Stellar Reflections on Promoting your Brand

College Football: A New & Improved Brand!

2009-09-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...this looks like a sports story and perhaps that's just what it is. Let's just say NCAA College Football is a Brand and most fans are not pleased with part of the product, namely the post-season piece.

I believe I have a plan that will improve the brand. I suggest a few minor adjustments, not a major post-season overhaul. It's not a perfect solution, but it's a good one!

1. Keep the bowls. Surprised? Look, the bowls are important to alot of cities that have been hosting them for years. And, the fans love 'em and they are a great way to end the season for most teams that really wouldn't last in a multiple week playoff anyway.

2. Create a Playoff. What? Yes, I believe we should have a 4 team playoff...a Football Final Four with the bowls staying intact. The four major bowls - Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, and Orange - will be used as semi-finals with the winners playing in a "Super Bowl of College Football." Two of those bowls will host the "Final Four" in even years and two of them in odd years.

3. The Polls. There is some controversy in regard to the polls. Some believe we should wait until about the 4th or 5th week of the season before the polls are published. I have a better idea: Make the polls perpetual. In other words, if you finish the year at number one, you begin the next season at number one. If you finish the year ranked 20th, you begin the next season ranked 20th. I know, players graduate, so they "may not be as good." Well, let the games determine how good a team is, not the pollsters opinion of talent.

Let's make the change. I believe we will have a new and improved College Football brand!

Top of Mind Awareness

2009-02-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

Top of mind awareness...now what does that mean? In business, if you sell something or offer a service (which is pretty much every business), you hope that your customers and prospects have your business in mind when they need you. And you really hope your business (brand) is at the very TOP of their "mental list." Right?

One of the most effective ways to generate and maintain top of mind awareness is to purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of television and/or radio time to air your commercials. If you are a retailer, and you can afford it, this can be a very effective way to promote your brand and create that top of mind awareness. Coca Cola and Budweiser spend millions to not only position their brand, but also to establish that top of mind awareness.

If your business is marketing towards a smaller segment, promotional products can be a very effective way to establish, and maintain, top of mind awareness. Of course e-mail blasts, direct mail, and social networking are other opportunities that will keep your business in the minds of your customers.

Is your brand in the minds of your potential customers? Do they think of your brand first?

Is anyone there?

2009-01-25T16:51:00.000-08:00

It seems everyone in business is figuring ways to cut expenses in anticipation of, or as a result of, decreased sales. On the face, it makes perfectly good sense to do what it takes to maintain the bottom line or if things are really dire, keep the doors open.

But let's not forget we are still IN business to DO business! Opportunities remain for most companies, but of course they are fewer and far between than 6 months ago. But opportunities do exist and those businesses that continue to market themselves effectively and efficiently will be the ones that gain. The ones that don't will certainly lose!

Let's get to the point: if you aren't promoting your brand, your potential prospects may not think of you; or worse, they won't even know you are there. Promoting your brand creates top of mind awareness.

During the next year, some in your industry will weaken and some will become extinct. Do what you can to keep your brand strong and relevant within your marketplace: Promote your brand with authority through the use of promotional products so your brand is reinforced every time the item is used, touched, or seen.