For me power when applied to human beings leaves an ever so slightly nasty taste. Those in positions of power (or who think they’re in a position of power), tend to overlook the real and present needs of others. They may talk a very good talk but somehow there’s always a sense that it’s pure patter. Words without feeling. Words without meaning. Words that don’t resonate. Words that don’t connect. Bottom line, they lack real passion for what they do and people like me pick up on that. Call it my ‘passion radar’ if you like.

At election time, my passion radar is well and truly switched on. Hoping that this time local Councillors will make an effort to demonstrate their passion for community representation and action. Instead, we get the same old insipid looking, badly printed, poor quality flyers through our door, with the same old ‘we’ve got you road humps and dog dirt bins’, so ‘please vote for us.’ Where is the passion in that? And what’s more how is that connecting with me?

If local Councillors looking for election or re-election were to do their homework in Stockport, then they’d see a diverse demographic and not one that’s fixed on road humps and dog dirt. We’re professionals, we’re students, we’re young families, we’re business owners, we’re looking for work, we’re single mums and dads – a wide variety of people, with a wide variety of needs, wants, likes and dislikes.

We all understand the words ‘austerity measures’ and that we can’t always get what we want but what local politicians fail to see is that they’re failing to connect. They’re failing to connect because we don’t know them or what they’re passionate about.

Forget the poor quality flyers, tell us something about yourself – we have social media for that – an effective, no cost way to communicate you. Forget the cursory door-knocking too. How about a good ol’ fashioned debate every now and then? You could hire the Stockport Garrick Theatre and make a night of it. Theme it, make it interesting, open it up to the next generation of voters and Councillors. Show your passion and your personality. Believe it or not people would come.

It is because I’m passionate about what I do, that I do it. Power just doesn’t come into it.

1. Confidence
2. Connection
3. Consistency

Three words that are often overlooked, lacking even when it comes to thinking about how you’re going to present your brand, what you do and how you do it. So why is that? Well in my experience it’s because branding is often approached from a negative perspective – i.e. it’s seen a commodity (logo, website, collateral), expensive, an intangible cost without tangible impact, time-consuming. It’s also because brand owners are often so caught up in the day to day, that the need to step back, reflect, review and move forward can be neglected.

In fact, never has there been a better time to review and take stock of your brand. Technically we’re in a recession yes but where your brand is concerned you need to protect and defend your position in the marketplace and to do this you need to think about your brand confidence, connection and consistency. And if you’re just starting up, then creating a solid brand platform should absolutely be at the heart of what you do. Here’s why…

Confidence – inward and outward. Confidence in what you do regardless of sector and product/service is absolutely paramount. Not arrogance or bravado, just good old-fashioned pride in what you do and getting this across to your staff, stakeholders and customers in a relatable way. Achieving brand confidence is a combination of creating an identity and personality that everyone can stand behind and feel proud of AND delivering it with a clarity and simplicity. This will engage your team on the inside and your target audience on the outside and encourages advocacy from both sides!

Connection – these days it’s about engaging with people inside and outside your business. Gone are the days when you could just push out information. Communicating your brand is all about conversing and importantly having the patience to converse. Tell and sell is well and truly over. What you have to do is talk, nurture and encourage. It’s about listening, learning, tweaking and trying out new ideas. Embrace creative thinking as part of commercial and/or operational planning. And you should be looking towards a ‘less is more’ comms stratetgy. Making a simple, clear and relevant connection with the right person is far more beneficial than pushing out complex, blanket communications to the wrong people.

Consistency – in everything you do from the brand identity to the product or service delivery, to the sales process and aftercare, the user experience, the smell, the taste, the decor, cleanliness, friendliness … the list is endless. For consistency read ‘detail’ – if you want to keep customers coming back then you have to go for the little touches that make a difference. Everyone these days is expecting brands to exceed expectation, it’s no longer enough to match them. Tiring and challenging as that might be, it’s that level of consistency that really makes the difference. That’s where your differentiation comes from not looking for a non-existent USP.

So take a step back. Take several steps back in fact. Rekindle the passion for what you do and you’ll realise there’s more you could be doing from a confidence, connection and consistency point of view. Settling for ‘the now’ means you’ll be overlooking ‘the next’. And the next generation of consumers is going to be harder to reach and engage than ever. Still think investing time in your brand isn’t worth it!?

So far so good. Twitter profile sounded interesting (bit different I thought and in a part of town I really like), website looked sharp (crisp ‘n delicious photograhy and graphics), inviting indeed. All seemed pretty good then on first impression, for what promised to be an eatery with a compelling proposition – i.e. good, honest, affordable, quirky. Right up my street and very much a virtually compelling brand.

Sadly, in reality though it didn’t quite live up to virtual brand expectation. As I walked in, it didn’t really feel or smell like it should or I’d expected it to. There was an open kitchen which had the potential for some real theatre, especially to display the food but instead looked cluttered and the appliances were ‘smeary’. This is a place too that could really sell wine as an accompaniment but failed to communicate wine-matching opportunities. Service was friendly but not terribly knowledgeable, in a place where knowledge of product should really be paramount. And even though prices weren’t high, food quality, presentation and quantity was a little disappointing. The brand warmth and connection I’d expected wasn’t there.

Pity really as I’m all for independent and new and I’ve a real passion for helping the High Street. But even if you’ve got what you think is a quirky and different concept, that won’t carry you where the real life experience doesn’t live up to the virtual brand promise.

‘Nearly but not quite’ isn’t exclusive to the restaurant sector. It’s true of many businesses who promise so much virtually but then don’t see it through to every core of their being and delivery.

At a time when 1 in 5 shops are closing and people are pulling their belts in ever tighter, never has it been more important to ensure your brand lives up to expectation. It sounds trite but detail is everything right now, regardless of price point. It’s absolutely the little things that matter and can make the difference, especially if you’re in the restaurant business where service, ambiance, knowledge and cleanliness is everything.

In approaching brand creation or development, irrespective of sector my starting point is always ‘nearly but not quite is not okay.’ It’s about commitment and doing it on purpose. Looking at every touch point inside and outside the business and making sure you exceed expectation rather than falling short of it. It’s about presenting who you are effectively and delivering on it.

“Always be a first rate version of yourself, rather than a second rate version of someone else” – Judy Garland.

And that is… branding.

Too many companies consider this wishy-washy and intangible and in doing so neglect to think hard about what their brand stands for and whether it truly connects and encourages interaction with the audiences it’s trying to reach. Opting instead for a price driven strategy – aka ‘price slashing’ which in the short term may bring in the bucks but in the medium to long term isn’t going to be sustainable.

Restaurant chains are the perfect example. It’s a ‘pizza and pasta price war’ out there and as a result us consumers are unsure who’s doing what, when and how good they might be. ‘How good’ being the two operative words here, since in all of this melee to get bums on seats, the forgotten elements here are ‘how does it taste?’, ‘were they friendly?’, ‘did they accommodate the kids?’, ‘was it warm, cosy & inviting’ and of course, ‘would you go again?’

Consider too that consumers are offer fatigued. They’re getting that many ’2 for 1′ offers in their inbox or on their wallpost that they can’t be bothered with any of them. Might even be they’re sceptical too – the Groupon fiasco hasn’t helped. When was the last time you received an email you felt was helpful, informative, reassuring even?

So unless your brand is founded on cheap and cheerful which of course isn’t wrong if that’s the space you want to occupy, the simple advice is to not set out your stall that way. New company or existing, it’s worth taking time out to have a good hard look at your brand identity – no, not the logo – the entire look and feel – what you say, how you say it, the images you use, the channels you’re using to communicate it, how your staff feel about it, what you customers feel about it. Think of your of your brand as a way of life, rather than a means to an end.

Take heart that there’s plenty of general research and evidence out there to suggest that what customers want is good, ol’ fashioned service. They want answers to their questions and issues efficiently and in a language they can understand. They appreciate the personal touch, they are impressed by knowledge on a subject, empathy for their requirement, insight and intuition in responding to their request or issue.

Still think this isn’t you? Still feel this is too hard, too expensive, too wishy-washy? Well if we may be so bold…

‘Too hard’ isn’t in our vocabulary. We believe every brand no matter what the size or sector should (and can) stand out and deliver. It’s a matter of digging deep and finding your point of differentiation. There will be one.

‘Too expensive’ it needn’t be. This isn’t necessarily about designing a new logo but maybe about enhancing and boosting what you’re already doing. Understanding the lower cost communication channels that are out there to exploit to your advantage, planning and setting a course for using those channels on a regular and integrated basis and committing to a straightforward brand communications process that’s going to work hard for you, especially where resource and budget is limited. There are still too many brands out there with websites that aren’t socially integrated or smartphone friendly for example – neither of which need to be bank-breaking to implement.

‘Wishy-washy’ it won’t be. Remember, the investment you make in building and enhancing your brand is measurable and can be evaluated. It’s about understanding and exploiting the tools of the trade that are available to you. It’s also about understanding how the investment you make will have a positive impact on your business. That’s possible too. We’re keen on helping our clients create a ‘brand dashboard’ that’s right for them.

In fact, we strive to ensure all our branding and brand communications projects live up to and deliver on these four key elements:-

Practical > providing a consistent, relevant and confident platform across all communications channels.

Commercial > improve and maximise engagement at every touch point, to ensure positive customer experience & interaction & to generate quality leads.

Emotional > ensuring staff, stakeholders and customers engage and feel positive about the brand and importantly tell others about it!

Evolutionary > designed and communicated with the ‘now & next’ firmly front of mind, keeping an eye on the competition, trends, listening and learning.

And that we’d say is… branding as a way of life, as opposed to a means to an end.

that is… specialises in helping SME brands to stand out and deliver. If you’d like a good ol’ fashioned, non wishy washy chat about growing your business through effective brand communication, then please feel free to call Allie Johns on 07960 126991.

Don’t follow common ideals or seasonal fashions

Following the herd is an easy option but blending in doesn’t get you noticed. Just because you’re doing business (or starting up) in a specific sector, doesn’t mean you have to be like everyone else. It’s often the smallest details that can make a difference – such as style, tone and consistency of communication inside and outside your business. Choosing your communications channels wisely and exploiting them efficiently will set you apart from the rest.

Seek out new and uncomfortable territory

Uncomfortable can be as radical or non radical as you’re comfortable with. You may for example have pushed digital communication to one side in the hope that a great looking website is enough. But ask yourself how much do I know about how and when my customers are accessing my site? What are they doing and what do they say about the content? And if they’re not sharing the content why not? You may also have dismissed mobile as an expensive platform for reaching customers, believing that ‘it’s more for students and shoppers’. However you’d be wise to embrace it given the high numbers of business professionals who now access content and communicate on the go via their smartphone or tablet. And by developing an integrated plan for your brand communication, you’d be able to embrace and manage this effectively. The good news here is that building your brand in this way doesn’t necessarily need a bank-breaking budget.

Don’t stick to the rules

Successful brands have vision, commitment, leadership and structure behind them but branding isn’t all about ‘sticking to the rules.’ Anyone who says otherwise isn’t thinking laterally about what you stand for or indeed how you can best create differentiation in your marketplace. Like the Modernists, effective brands embrace change no matter how difficult it might seem, no matter what the level of resistance and in spite of the economic and social environment.

Nothing is cut and dry

Why cut and dry when you can develop and thrive? Again this doesn’t have to be about huge investment or ambitious innovation but what it does require first and foremost is an open mind and a sprinkle of audacity (which modern artists have in spades!). Combine that with creativity, planning and success measures and you’re on to a really good thing as far as your brand development is concerned.

Individuality not artificiality

Your brand should be built and developed on firm, individual footings. It should be practical allowing you to communicate and engage with your customers seamlessly across a range of relevant channels. It should be commercial and deliver on the objectives. It should be emotional allowing you to connect in the right way with the right people. It should be evolutionary with one eye always on the possible. Combining this way of brand planning with creativity when you’re building a brand will deliver individuality and real stand out in your marketplace.

“I am always doing things I can’t do, that’s how I get to do them.” Picasso

No, I’ll never know. But by giving my Christmas card and stamp money to www.crisis.org.uk what I do know is that 6 homeless people will at least be out of the cold, spending time in happy, warm and caring surroundings this festive time.

Thanks for stopping by. My best wishes for a lovely Christmas and a bright New Year!

See you in 2012.

When does a brand become a phenomenon? And what right (if any) does it have to label itself thus? That thought was triggered by a trip to the local theatre on Wednesday to see Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None.’

The original novel was published in 1939 and has sold over 100 million copies. A true best seller and I think I’m right in saying makes it the best selling crime novel yet. Agatha Christie wrote 80 novels and short story collections, 5 radio plays, 15 stage plays, 3 collections of children’s stories and poetry, 6 romantic novels and 2 autobiographies. What’s more, she’s only outsold by The Bible and Shakespeare.

And yet love her, loathe her, be indifferent about her, I’m not sure Agatha Christie would’ve counted herself a ‘remarkable person’ or indeed a phenomenon. The Agatha Christie brand however, is undoubtedly a phenomenon by virtue of its very reach across the world and the author’s indubitable ability to engage with readers all ages. It doesn’t need Miss Marple to fathom out that Agatha Christie is a worldwide institution – a great British brand if ever there was one.

Digging a little deeper into this, I came across Simon Silvester’s WPP blog ‘Brand it like Beckham’ in which he sets out the case for brands that have ceased being about a love for a product but have instead become what he calls ‘cultural phenomena’ – a case where brands have forged a strong relationship with consumers as institutions of the state.

This he says applies to brands that engage with consumers beyond the product. For example as Nike do with their philosophical approach to sport and lifestyle in general. yes they have good product but they also go way beyond it by manipulating the aspirational appeal to a level that is, in my opinion, almost magician like.

But hey, becoming an institution isn’t for every brand. Of course not every brand has the monetary might. That said looking at the techniques, the thinking and presentation of brands that (who) are, gives plenty of food for thought no matter what size or sector you’re in. If you don’t want to blend in, find out who you are and do it on purpose.*

* Thanks to Dolly Parton for those last few words, Agatha Christie for the escapism and Simon Silvester for the wisdom.

Brand-in-a-Box is born out of a passionate belief that your brand should sit right at the very heart of your business development strategy. Not least because almost every law practitioner these days is required to be a ‘fee earner’, as competition for legal services intensifies, particularly with the advent of ‘supermarket law’ and the Legal Services Act. Simply put, it’s always easier to promote something you not only believe in but are really proud to be part of.

No longer is it sufficient for law firms to ‘follow the rest’ and blend in as one homogeneous sector. Neither is is about sitting back and waiting for the next client to ring or email. Okay so you may not have the budget to shout at people on daytime TV! But you do have it in your power to look closely at the brand you’ve established (or would like to establish) and to ensure it’s working as hard as it possibly can for you.

Effective branding isn’t about a logo or a website. It’s about differentiation, the way you look, feel and sound and how you get your message out there. It’s about conveying a cohesive and consistent message across the range of services you promote. Private and commercial clients alike find the legal world daunting and are often sceptical of the quality and level of service they think they’re going to receive. So your challenge is not only to define and reach your target audiences but also to make sure they can relate to what they see or hear when they meet you, go online or pick up something in print about you.

Your brand needs to be authentic, relevant and yes why not creative? Just because you provide legal services, doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t be creative with your brand communications. Remember the ‘new consumer’ is more digitally capable that ever before. And they’re ever-demanding in the sense of “I need to find the right service from someone I will like working with now!” The ‘new consumer’ therefore is more likely to engage with brands they feel are like them and that applies to legal brands too!

And where business development is concerned, your brand should absolutely be the platform from which to grow your business from existing as well as new clients. Your brand strategy should define your core vision and values and make sure you stand out in your marketplace visually, verbally and with clearly defined benefits and services. Be confident and connect with your customers in every relevant way. And make sure staff and stakeholders understand the impact branding has on the business, particularly in terms of targeted lead generation.

Embracing your brand in this way, as an integral part of your business development strategy will strengthen your offer externally and positively influence how you feel about it internally. Importantly you’ll also be able to demonstrate the value of your brand in terms of the impact on your overarching business objectives.

About Brand-in-a-Box

Brand-in-a-Box objectively explores ’6 sides’ of branding to define and differentiate your brand covering:-

1. Business aspirations
2. Client & competitive challenges & opportunities
3. Marketplace/business challenges & opportunities
4. Brand strength & differentiation
5. Brand DNA
6. Recommendations for brand design & communications development

‘Sides 1 to 4′ will be explored either via workshop or 1-2-1 interviews with key members of the business. Discussion and insight will be analysed and distilled to form the basis of your brand strategy and associated recommendations for design and communications development. All of this will be documented as your ‘Brand-in-a-Box’, which you can then use to set a course for your future brand communications and business development activity.

“Know the client better than they do. It’s your ability to think strategically that will gain their trust.”

These simple, heartfelt words lifted me no end. Why? Because when you work in the creative sector you put all of your being and energy into understanding your clients’ hopes, fears and aspirations for their brand. You’re constantly striving to add dimension, challenge their conventions and bring creativity of thought. Often you’re doing this alone, gathering insight, looking for or creating relevant research, asking friends, family and peers their opinions, expending all your mental energy trying to get a feel for the need and a sense of the preferred commercial outcome.

You do this because guidance and insight from the client isn’t always forthcoming. You have to dig in, ask questions, get yourself involved in their organisation, interpret their needs and turn this into a brand and communications strategy they’ll relate to and therefore buy into. You do this because you passionately believe in the power of confident and creative brands to drive business development. You do this because you feel it’s your duty to demonstrate the tangible value of thinking about and around a brand. You do this because you believe that originality comes from saying what you think.

You do this because you know at the age of 45 (almost!) you were born to operate in a world that’s ‘strategically creative’ and that it’s the best way you know how to be true to yourself and the clients you’re privileged to work with.

‘Have a belief and stick to it,’ he said too.

Well Sir John I’m hardly on the level of ‘Nick Kamen’s Launderette’, ‘Flat Eric’ or ‘By ‘eck luv Boddingtons’  but I thank you for spurring me on and I salute you with my own personal quest to be ‘strategically creative’ for the rest of my personal and professional days.

Note: ‘An Audience with Sir John Hegarty’ was made possible by NABS (National Advertising Benevolent Society) who provide a whole raft of support services for those employed past and present in the creative sector.

As I slipped and stumbled down what can only be described as rock bed (pathway is stretching it a bit) and then fell (ending up with a hip the colour of the thunderous sky above that day!), all that kept coming into my head (apart from ‘you can’t give up now gal’), was that there’s a lesson for brands in all of this. So here’s what I wrote in my head on that perilous 1 hour and 30 minutes back down the fell side – what brands can learn from The Lakes:-

Authentic – the wonderful thing about the landscape up there is that it’s totally authentic in every way and unspoiled by unnecessary embellishment or too much touristy nonsense. What you see is what you get and blimey is it an assault on your senses. It’s nature pure and simple. Authentic to the core is what every brand should strive for – there’s very little point in trying to be something you’re not and can’t live up to.

Unforgiving- one minute fair-weather, the next minute throwing everything at you!

Unforgiving Haystacks (this time!)

Fickle and driven by the elements. Testing my love of and loyalty to the landscape to the limit. Yes. Beware the increasingly fickle and unforgiving customer and the lengths brands have to go to these days to please them.

Seductive- the more you see, the more you want to see. Simple as that. Every hillside, every lakeside, every little Cumbrian stone village, any cosy-looking pub, the independent galleries and shops. Whether you’re walking a Wainwright or skulking around the shops, it’s hard to fault this part of the world. (And this coming from a Devon gal!). Every brand should learn the art of seduction, in the ‘attract powerfully’ sense of the word of course! ‘Brand seduction’ is simply the art of connecting with your customers in the way they want you to connect with them. Remember the days of ‘We sell. You buy.’ are well and truly over.

Inspirational Buttermere

Inspirational – infinitely inspirational is how I’d describe The Lakes. Even if you don’t want to fell walk (or slip slide away as in my case!), you can’t fail to be overwhelmed by the sheer scale and landscape all around you. Every which way you turn you’re submerged in sight, sound and colour. Incredible doesn’t begin to describe it.

To fail to inspire your customers or be inspired by them is to fail in branding.

And even though I failed on Haystacks this time, I know I’ll try again. That’s the lure of The Lakes I guess.