Branding Your Business: Promoting Your Business, Attracting Customers and Standing Out in the Market Place Book

Acknowledgements     ix
About the author     xi
Introduction     1
Nothing but the brand     5
Just what is a brand, and who is the customer?     7
Just what is a brand?     7
People are brands, too     8
Don't give me facts... my mind's made up     9
Branding brings benefits     10
A brand? It's nothing but a pain in the backside     11
An emphasis on identity     12
The brand landscape of today     12
Defining a brand     13
Who is the customer?     14
The changing face of the customer     17
The two keys of branding     18
The all-encompassing Brand Halo     19
A brand of EPIC proportions     20
Branding: not a cover-stick for a spotty business     22
Understanding emotion     27
Branding the heart as well as the head     29
Defining emotions     30
Two pathways to purchasing     31
How many emotions are there?     33
Features...     35
... and benefits     36
Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs     38
Adaptive or supportive emotions - youdecide     40
Defining your product or service's emotional benefit     43
Supporting your emotional benefit     45
Perception is reality     51
How perception creates emotion     53
Generating emotions     54
What is perception?     55
Perception and long-term memory     61
Reception     61
Selection     63
Understanding the scheme of things     66
Interpretation     67
Reaction     69
The myths of emotional branding     70
Long-term memory     73
Here endeth the psychology lesson...     75
Making sense of the senses     77
Foreground and background     79
Looking like your brand     83
Creating a visual brand identity     86
Good design... or bad design? Who chooses?     87
Your reception area     93
Your office environment     95
What's in a name?     96
Use technology to your advantage     96
Your BodyBrand     99
Visual communication - up close and personal     100
Seeing eye to eye with your customers     102
Standing up (or sitting down) for your brand     103
Handshakes from hell     103
Give yourself a body check     104
Checklist for non-verbal communication     105
Talking the walk     107
Speech     108
Creating rapport with your customers     108
Listen and respond     110
The two ingredients of a customer conversation     111
Reasons for customer contact     113
Customer communication checklist     115
Putting your brand on the right track     123
Audio logos and jingles     125
Blow your trumpet, sound your horn     125
Good telephone etiquette     127
Giving customers audio guidance     128
Spatial enhancement     129
Music while you work     134
Don't miss audio opportunities     135
The sweet smell of brand success     137
Smells evoke memories     138
The Singapore Girl sensory brand     140
Defining your brand's smell     141
Your BrandScent environment     142
Charity shops - a smelly problem?     143
Scenting the product or service     144
Service with a smell      146
Aromatic publicity and promotions     147
Containing the smell     149
Your personal scent: good or bad idea?     151
Use scents and aromas with care     153
Branding the taste buds     155
Getting the edge in food and drink     155
A tasty non-food business     156
Sweet ways to brand your business     158
Taste buds and business tie-ins     160
Brand touch and feel     165
Getting in touch with your brand     166
Add an emotional touch to your product     168
Bringing your brand to the surface     173
Branding on the can     175
Using touch in a service business     175
Charities can benefit from a tactile approach     178
It's your turn to be tactile     180
Touching what surrounds you     182
A sense of touch on the web     182
Innovation     185
Building your Brand Halo     187
The idea behind a Brand Halo     188
The right parts of your business - but not all parts     189
Customer contact timeline     190
Determining your key customer contact points     192
Involve your employees      195
Creating your Brand Reflections     195
A Brand Reflection example     196
Incorporating the five senses     197
A complete Brand Reflection     198
Your Brand Halo     199
Finding out some contact preferences     200
Modalities: a preferred sense of contact     201
Focus on the major trends     202
Asking the questions     202
Vive la difference     206
Your Brand Halo Handbook     209
Your choice of contents     210
A sample page from the Brand Halo Handbook     210
A Handbook for your business - and your people     213
Communicating your brand     215
Your Brand Storybook     217
The need for stories today     218
Creating your Brand Storybook     223
Your 'BrandMe' Story     223
Tell your story as though you mean it     225
Your BusinessBrand Story     225
The reasons behind your brand     226
Taking a stand for your brand     227
Service with a stance     229
Your PeopleBrand Story     229
Attracting good candidates     230
Selecting your potential employees     233
Retaining your people     236
Your BrandBite     237
Make use of metaphors     239
Creating a slogan or strapline     241
Final thoughts     245
References     247
Index     251