Branding Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners

How to Get the Most Out of a Sponsorship Deal

Before we go any further, it’s probably a good idea to be able to define exactly what is meant by Sponsorship.  Now there are numerous different ways of defining Sponsorship, however, my preferred definition is as follows:- “An investment, in cash or in kind, in an activity, in return for access to the exploitable commercial […]

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Will It Blend? – Traditional And Social Media

Challenging communications environment? Should one focus on social media first, or exclusively, stick with traditional media and its recognized “credibility” factor, or strive to balance the two?  In almost all cases, I would recommend a blend. According to new research by Ad-ology Research, small business owners say the benefits of social networking are lead generation, […]

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Are You Building Bridges Of Influences?

When it comes to face-to-face networking, you should focus on two varieties: Attending meetings or events where you will likely find your target market. Attending meetings or events where you will likely build your Bridges of Influence. There is a good chance that you already know who your target market is and that you are […]

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How To Pick The Right PR Firm For Your Company

You’ve decided it’s time to launch your PR campaign.  You’re ready to move forward.  Now you need to figure out who your public relations partner in this journey is going to be.  Believe me, it is a journey (and can be a great one) and in the best of cases the PR company that you […]

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Content Contention – Entertainment Flexibility … Big Iron Doesn’t Matter

Television production used to be pretty straight forward.  You had HUGE, HEAVY cameras three people pushed around.  In the control room you had sliders and BAM! magically the signal went over the air. At home you turned on the set.  Had dinner (families ate together then) and a half-hour later the tube was lit and […]

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Selling Your Franchise At A Franchise Trade Show Or Franchise Expo

If you own a company and happen to be interested in expansion then you may have considered offering qualified individuals franchise opportunities to achieve your own business goals. Selling your franchise is much easier than it used to be as a result of the Internet and other means of communication but one of the best […]

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Getting People to the Point of “I’ll Buy That”

“If I make it they will buy it” “If I put it on the shelf in a store they will buy it” “Everyone will want/need one” “Mine is better it is more unique, cheaper, has more features” “People will willing pay more for my product/service” Being in business means you need to believe in your […]

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Will Public Relations Be a Profession by 2010?

Recently we were told in no uncertain terms by a client’s prospective customer that she had seriously considered our product but after reading customer reviews on one of the many public consumer review sites. She addressed her issues to us directly because ours was the only personal contact on the web site.  The others were […]

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Corporate Communications It’s All About Delivering Value

Over the years hundreds of highly respected professionals, analysts and educators have developed comprehensive and sometimes complicated descriptions of public relations and corporate communications.  There have been heated discussions regarding the separation of public relations from advertising, public relations from marketing and the role public relations should play of the organization. What is most counter-productive […]

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Brand Yourself in 2009

We all know that a brand is a customer experience represented by a collection of images and ideas; what might be less obvious is that each time somebody meets you they unconsciously create images and ideas about you which operates as a ‘your unique brand’. Companies spend large amounts of money to develop a brand […]

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Ripken Belongs in Branding Hall of Fame

Cal Ripken has been inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame — not so much for his baseball numbers as for the fantastic brand he created. Cal’s career batting average is not even close to .300, and he did not average more than 25 home runs or 100 RBIs a season.  Yet he is one […]

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Your Online Brand and the Holiday Season

From disparate beginnings, Christmas has become largely a cultural celebration for my generation – one meant to bring people together and place our focus on the people we love. It has also become an uber-brand that represents intangible, un-buy-able values (peace, love, joy, family, selflessness) simultaneously with supreme commercialism. I love Christmas: hot cocoa, a […]

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How To Buy An Advertising & Marketing Business

Advertising and marketing is the industry you should get into if you want to make a lot of money very quickly because the advertising industry can actually make you your money back within a couple of years. We are all used to seeing advertisements for various products everywhere and the idea of extensively advertising brands […]

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Go Ahead, Get Emotional!

Did Harley Davidson create the desire for rebellion and the feeling of freedom that comes from conquering the open road?  Did Starbucks create the desire for a sense of sophistication or for people to feel like they are part of a community? Of course not!  Harley Davidson and Starbucks simply found wonderfully resonant ways to […]

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What Is a Trademark Search?

A trademark search can, in actuality, be many different things. In theory, a trademark search is performed to determine whether or not the mark you are hoping to use is already taken by another. This allows an individual to apply with a greater level of confidence for the use of a trademark with the United […]

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What Is A Trademark?

At one point or another, we’ve all seen a product or business name with a small, encircled R floating next to it. You’ve probably wondered what this R symbol really means, and how exactly it got there in the first place. Most people will tell you that it means something to the effect of “registered,” […]

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The 3 Things Your Web Professional Must Provide to Ensure a Site’s Success

Building and developing a website is an ongoing process, but you need a firm foundation in place to ensure your site’s success for the long-term.  Your web professional must be able to provide three critical elements that will drive your future success, and each component plays a role in the overall look, feel, functionality, and […]

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Which Comes First – Website Design or Website Promotion?

Many business owners get stuck during the phases of website design and website promotion; how do you decide which strategy to deploy first? At first glance, it may seem as though one project comes before the other, but the truth is you need to employ both simultaneously to keep your site on the right track.  […]

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Making Money in an Economic Downturn

If you’re a savvy business person, you understand that an economic downturn is precisely the time you can have a greater impact and get a bigger bang for your marketing buck.

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Pitch the Story, Not Your Book

Pitch your book and you have a certain number of stories and media hooks. Pitch yourself, your life experiences, your anecdotal stories and your book and you’ve suddenly broadened the bulls eye…

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