Brand Equity - Worth Safeguarding

Written by Marcia Yudkin


Continued from page 1

Price factors into brand identity too. Without looking at price tags, we know that a certain item sold at Neiman Marcus costs more thanrepparttar comparable item at Kmart. Buyers reason inrepparttar 120927 opposite direction too. If they're not familiar with a brand and perceiverepparttar 120928 price as absurdly low, they'll create a bargain-basement image forrepparttar 120929 brand, while if they perceiverepparttar 120930 price as expensive, they'll imagine what they would get on buying as luxurious, aristocratic or masterful.

After you invest in creating a brand for your company, don't be quick to change it. Chances are, you'll tire of it years beforerepparttar 120931 public does. Repetition and consistency imprint your company identity and image inrepparttar 120932 minds of potential and actual customers. Imagine how disturbing it would be to run across a yellow-and-red IBM sign in a childlike logo, or a flowery, garden-themed ad forrepparttar 120933 perfume Opium! With a coherent, stable brand identity, you'll enjoy more repeat business, greater customer loyalty, easier word of mouth and eventually lower marketing expenses.

You'll know your brand is worth something when you start seeing poachers, imitators and other unscrupulous types trying to trade offrepparttar 120934 investment in your brand. It's worth hiring a lawyer to shoot off a cease and desist letter, where that's legally warranted. After all, our fourteenth state isn't allowing folks manufacturing in Indonesia to claim a Vermont connection. You should berepparttar 120935 only ones presenting themselves torepparttar 120936 public as you.



Marcia Yudkin is the author of the classic guide to comprehensive PR, "6 Steps to Free Publicity," now for sale in an updated edition at Amazon.com and in bookstores everywhere. She also spills the secrets on advanced tactics for today's publicity seekers in "Powerful, Painless Online Publicity," available from www.yudkin.com/powerpr.htm .


Creating a Reputation

Written by Marcia Yudkin


Continued from page 1

For translation industry consultant Sarah Pilgrim of Wilsall, Montana, a reputation-building tool has been a half-page ad she's run for years in a trade journal for translators. A signed testimonial in it from someone inrepparttar business and a credential of having been inrepparttar 120926 business herself for 20+ years gives her high credibility with her target market.

"When translation agency owners read my bio, they recognize repparttar 120927 name ofrepparttar 120928 translation company I founded and sold, which has a good reputation," Pilgrim adds. "When they call to find out more, they can tell I knowrepparttar 120929 business. And therefore when I've gone to visit clients it's always been as a paid consultant, withrepparttar 120930 client footingrepparttar 120931 bill."

Whether you use publishing,repparttar 120932 Internet, advertising, promotional newsletters or media coverage to build a reputation, it takes time. Each piece of visibility reinforces previous effects. With a reputation, you get more inquiries like "Do you do...?" and fewer alongrepparttar 120933 lines of "We're looking for a _____ who does..." With a reputation, pre-sale meetings drop to one or zero. E-mail or phone exchanges can suffice. Powerful stuff!

Marcia Yudkin is the author of the classic guide to comprehensive PR, "6 Steps to Free Publicity," now for sale in an updated edition at Amazon.com and in bookstores everywhere. She also spills the secrets on advanced tactics for today's publicity seekers in "Powerful, Painless Online Publicity," available from www.yudkin.com/powerpr.htm .


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