Give Your Brand a Spring Cleaning. - Issue: 2001 Qtr 2
Now that winter is finally behind us, it's a spring time tradition to do a little "cleaning."
Open the windows and let the fresh air in. Get rid of the tired, old winter things and bring out the brighter spring things. Get out and do some work around the yard.
It's amazing how sprucing things up brings new life to homes and spirits. So don't forget about your brand... even it can benefit from a thorough spring cleaning.
A good way to begin is to get all those brand contact things out in the open. All the brochures, ads, direct mailings...in short, every communication piece you use to promote your brand (and don't forget about your website, PowerPoint presentations and interactive projects). Now that you've got it all in one place, display it. Put everything up on boards or around a table. Even the hats, jackets and other sales premiums that have accumulated over the year.
Take a good look.
How consistent are the visual components of your brand? Is the overall look consistent from piece to piece? And, is the message right ? Do pieces targeted to different audiences clearly communicate the brand's value proposition?
Are there obsolete pieces? Now is the time to eliminate literature and other promotional items that no longer support the brand.
And pay closest attention to how the selling copy supports your core brand position and key messages document (every brand has a printed position statement and key messages document, doesn't it?).
Then, take a real hard look at "what you don't see." A good brand cleaning means identifying missed opportunities. Perhaps it's a white paper explaining your brand's importance to a key industry need. Or an ROI calculator on the web site that can make the benefits of your brand visible to the prospect.
Be ruthless -- pitch what you don't need.
Don't keep brand contact items that no longer fit. No matter how many copies of a brochure you have left, if the message is not on target, if the look doesn't mesh with your brand theme, your best bet is to get rid of it. It only confuses the issue.
The cost of discarding obsolete materials is nothing compared to the brand damage or erosion that can result.
The results -- a breath of fresh air.
Your brand can gain a whole, new fresh feel with a little spring cleaning. And there's another added benefit: by not spending more money on things that are worn out or out of date, you'll have more to invest in the brand contacts that build your business. So give your brand a good spring cleaning. It'll thank you for it.