testimonials, You’re Missing Something. It’s brief, underestimated and really powerful. Remember, people are looking at your business from a monitor! They don’t know if you’re reliable, smart or just a dork. Obviously clues within the site will indicate these things, but why not go for the kill.

Why not get yourself a testimonial and completely rid them of that niggling doubt? It’s pretty nasty if you don’t have testimonials but totally unpardonable if you don’t go out and get them! When you do a great job and the customer says, ‘Great work!’, ask for a testimonial there and then. It’s the best time and customers tend to gush more than 6 months down the line, when they can’t even remember what you did!

A Word Called Discipline.No one said this was going to be easy. Having to update your website, sending out helpful e-mails, and keeping in touch is going to take time and effort. You will need to read more, so you learn more. Then you will have to write. And write reasonably well. You can do it yourself or get a freelancer to do it, but do it you must. Marketing your business must take precedence over everything else.

When times are good, we tend to slacken on the marketing. If you disclipine yourself to read one book on your subject and write at least one article a week, you are now starting to build up content. It can be done. And as Nike says, ‘Just Do It’. It’s the only way.