Satow Marketing Strategies

Logorithms

2007-11-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

A Simple Formula for Great Logo Design and Management

by Paula Satow, Satow Strategies LLC

According to Wikipedia, an algorithm is a “definite list of well-defined instructions for completing a task.” Here’s a set of well-defined steps on how to develop a great logo for your company organization – my personal “logo-rithm.”

Put Your Brand First: Logos should not be designed in a vacuum. To be strategic and effective over time, a good logo must reflect your brand and all that it stands for. Therefore, before you begin the logo design process, be sure that your basic brand tenets inform your design process. Ask questions like:

· What does our brand stand for?
· What is the brand personality?
· Who are our target customers/constituents?
· What is our overarching key message?

Work with a Brand-Savvy Designer: One of the biggest mistakes companies make when they set out to design a company logo is to save money by working with a designer that creates “graphics” instead of “logos”. What is the difference? A graphic may look good but it doesn’t necessarily reflect your brand and it doesn’t necessarily work as your company evolves over time. Ask prospective designers to explain how the corporate logos they’ve created convey the company brand message.

Some of my favorite examples of this capability in action are:

Look closely at the FedEx logo sometime. Do you see the hidden arrow? What better symbol than an arrow to convey the company’s overarching key message of getting your shipments to their destination quickly and directly?
Next, look at Cisco’s logo. Notice how it integrates a symbolic depiction of a bridge – a double-entrendre both for its proximity, in name and location, to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge as well as its business model of building “digital bridges” that serve as world-class networking solutions.

Be expansive: Think of all the possible ways your logo may be used both today and in the future – as your business grows – before completing your design work. The logo design should work well both in the digital domain, including your website, banner ads and e-newsletters, and in the analog domain including letterhead, brochures, signs and vehicles. Be sure your logo is optimized to look great in a variety of media and with versions from full color/high resolution to B&W/low resolution.

Be consistent: One of the most important strategies you can use to build a strong brand over time is to define and consistently apply a set of rules – “Do’s and Don’ts” of how to use your logo” by publishing a document referred to as “Logo Usage Guidelines.” This important deliverable is designed to clearly communicate elements like the logo size, color and application. Here’s a great website with a ton of Logo Usage Guidelines examples to see how it’s done: http://brandsoftheworld.com/guidelines. Or you can just do a web search for “Logo Usage Guidelines” and many other examples will surface. A side-note: a good test of your graphic designer is to ask to see his/her Logo Usage Guidelines they’ve developed for other customers. If they have, then they are likely keenly aware that a logo is not just a graphic element but a brand embodiment that must be managed from inception to dissemination.

When it comes time to developing a new company/product logo or to give a face-lift to an existing logo, Satow Strategies is ready to assist you – from strategic planning to graphic agency identification/management, we will help you create the world-class logo you need to build your world-class brand. Contact us at 602-481-1942 or at info@satowstrategies.com to learn more about how effective logo strategies can boost your corporate value.

Naming with Brand Architecture in Mind

2007-11-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

How to apply naming strategies to effectively define and extend your brand
by Paula Satow, Satow Strategies, LLC

Clients often come to me asking for help in naming a new company or re-naming an existing company. In the course of exploring their strategic requirements, we often discover that there are actually a lot more “name-worthy” elements to their offerings than meet the eye. I find that the more effective we can be in discovering and leveraging these hidden areas, the better it is for their brand in the long run. This holistic approach to naming may cost a little more upfront but translates into higher brand valuation in the long run.

Here’s a list of focus areas you should consider when it comes to building effective name strategies for your business:

Company: Naming the company is obviously the single-most important aspect in any business naming process. Referred to as the “Corporate Umbrella Name,” the company name needs to work well in any context or brand hierarchy -- whether it is integrated in product and service names, i.e. – “Microsoft® Office®” or whether it serves more in the role of a corporate name only, in the background like “Post-It Notes®” (“from 3M”).

Category: If your company is drowning in a crowded sea of competitors and you’re having difficulty keeping your product or service afloat, consider re-positioning your offering by creating a new category, poising your unique value as central to the market. For instance, if you’re in the office furniture business but you’re products are all uniquely made of sustainable woods and materials designed in pre-made sections for cost effectiveness, be bold and stake a claim in a new market category you’ve dubbed, “natural modules.” This sounds a lot more unique and interesting than “office furniture.”

Offering: Product and/or service offerings can be ripe with brand name opportunities. While you should never err on the side of “branding everything” – such a shotgun approach can be a brand-diluting, market-confusing and budget-depleting proposition. It’s a good idea to start with a brand hierarchy that clearly conveys how your products and services fit in relation to your corporate umbrella brand. They may be worthy of their own product brands or sub-brands to convey their significance in the market as well as in your company’s portfolio.

Technology/Unique Capability: If you have unique intellectual property (IP) that you have either patented or have a patent pending, it is worth considering a trademark name that effectively positions its unique value in the market. You may even consider an ingredient brand strategy. While this type of program can be expensive and complex to manage, the payoff can be tremendous if your customers want to tap into the power and panache of your “secret sauce” for their own products.

No matter which naming projects you need to tackle, Satow Strategies is here to help – from company re-naming to ingredient brand strategies, we can help you build effective strategies, programs and implementation tactics.

Contact us at 602-481-1942 or at info@satowstrategies.com to learn more about how effective naming strategies can boost your corporate value.

© 2007 Satow Strategies LLC
Other names and brands are the property of their respective owners.

Writing for the Internet

2007-08-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

How Web Content May Be Changing the Definition of “Good” Writing
by Paula Satow, Satow Strategies, LLC

Traditionally, when we think of good writing, we often think that the creative adage, “Less is More”, is a good rule of thumb to write by. While it is still true that good content should be well-written and compelling, several new dimensions now come into play when it comes to defining what makes good writing in the age of the Internet.

Here’s a list of short list of tips to live by when it comes to producing good quality writing for your website:

More is More:
Content developed for the Internet is often better when it’s chock-full of keywords to attract more and better qualified leads in your target market segment. If the search engines cannot find you, hot prospects may not find you either. Therefore, be sure you regularly monitor and evaluate your web site in relation to keyword presence and search engine metrics.
Be Clear: When customers and prospects are browsing your website, they are not necessarily interested in reading every word. More likely than not, they will be clicking through, quickly searching for key ideas and data that’s directly relevant to their needs. Therefore, stick with the facts, highlight what’s important and, by all means, keep things very simple and easy to understand. Visually highlighting titles and key words can be very helpful in catching their eye and capturing their interest.

Stay Connected: In the realm of the internet, it seems that water seeks its own level. You are often associated with the partners and customers who link to your site and who let you link to theirs. Proactively connect with your customers, partners and other industry associates, leveraging their position and your own as you cross-reference each other on your respective sites. This affords your customers and prospects convenience and easy access to the information they need while, at the same time, let’s you and your associates tap into the power of shared information to elevate your respective brands.

Get Organized: When it comes to developing your web design and navigation bar, be sure you’re covering all the important bases that you need. Typical sections that visitors often expect to see include: About Us, Products/Services, Capabilities, News & Events and Contact Us. Of course, if your site also serves as an on-line store, be sure you have an easy to find and access “Shopping” section. Your site map design says a lot about your company and your brand so be sure you plan ahead before jumping in and spending money on the implementation process.

Deliver Quality:
The more your company can be positioned as expert in your field and the more your website can be seen as a hub for critical data, the easier it will be to attract qualified leads and future prospects. Copy written to simplify complex concepts, define industry buzzwords and aggregate critical links and statistics can serve your market segment well and, in turn, translates into potential market share for you.

When you’re ready to plan your new website or get started on redesigning an existing site, contact Satow Strategies at 602-481-1942 or info@satowstrategies.com to learn more about how strategic planning and design can boost your site’s value and effectiveness ten-fold.

Visit www.SatowStrategies.com to learn more about outstanding branding, marketing and communications solutions for any company, large and small.

© 2007 Satow Strategies, LLC

Get Organized! (Your Messages, That Is!)

2007-03-26T13:24:00.001-07:00

How Clarity Rules When It Comes to Business

by Paula Satow, Managing Member, Satow Strategies

Spring has sprung and it’s time for a little spring cleaning. Sure, you can vacuum out your car and straighten up your office but that’s not really what I meant. I am referring to your company’s messaging. Just like your home and work life can always be improved when you get rid of the clutter and focus on organizing things, so, too, your bottom line can be enhanced when you simplify your key messages and get to the point when it comes to making new customers and influencing them to buy your products and try your services. The world’s best companies know that clear, crisp messages can be the keys to the kingdom of success.
Here are a few quick tips on how to spiff up your key points and capture your market’s imagination:

TIP One: Keep It Simple.
Be sure you start with a simple, solid messaging foundation that is easy to understand, no matter who the audience. For instance, when preparing your “About Us” section on your webpage, begin with a positioning statement that says exactly who you are and why that’s important to your target audience. For instance: “XYZ, Inc. is the Arizona-based plastics manufacturer that delivers high-quality widgets and services to the auto industry at a discounted price.” One sentence says it all.

TIP Two: Take It From The Top.
Organize your messages from the top down, focusing on your corporate brand first. Then, work your way down to your products, services and the unique differentiators they deliver. For instance, when writing a boilerplate – the summary paragraph about your organization that consistently appears at the end of your company’s press releases – always start with your corporate messaging followed by a description of the products and services you offer along with their key feature and benefit.

TIP Three: Remove Clutter.
Your key messages cannot by effectively conveyed when they’re surrounded by the clutter of contradictory, outdated and/or unfocused information. Peel back the onion on your marketing collateral and determine when the information was created and whether or not it is still relevant to your business and important to making sales. If not, it’s time to update your communications suite. Instead of helping you grow your business, it might be actually be working against you, confusing your customers and fueling your competitors’ “FUD Power” – the Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt that they tell prospects about your offering.

TIP Four: Try It On For Size.
Before you charge ahead to change the world, or at least your little corner of it, try to test your new messages out with prospects, customers, employees and partners to see how they fly. You can do formerly with some market research and/or informally through a small trial balloon, perhaps through a flyer at a trade show or a simple direct mail piece. But, more often than not, this vantage will prove invaluable in honing and prioritizing your final messages.

Visit http://www.satowstrategies.com/ to learn more about getting your messages more on track and your business on target for success through organized messaging techniques. Email info@satowstrategies.com to get started on your Message Spring Cleaning.

(c) 2007 Satow Strategies, LLC

New Year’s Resolution: Write a Marketing Plan

2007-01-30T07:28:00.000-08:00

Mapping Your Way to Marketing Success

by Paula Satow, Satow Strategies, LLC

The new year is well underway and companies everywhere are putting the finishing touches on their 2007 Marketing Plans.

Yeah, right!

If you believe that, then I know a bridge...

The truth is that many firms can’t even agree on whether or not they need a Marketing Plan no less what their Marketing Plan should consist of. So, breathe a sign of relief if you’re one of them. You’re not alone and, in fact, you’re in good company. Some of the best, most successful companies either “wing it” altogether or write their Marketing Plans “as they go.” To some degree, this is because marketers, by definition, are creative, right-brain types who would rather spend the time ideating great ad concepts and designing leading websites than putting their logical left brains to work on facts, figures and...worst of all...numbers.

Well, that’s where I come in.

To me, creating a solid Marketing Plan can be a very creative process, indeed. And, no matter what you may tell yourself, your marketing results for the year will be more effective and more measurable if you start with a solid Marketing Plan. To take some of the sting out of the process and to help you kick it off, I suggest you start with a game -- 20 Questions.

Let’s see how well you can handle the challenge:

1. What is the single most important thing you want to accomplish with your marketing efforts this year?

2. What is your marketing budget for this year? What percentage of your revenue does this represent? (5%? 10%? 20%? other? – 20% is optimal)

3. What is your corporate marketing strategy and how does it complement your product/service marketing strategy?

4. What is unique or special about the products or services you will be offering?

5. What is your primary target market?

6. Who are your competitors and how do they compete with your company and your offerings?

7. How does your marketing strategy support your business and brand strategies?

8. Is your communications consistent in terms of corporate and product identity?

9. Is your communications consistent in terms of messages?

10. What marketing programs have worked for you in the past?

11. What marketing programs have failed and why?

12. What is your sales channel?

13. What is your Internet strategy? (website, web sales, blogs, etc.)

14. What is the size and quality of your sales, marketing and support teams?

15. What is your sales and marketing collateral strategy? (newsletter, e-newsletter, brochures, etc.)

16. What is your event strategy? (trade shows, conferences, speakerships, web seminars)

17. What is your media relations strategy? (local/national/business press, analysts, tours, joint announcements, etc.)

18. What is your co-marketing strategy with channel and strategic partners?

19. What is your launch calendar for the year?

20. How will you measure the results of your marketing programs?

Learn more at www.satowstrategies.com or drop an email for assistance with your marketing plan to info@satowstrategies.com.

The Tao of SEO

2006-12-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

Search Engine Optimization Strategies for Companies Large and Small
by Doug Macy, Macy Creative and Paula Satow, Satow Strategies, LLC

Websites designed as electronic brochures are always popular. They are useful when you already have leads for your business and you want to direct them to a convenient place on the web to learn more about your company and its products and services. However, more and more companies are looking to the Internet to not only inform customers about their offerings but to actually bring in new prospects and customers in the first place. That is where the following key methods come in handy:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Wikipedia: Improving the number and/or quality of visitors to a web site from "natural" (aka "organic" or "algorithmic" search engine) listings. • Search Engine Marketing (SEM) – Wikipedia: A set of marketing methods to increase the visibility of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Here are some important steps that can get help any company or group, large or small, started in optimizing their site to attract new traffic, tap into the power of internet marketing, and convert prospects into customers:

1. Keyword Research and Site Evaluation Your current web site is evaluated to determine keyword presence, the quality of your content and HTML coding. Research is performed to determine the most effective words to target based on current search trends, relative competition and your target audience.

2. Site Optimization Key pages in your web site are optimized based on the recommended target search terms. Additionally, new pages of specifically optimized content may also be added to your site.

3. Submission Your web site is manually submitted to major search engines and web directories to insure any new site edits are re-cataloged as quickly as possible. It may take several weeks for new SEO pages to be fully cataloged.

4. Link Building The link popularity of your web site is increased by gaining inbound links from highly qualified, relevant web sites. One-way links and reciprocal links are carefully obtained. These links are an important component to raising your position in search engines. In addition, they can send a good deal of traffic directly to your site and help build brand awareness.

5. Monitoring and Maintenance Changes to search catalogs do not occur instantly. It is critical that the position of your web site in the search engines be routinely monitored. Minor updates will be made to fine tune your site content based on its performance. Additional incoming links will be obtained, and search engine catalogs will be evaluated to insure any updates to your site are properly reviewed and indexed.

Summary
It is also important to understand that the process of increasing your search engine rankings takes time. Many factors affect how quickly your rankings change. You may see dramatically increased rankings for some terms within a couple weeks while other terms may require several months or more to gain noticeably increased positions. It is not uncommon to have very different rankings for the same term across Google, Yahoo and MSN. Each search engine uses a unique process to catalog your site. SEO and SEM are critical methods of growing you business in today’s Internet-focused world. Working with an industry expert to get on board with these methods and manage the necessary steps efficiently and effectively is one of the most important business decisions you can make.

And, as companies the world over have already discovered, it is well worth the effort.

© Macy Creative and Satow Strategies, LLC*

Other trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.

The Ways of the Web

2006-10-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Ways of the Web
Winning Website Strategies for Companies Large and Small

by Paula Satow, Managing Member, Satow Strategies, LLC

If your home is your castle then your company’s home page must be one of your firm’s most valuable assets. And, just like a house works best when it is designed for the family who lives there, so, too, a Web site’s design works best when it is tailored to fit the business or group it represents. If you sell retail products, your Web site should look like a store your customers never want to leave. If you sell your services or expertise, then your site should uniquely showcase your unique prowess. This all sounds pretty basic and, yet, many companies do not spend enough time defining the basic functionality of their site before implementing a design. You can start with this simple, three-step analysis:

Step One: Consider whether your site will be "Read-only" or "Read-Write"
Although the Web is still in its nascence, Web applications are already in their second generation. Now, instead of being “Read-Only” in nature – where 100% of the content is developed by the company and for the company – new sites are springing up everywhere that are “Read-Write” in nature. Such sites boost the added dimension of allowing visitors to post content to them – they are more by the people and for the people. With the added dimension that Read-Write sites promise to deliver, the Internet may never be the same. This is a bandwagon that your firm may be advised to jump on. So, before you commit to a new Web site design, consider how the added interaction of visitor/customer postings can help you build your brand. For instance, Read-Write site, YouTube, was just sold to Google for over $1.5 Billion. Talk about brand valuation!

Step Two: Consider the basic functionality of your new site
Web sites can serve a host of purposes and companies can design their site’s primary functionality around their business model and financial goals. Common site models include:
E-Brochure: Perhaps the most common category of Web sites today, e-brochure sites help companies and organizations provide a one-stop resource to convey basic information on what makes their company tick.
E-Store: Many companies use the Web as a way to sell their products and services in an e-commerce environment.
E-Network: Social networking is one of the Internet’s newest buzzwords. Web sites that serve as a resource-finder to help people locate everything from new friends to new business suppliers are becoming more prevalent.
Content Portal: Companies who offer content expertise around a particular industry or content area design their sites for quick, easy access to comprehensive information around their focus segment.
Web-based Application: From on-line project management to sales force tools to media downloading, many web portals are centered around application functionality to help individuals and businesses access the capabilities they need to live and work better.

Step Three: Keep It S-I-M-P-L-E
No matter what type of site you decide is best for your organization, when it finally comes time to produce it and roll it out, remember to keep it Short, Intuitive, Motivating, Leveraged, Positioned and Elegant.

Short – When a site is too wordy, you can loose visitors within one or two clicks. Remember, Google revolutionized the Internet and their site design is as simple and basic as can be.
Intuitive – Design your site to be visual and easy to grasp at a glance. The Internet is a real-time, visual medium. Take advantage of its sights, sounds and action to more readily convey your key messages and brand essence. Remember, if one picture is worth a thousand words, then one digital image can help you capture a new customer in a snap.
Motivating – Include a clear call to action right up front and across the site to be sure visitors understand the possibilities it represents.
Positioned – Be sure to include a clear positioning statement that conveys how different you are from the competition. If prospects are confused about what you stand for, you will lose them as fast as you can say, “Click Here.”
Leveraged – Effectively tap into the power of your brand and the brands of your strategic partners to help ensure that your Web site strategically conveys their true meaning and business value.
Elegant – Create a design that is well-organized and well-engineered. Use exciting techniques like flash and sound effects but do not overuse them. Over-engineering a site can slow down a site and make even the best special effects appear gratuitous and trite.

*Other trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.

Internet Tools for Marketers

2006-09-20T08:06:00.001-07:00

Five Powerful Websites I Have Grown to Love
by Paula Satow, Managing Member, Satow Strategies, LLC

These days, marketers everywhere understand the sheer power and immeasurable value of the Internet. Thanks to a torrent of tools available online, we can use the web to identify strategies, research industries and even implement programs to enhance our bottom line. And, if you are like me, there are a few websites in particular that have become my secret weapons and I return to them again and again. They have made my job easier and my results more tangible than I ever dreamed possible. But, since there are no secrets, I thought I would share my five favorite online marketing tools with all my fellow marketers. Of course, please feel free to share your favorite secret weapons with me too!

1. The WayBack Machine www.archive.org/web/web.php The “Wayback Machine” is a service of the Internet Archive. Through it, you can visit a website’s archived pages. Like the Ghost of Websites Past, it allows you to surf through 55 billion (!) web pages that have been archived since 1996. Imagine the thrill of exploring a company’s old web site designs, its past press coverage or its communications from decades past. Witnessing a business’ past can only help when it comes time to plan its future.

2. Trademark Search Engine www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm Conduct one trademark search on the TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System) system and you’ll quickly understand the power of this indispensable search engine. TESS contains more than four million pending, registered, and dead federal trademarks. It is an invaluable tool for marketing people in search of the perfect brand name, marketing term, or tagline. The USPTO main site at http://www.uspto.gov/ is also very helpful.

3. Visual Thesaurus http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ As a writer both of marketing materials and fiction, I have often dreamed about a resource just like this one. Thanks to Thinkmap (http://www.thinkmap.com/), this dream is now a reality. Visual Thesaurus is a commanding 3D visualization tool for finding just the right word. This site literally brings words to life, forming highly interactive and animated displays of words, related words, and their meanings. Marketers cannot go wrong when they are looking for the right word. You can try it out at no charge and annual subscriptions are quite reasonable.

4. Enterprise Search Platform http://www.grokker.com/ Grokker (named comes from the term “to grok” -- to deeply understand -- from Heinlein’s science fiction novel, Stranger in a Strange Land) is an enterprise search engine from Groxis that enhances the ability to “explore, organize, and share digital information.” It links corporate databases, subscription content, and search engines to create highly visual and interactive maps about any subject under the sun and then some. Market research will never be the same.

5. Branding Newsletter http://www.brandchannel.com/ Founded in 2001, Interbrand’s Brand Channel claims to be “the world’s only online exchange about branding.” I think this site is a valuable resource for brand practitioners everywhere. Offering a truly global perspective on brands and enough articles, glossaries, white papers and book reviews on the subject to sink a ship, this website should be a regular click stop for any marketer in virtually any industry.

When you want help tapping into the power of the internet to enhance your marketing capabilities, please contact Satow Strategies at 602-481-1942 or info@satowstrategies.com. We're ready to help you succeed.

*Other trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.

The Name Game

2006-07-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

How to Effectively Launch a New Company, Product or Service Name
by Paula Satow, Satow Strategies, LLC

Years ago, when I was managing brands for a technology company, I went online the night before a big product launch to see how many references there were to this soon-to-be brand name. I found only about 20 citations related to other, rather obscure, uses of the term. Today there are nearly 2,000,000 internet references to this name. Pretty exciting but also pretty scary when you think about the powerful genie that can be unleashed when a new name is launched. Now you don’t see it... now you do. How do you turn the Name Game into the Fame Game and deliver the most bang for your branding buck?

Here are several tips on how to minimize the fear factor and maximize your results:

1. Begin with a great name. No matter how much money you plan to spend on marketing a new brand, if it doesn’t have the makings of a good name, it’s DOA. Ask yourself the following: Did you test the name in the marketplace? Does it effectively communicate your unique value (or give you plenty of room to create that value)? Is the name easy to pronounce and spell. Does it conjure up positive references or negative?

2. Do your legal homework. OK, so you’re in love with your new name. When it rolls off your tongue, you’re sure you hear the sound of a cash register going “kachink.” But, does your trademark attorney have a mile-wide list of reasons why it’s a bad name? Things like...It is already a trademark in your category... It means “your hippo stinks” in several languages...It is too generic and unprotectable...Your competitor uses a similar name. If so, take heed now – such advice can save you mega-bucks in the long run.

3. Mum’s the word.A favorite expression in the semiconductor industry is “Loose Lips Sink Chips.” At one company I worked for, heads nearly rolled when the CEO overheard an employee conversation on a airplane about an unannounced product. So, get a privacy screen for your laptop and a muzzle for your staff. The best launches can be ruined if they’re pre-announced by the press instead of strategically announced by your staff.

4. Blast off! No matter what the scale of your dreams or the size of your budget, every good name deserves a good send-off. I’ve seen successful launches as subtle as a posting on a homepage and as grandiose as a Times Square celebration – complete with ticker messages! The key is to scale your activities to smartly fit your strategy and your budget.

5. Keep it rolling. In this game, there’s nothing more clever than a “rolling launch.” Rolling out your messaging over time – through tradeshows, merchandising, regular press announcements, website updates, e-newsletters, postcards, and the like, lets you build momentum while you build your brand. Remember launches help you create a brand, but on-going communications programs help you build it. And don’t forget to get online the night before your launch to count the number of references to your new name. If you play the game right over time, the “before and after” snapshots will be exciting indeed!

When it's time to play the name game at your company, contact Satow Strategies at 602-481-1942 or info@satowstrategies.com. We're ready to help you succeed.

Branding Like the Big Guys

2006-06-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

How Small Companies Can Enhance Their Brands with Big Company Brand Style
by Paula Satow, Satow Strategies, LLC

Here’s a chicken and egg question for you.

Which came first -- the big, successful company or its highly valuable and powerful brand?

Does the quality of Intel chips make the “Intel Inside” swirl valuable or does the swirl make the chips worth more? Is Starbucks coffee really that much better than its competitors or is it their unmistakable brand identity down to their drink names and store furnishings make people want to order a Frappuccino every chance they get?

The answer is really no chicken and egg scenario at all. Great companies build their brand portfolio in unison with their product portfolio. That means that to be a great company -- to brand like the big guys -- you should be building your brand at the same time that you’re building your company. Branding is expensive. If you don’t have the budget how can you best accomplish this? Good branding is both an art and a science, and a complex one at that. To simplify and focus on what’s most important, here are SIX KEYS TO brand your company in true BIG COMPANY BRANDING STYLE:

1. Begin by defining your Unique Value Proposition and positioning statement. Figure out what’s really important and unique about your firm – the one thing that makes you truly different from the rest of the competition. Now encapsulate that unique value proposition into one statement that positions you as ‘faster...better...cheaper’ than the rest.

2. Define your brand architecture.Determine whether or not you have the best name for your company and/or offerings. Then, establish a basic hierarchy of how you use those names to help your company get ‘credit’ and brand value for the products and services you offer.

3. Define key messages to communicate your brand.Now that you’ve established your positioning and branding structure, you need a set of powerful key messages that can help convey this information to your marketplace. These messages will serve as the heart of your communications deliverables.

4. Develop a powerful identity and suite of communications mediaWith your brand messaging in sharp focus and your key messages poised to go, it’s time to define and develop a communications program -- including your website, brochure, e-newsletter and press releases with a singular “look and feel” that effectively reflect the new power of your brand.

5. Continue to invest in your brand on an on-going basis and be consistent in your messaging. At this stage, you should be proud that you have a solid communication methodology that reflects the way the biggest and most successful firms brand their company, products and services. However, it’s important to remember that you’ve only just begun. If you truly want to “brand like the big guys”, you’ve got to consistently invest in your brand and your messaging. A good rule of thumb is to invest an average of 10 - 15% of your gross sales on marketing.

6. “Mark” your brand property through effective trademark management. Remember that, when it all boils down, a brand is largely a legal mark of ownership so protect the brand value you create through effective, legal trademark management. While there’s a lot more to building a great brand, these six steps should help give any company or organization a head start toward building brand value that’s comparable to the biggest and the best, value designed to last over time.

When you’re ready to brand like the big guys, contact Satow Strategies at 602-481-1942 or info@satowstrategies.com. We're ready to help you succeed.

Other trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.

Expand Your Market With Brand Expansion

2005-08-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

OK. So, your product has been wildly successful for years. That’s great! But, remember, if it’s anything like 99.99% of the other products in the world, its market size grew along a bell curve and, by definition, could potentially level off and even diminish. Have no fear, though. Now’s the perfect time for you to consider brand expansion.

Marketplace realities dictate that growth from existing customers have their limitations and there’s only so much you can do to drum up repeat business and still grow your company in the manner to which you’ve become accustomed. That’s where brand expansion comes in...expanding your corporate brand to accommodate a new product under its umbrella or expanding a successful product brand to accommodate a new sub-brand are both excellent business strategies for growth.

When you’re ready to expand your horizons for your corporate umbrella and product brands, contact Satow Strategies at 602-481-1942 or info@satowstrategies.com. We're ready to help facilitate your new-found growth.

Trademark Alphabet Soup

2005-07-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

For many companies, one of the most confusing aspects about their trademarks is determining whether they should bear a 'TM' or a ® identifier. These valuable symbols can help signal the status of a company's rights as the trademark owner. While the rules may differ depending on the country you're filing in, as a rule in the U.S. market the 'TM' symbol is the first step in claiming ownership of a mark, and conveys the fact that a trademark has been applied for. On the other hand, the ® symbol often indicates that the lengthy filing and registration process is complete and you're now officially registered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as the owner.

Here's a great USPTO link for learning more about the differences between these two symbols as well as information on trademark applications, filing and other procedures and terminology: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/tac/doc/basic/.

If you're pondering the best route for your firm to travel in developing names and trademark strategies, be sure to contact Satow Strategies at 602-481-1942 and info@satowstrategies.com. We're ready to help you 'make your mark' in your target industry.

© 2005 Satow Strategies, LLC.

White Papers are Right Papers

2005-07-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

I can't think of a more effective way for an organization to state its position on a strategic topic or to convey the benefits of a technology or product to potential customers than to publish a white paper. It's also an excellent vehicle for educating audiences on important industry topics and consumer issues. As the name suggests, a white paper is often printed on plain, white paper. This, plus simple design including single ink color helps keep design and print costs to a minimum and allows the paper's producer to focus instead on its compelling technical content.

A favorite of technical sales teams during the 'design win' process where closing the sale is key, white papers can be an excellent way to tout a product's technical and/or marketing benefits without the trappings of marketing 'speak' that often accompanies other collateral pieces such as brochures. In other words, white papers are often written by designers... for designers and since they speak the same language, a well-positioned, written and edited white paper can be one of the lowest cost/highest impact methods of winning a customer's heart and mind.

When you're ready to define, write and produce a quality white paper that features your company and its capabilities, be sure to call Satow Strategies. We can help you -- from end to end -- to be sure that your white paper is on the right track. Just contact us at info@satowstrategies.com or 602-481-1942.

© 2005 Satow Strategies, LLC.

Plan Ahead for Effective Media Relations

2005-07-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

As your company makes headway in the marketplace, it's a good idea to include press relations, and perhaps even an analyst relations programs in your communications planning. In business, nothing says 'success' better than a two-page spread with accolades about your organization in the local paper or, better still, in a national or trade publication. So, how do you get there from here?

It's important to develop a carefully-crafted Media Relations Plan first, long before you issue a press release or call down a phone list of press targets. A clear, concise picture of the programs goals, strategies, tactics and costs is advisable in developing a plan. The plan should contain a target list of press and industry and/or financial analysts as well as key messages, competitive positioning and other central elements. When it comes to managing your relationships with the all-important media community, erring on the side of careful planning, strong strategy development and professional process implementation are all highly recommended. The results of your efforts will speak for themselves.

When you're ready to plan your firm's next media campaign, call Satow Strategies. We can help you develop your key messages, press releases and rollout plans -- contact us anytime at 602-481-1942 or info@satowstrategies.com.

© 2005 Satow Strategies, LLC.

Name that Strategy

2005-07-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

Time to name your company's latest breakthrough product or technology? If so, you might already be planning steps like locking the top minds of your company in a conference room with a clean white board to see what develops. Or holding a company-wide naming contest with a $100 gift certificate to the winning entry.

Well, before you take the plunge, remember to consider the following three key issues carefully. Taking the time up front to define and manage your naming process effectively can save you a lot of time and money down the road:

How important is it that the name be legally protectable? Category-styled names such as 'network computer' or 'potato chips' and 'lip gloss' are more 'generic' or 'descriptive' than other more 'suggestive', 'arbitrary' or 'fanciful' styled names such as 'Revlon', 'Intel' or 'Yahoo'. Generally speaking, when names are more generic and/or descriptive, they are less expensive to establish in the marketplace but also less protectable legally. Figuring out where your name should be along this strategic continuum is one of the most important steps one can take in any naming process.
Should we trademark the name? Applying for a trademark or service mark can be an expensive proposition but, on the other hand, you may be penny-wise and pound foolish to avoid this highly leveragable investment in your company's brand.
Should the trademark also have a logo? While it is often the case that a logo may be designed for a trademark name, it is certainly not required or necessarily even advisable. The question of whether or not you need a logo for your trademark should be considered carefully, from the marketing, legal and financial perspectives.

When you're ready to start the process of naming your company, product or technology, call Satow Strategies at info@satowstrategies.com or 602-481-1942 and we'll help guide you in your trademark strategy, name development and logo planning.

Home Sweet HomePage

2005-07-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

When you think about your company's website, remember that it's really your company's home on the web and, when planning its form and content, it's interesting and helpful to draw an analogy between its key elements and those you may find in your own backyard. Let me show you what I mean...

URL: The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is like the street address of your website and, like selecting the right house to purchase, your URL should be selected carefully and strategically.
Home Page: Your Home Page is all about curb appeal and it should be designed with the power to both attract, welcome and engage your target prospects and customers. Poor visual appeal can minimize their stay and even discourage them from ever visiting your site again.
Navigation Bar: The 'Nav' Bar is like your home's blueprint and should be designed to make it both interesting to explore your site and easy to understand your positioning, offerings and unique product benefits.
About Us: Like treasured family photos displayed on the mantle, the About Us section lets you share a little about the more personal side of your company. Here you can introduce your company's leadership team through brief biographies and photos, its long-term aspirations through the Company Vision and it's near-term goals through an effective and focused Company Mission.
Contact Us: While the Contact Us section is simply the place where you provide your address, phone, fax and email contact information, it's important to also think of it as an open invitation to visitors to come back soon and often, stay as long as they like, invite their associates, reach you anytime with questions and take their business to the next level. Keep it simple, complete and linked to an actively-managed email address.

When you're ready to design and build your organization's website or update and enhance your current site, contact Satow Strategies at info@satowstrategies.com or 602-481-1942.

The Next Big (Cost Effective) Thing

2005-07-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

For years, I've shared my conviction with clients that a well-executed Media Relations "PR" program -- aimed at press and analysts -- is one of the best means possible to generate buzz and resultant sales leads. Tactics such as strong competitive positioning, targeted key messages and well-timed press releases can add directly to the bottom line for companies of all sizes and means.

While PR continues to be top on my list of recommended marketing tools, the Internet has added a new arrow to my communications quiver. Alongside PR, Search Engine Management (SEM) is proving to be an excellent and cost-effective vehicle for boosting return on marketing investment. Also known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), SEM is about optimizing and managing your company's visibility on search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN in order to increase sales leads, revenue and measurable return on your investment.

Whether you need assistance in planning and executing programs in media relations, search engine management, web design, branding and marketing communications, Satow Strategies, LLC, and our team of strategic communications partners stand at the ready to help your company succeed. Contact us on the web at info@satowstrategies.com or call 602-481-1942 to learn more.

© 2005 Satow Strategies, LLC.

What's in a name?

2005-07-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

What's in a name?

Let's face it. When it comes to naming a baby or a puppy, there's plenty of resources out there to help find the perfect name for little Johnnie, Janie or Jeeves. With literally thousands of websites and books like Baby Names Now and When Rover Just Won't Do, there's no dearth of suggestions available on how to brand the blessed bundle's baby bracelet or doggie tag.

But, when it comes to company and product names...well, that's a nome de plume of a different color. While there are a few helpful books out there on the general topic of naming, it's actually a contradiction in terms to pre-determine a list of potential options for product and company names. Why? Because a strong, effective company, product or service name must, by definition, stand apart from the crowd, unique in its market and perhaps in all the world.

So, instead of spending your time combing the web and the bookstore for a list of possible product or company names, spend your time instead identifying the right brand partner for you. Satow Strategies is an outstanding branding and naming partner for companies and organizations, large and small. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, we're knowledgeable and experienced in all things branding. We stand at the ready to help our customers develop exciting, new product and services names, define new brand architectures that enhance visibility and prepare manageable trademark usage guideines for employees and partners to follow consistently.

So, next time you wonder what's in a name, call Satow Strategies at 602-481-1942 or send us an email at info@satowstrategies.com so we can help you find out what's in your name and how you can tap into its brand value.

Envisioning Marketing Success

2005-07-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

Vision and Marketing Success

I witnessed this year's 4th of July fireworks from Tempe Town Lake and I couldn't believe my eyes. I had heard that Tempe puts on a great fireworks display but I had no idea it could be this good. Everytime we thought we were seeing the Grand Finale, there were more effects and more action. It was, without a doubt, the best fireworks display I've ever experienced and I'm likely not to forget it anytime soon. In fact, just to be sure, I plan to go back next year -- same time, same station.

As I watched the show unfold, it occured to me that someone had to envision that fantastic extravaganza from beginning to end before the first sketch was drawn and the first stick was ignited. That's not much different a process than creating a powerful and effective marketing program. One that's capable of boggling people's minds and compelling them to buy a product or try a service. In the end of the day, any marketing program worth its weight must begin with the same powerful envisioning. Someone's imagines a unique way to capture and convey the essence of a brand in such a way that turns suspects into prospects and prospects into loyal customers.

I often tell my clients that they must first establish a strong vision, first and foremost, before they spend dollar one on marketing. Vision helps ensure that they'll get the best return on their extensive investment of time and money. At Satow Strategies, we help companies and organizations define their communications objectives and their project's vision -- whether it's ad campaign, a new website or a corporate brochure or newsletter.

So, the next time you think about a communications program for your firm, remember, start with a strong vision and your project will have the foundation for success. Contact Satow Strategies at info@satowstrategies.com or 602-481-1942 and we'll help you find your vision toward greater business success.

-- Paula Satow, managing member, Satow Strategies, LLC