Successful Brand Strategy Development
Fabricating A Brand StrategyTypical brand models in the marketplace have been formulated to generate the framework required to build an impressive label that will be in a position to withstand market trends and competition through the test of time. The start of any marketing business entails the preliminary steps of brand strategy development. In order to develop a solid brand one needs to take strategic steps to make sure their brand represents the purpose of the business and product.Branding is a product of intense planning and conceptualization. To come up with innovative marketing ideas and an effective way to brand your merchandise, you need to carefully map your starting point ideas where you are now on toward your destination. By doing this you will also take heed of the vital aspects involved in the production of a brand.What is a Branding Model?Here are some basic models used along the way of brand planning. Each of them will cover different scopes and facets of the process to create a sound approach to developing your personal brand. Except for the ability to fabricate a particular brand of your very own, the means of arriving at a certain brand idea, these models will help you understand the behavior of consumers and the need to relate to their responses which is helpful in adjusting old branding plans or acquiring new ones.All of these traits are key factors in managing and reviewing necessary steps in brand strategy development that should be taken seriously by any company, business or entrepreneur in their branding efforts. These models are ultimately linked but one does impact another.Positioning in Brand Strategy DevelopmentThis model involves your effort to produce a picture that will have its distinct position on the market. Firmly establishing your brand will help your area of interest that you work in to easily be remembered and opted for within your line of products. This is one aspect of planning wherein you should center on representing or creating a superior brand that eradicates your competition. Here are the preliminary steps:
First off, you need to decide on an area of interest you want to represent. One of which you have a genuine interest in learning more about as well as helping others understand what you know. Make a simple list of your top 2 or 3 areas of expertise, interest and talents. Compare those to the needs and wants in the marketplace. This will give you a general idea of the area you want to go in.
Next, identify other brands you are competing against. Then, define the markers of your own brand against your rivals. This will enable you to concentrate your efforts.
Next, your objective is to introduce attributes to your brand that will enable it to stand out from competition. You must understand and present the elements of your brand that will help the consumers or target market perceive “quality” as an association of your brand.
Establish a slogan for your brand that will aim to reaffirm your position and targeted values. This slogan should aim to articulate the goal of the business or service and what the delivered product is promised to the customers. One good example is “Federal Express”. There name slogan could not be more trustworthy? They guarantee next day delivery. People generally don’t care what they have to pay when they are assured they’ll be outta the slinger. Fed Ex addresses the need and want of the consumer in one slogan.
Brand QualityDeveloping a professional personal brand is an ongoing process that is critical to long-term growth. Once you’re through the stage of creating a distinct place in the market, your next step is to safeguard the loyalty of your consumers. To do that, you need to employ an efficient customer relation service or local and provide a feedback system. This model follows up from the first steps laid out by the brand positioning methods. Now that you have acquired target customers, your next aim is to fortify the relationship between them and your brand. In any case, the majority of the business sales stem from repeat customers.More than anything, this stage is where you should reinforce the communications firstly conveyed by your brand. Hence, customers will happily continue to engage in business with you because of your level of performance and quality delivered through your brand. Are your methods consistent to the identity of your trademark and its missions? To find out, ask for feedback from your clients and be sure to not offend or be offended. Take that feedback into consideration on your product or service and implement ways on how you can expand or critique operations based on their thoughts. Maybe you don’t need to actually change anything, the statements brought forth could just show that you weren’t clear in one area and actually several other people shared in that confusion. Therefore, all you need to do is clarify. In the long run you will develop a quality relationship that constitutes trust.Brand Value SuccessionThis one is more focused on the financial impact of your branding efforts. The basic idea of this model is that the value of your brand is consistent throughout your client base. This is where you should be focusing the majority of your branding strategies.Carefully combining these different aspects will provide a business/entrepreneur a reliable perspective of the different facets involved in brand strategy development. By bringing these areas together into one formula, you will be enabled to easily formulate a structure for your business as well as track progress or problem areas in the branding system.Hope this helps!
The JCPenney Commercial Song
JCPenny has always been a company that uses music in its commercials. The songs are always something people talk about and look for online. The JCPenny commercial for American Living is a popular search item. There are three different commercials with three different songs. They also have Christmas commercials, Valentine’s Day commercials and commercials that are a bit controversial.General CommercialsThe songs for American Living are “Killing the Blues.” “Let’s Dance” and “Have You Ever.” The 2008 back to school JCPenny commercial song was “”Don’t You Forget About Me.” It is a great tribute to “The Breakfast Club.” It featured kids dancing and acting like those that played in the movie. Another song for back to school was “Rock Your Body” by Stagga Lee. The commercial Magic in 2007 used the song by Regina Spektor called “Music Box.”Holiday CommercialsOne of the most controversial JCPenny commercial songs was the song from the 1980′s called “99 Red Balloons.” The song is actually about a nuclear war, but only bits and pieces of the song were used. Even thought the song has another meaning than what its intended purpose, it was a beautiful commercial.In 2005, the store used the song “Living Thing” for its commercial during the Christmas holiday season. In 2007, the Christmas holiday song was “Real Love” by John Lennon and a song called “All That I Want” by the Weepies.Why Use Music in CommercialsThe JCPenny commercial song is what people associate with different seasons and sales. For years, the company has offered many different commercials with or without music. One thing that can be learned from the advertising business is that people need something to catch and keep their attention during commercials. The music that is used is by popular artists and some songs are done for the company commercial itself.The achievement of the commercials is to draw in business to the many stores around the country. The back to school, brand name and holiday commercials help with the sales and increase the audience’s awareness of the deals going on at all the stores. Music has always proved very beneficial in ads on television. Many of these commercials are found on YouTube.When advertising companies look for songs to go with commercials, they look for songs that are popular and fit the overall image of the commercial. Many of the songs that they use come from as far back as the 1950, 60′s and 70′s. They do have songs made especially for the commercials, but more so, they use the rights from other songs. JCPenny was only the second group allowed a license to use the John Lennon song.The JCPenny commercial song varies from year to year, holiday to holiday and season to season, but one thing is for sure, the commercials are something that everyone talks about, so that means the efforts of the ad companies is working in favor of JCPenny’s and their ability to stay on top of sales.
Is Out-Of-State Real Estate Investing Right for You?
Have you made up your mind to start investing in real estate, but you’re torn in deciding where to invest?Are you thinking about making a local investment, but wondering if an out-of-state investment might be better?This is one of the first of many choices you’ll have to make when you decide to invest in real estate: the simple question of where you should invest your hard-earned dollars. While there are definite benefits to investing in your area, there are also some potentially profit-limiting downsides.That’s not to say investing in outside areas doesn’t have its own pros and cons. Let’s take a look at both and see why out-of-state real estate investing might be a profitable option you have not yet explored.Investing LocallyThis is the most obvious choice for many real estate investors, but is it really right for you?If you choose to buy a property local to you, you’ll rest easier about your investment since you know the market. First, you know your competition. You might know the names of professionals you can trust and you’ll have an intimate understanding of what the cost of living is for that area and how to make things more affordable.Second, if you like to be hands-on, it will be much easier for you since you’re right there. If you want to see the property, it’s just a short drive away. If you want to talk to the property manager face-to-face, you just put it on your calendar for the end of the day.Drawbacks to Local InvestmentsOn the other hand, investing solely local can narrow your options. Not every market has the inventory of good investment opportunities that you can avail yourself of if you invest out-of-state. The local inventory of available properties may or may not be big enough or well-suited for investment opportunities.You also run into the problem of whether your local market is the one you want. The recession made a huge impact on housing markets throughout the country and some areas have recovered at different paces than others. You might find yourself out-priced in your current market, but even if you aren’t, you might not be able to see a favorable future where you’re at.Investing Out-of-StateIf you decide to invest out-of-state, you can greatly increase your options. You can literally choose any location, any market and invest in properties there. Whether you want to invest in Florida vacation homes and coastal villas or homes in the suburbs of Detroit, the sky’s the limit. You can make your investment fit your price point and interests.By investing out-of-state, you can put your money to work in markets with high ROI. You pick and choose which markets you’re interested in, and which ones are rising stars in the real estate investment scene, ignoring your own market’s changes.Investing out-of-state also allows you to scale based on your needs. For many would-be investors, their local market is priced too extravagantly to make real estate investment prudent. The cost of living in a different state, just a few borders east or west, might be considerably lower. That means you can snatch up excellent properties at a much lower cost than you might in your own market.Even better, you can snag those investment deals on excellent properties that would go for three to four times as much, if not more, in your own local market. Your purchasing power becomes much stronger in other markets, because everything’s relative.Challenges of Out-of-State InvestmentsThere are still some challenges to these remote investments. First of all, you have to learn who you can trust and maintain the peace of mind that comes from having easy local access to your investment. You also have to be able to trust that the property you’re investing in is what it’s advertised as.The property is also more difficult to visit if you like to be hands on. You might have to fly out to visit the property, which some people enjoy but others are seriously bothered by. If you are the type of investor who prefers the more passive turn-key approach, this is an excellent opportunity.Finally, the market won’t be what you’re used to. Nothing will be quite the same as being there and immersing yourself in the market, but you can learn and study. You just have to rely on someone else to have knowledge of the nuances of the market.Doing Out-of-State RightThere is a solution to all of the challenges of real estate investing outside your state. When you find a reputable, proven company to handle your turn-key real estate transaction, you have someone you can count on to know the market you’re investing in. Here are the main reasons you should find a partner to work with you on your out-of-state investments.
They can keep a more educated eye on the market, since they know all of the nuances of that area.
They’ll serve as your presence near your investment, keeping everything on track, so you don’t have to make numerous trips to the property.
If the turn-key real estate investment firm is reputable, they want you to succeed. This means they’ll do anything they can to make sure you do succeed.
The question becomes, whom can you trust? You want to make sure you engage in a partnership with a firm who is reputable, knowledgeable and engaged in your market. Referrals from other investors are key, so be on the lookout for like-minded people who have been there and done that.You should also investigate what the turn-key operation offers you, and what their fee or cut of your profit is. Ideally, you’ll want a partner who can help you throughout your investment lifecycle, from acquiring the property to managing it.Getting StartedWe’ve gone over the benefits and drawbacks of out-of-state investing, so now the decision is yours to make. Do you still want to invest locally or have you realized that the time is ripe to diversify your portfolio and invest in out-of-state properties? The benefits of out-of-state real estate investment are huge and the drawbacks can easily be mitigated by partnering with someone in the area in which you’re investing.