Building Brand Value the Playboy Way – Now Available in Book Stores and Online

My new book, Building Brand Value the Playboy Way, was released this month through Palgrave Macmillan.  It’s available through online book sellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders as well as in stores.

This was an incredibly interesting story to research and to tell.  You can read an excerpt here.

If you have a chance to read it, stop back by and let me know what you think or leave a review on Amazon and share your thoughts.

Brand Challenge – Define Your Brand in One Sentence

Ask yourself this question:

• Can you explain your brand identity, meaning your brand position, purpose, promise and image, in one sentence? 

If you can, that’s great.  It means you have a clear definition of your current brand identity. 

If not, you need to take some time to define your brand so you can consistently communicate your brand message across all of your customer touch points.

Next, ask yourself these questions:

• If your one sentence brand identity was included on your marketing piece or business card and your company name were switched with another, would it matter? 
• Would your brand identity sentence work just as well on that other company’s materials or business cards as it does on yours? 

If it does, then that’s great. 

If it doesn’t, then you need to think about changing your brand strategy.  Your brand should be unique to your business or product.  No other company or product should be able to use your brand identity sentence.  If they can, then your brand is not differentiated enough from the myriad of other businesses and products on the market.

Take some time to think about your brand and its uniqueness and make any necessary changes now.  You’ll reap the rewards in the short and long term if you do.

Image: Flickr

5 Elements of Logo Design to Build a Powerful Brand Icon

Creating a logo to represent your business and brand image can be an important aspect of your overall business plan, and as such, a great deal of consideration should go into selecting the best graphical interpretation of your brand’s value and promise.  Following are five of the most important factors to consider when choosing your brand’s logo.

1. Image

If you develop your brand effectively, over time, your logo will become the most recognizable icon of your business and product.  It’s important to choose a graphic that appropriately demonstrates your brand’s image and values.  Make sure no part of your logo could be considered offensive, and if your company is global or could become global in the future, make sure it’s not offensive in other countries.  Try not to be too trendy.  Select a design that can be timeless.  Creating a new logo in a few years can be expensive and requires a rebranding investment that you may not be able to take on in the near future. 

2. Color

The colors used in your logo are important not only in terms of production (see “Printability” below), but also in terms of how logos are perceived psychologically.  Do some research about the meanings behind colors, and take a close look at your competitors’ logos.  You want your logo to be appealing aesthetically, and you want it to help differentiate you from the competition. [Read more]

5 Rules of Branding

There is more to creating and promoting a brand than making a pretty logo and tagline. In fact, a logo and tagline are just representations of your brand. Following are several rules to help you create, promote and maintain your brand.

5 Rules of Branding

1. Be specific

Know what your brand stands for, and know what your brand promises. Your brand promises should be precise and attainable, and you should be able to communicate them clearly. For example, don’t just say your brand stands for quality. That’s a broad statement that any company can make. How does your brand specifically live and breathe quality? Those specifics are what will make your brand stand out from your competition.

2. Be authoritative

Once you know what your brand stands for and promises, don’t be afraid to flaunt it. You need to make everyone else believe you’re the leader and authority in your area of expertise and specialization. Don’t meekly communicate your message. Say it with powerful words and conviction. [Read more]