Copyright 2009 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I responded to an article in the December 2008 Inc Magazine.
I advise you to read to read this article "The Rebranding Game" also for information & get the context of what I wrote about. The URL is- http://www.inc.com/magazine/20081201/the-rebranding-game.html
Is it possible to succeed with any name? I suppose we could ask Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak about the success of Apple Computer.
Some building contractors seem to be successful with names like GZQ Builders. They have a fondness for their initials.
Some business names mean nothing until a firm adds meaning - KODAK.
Some firms are still successful with founders' names long after the founders & their families are out of the business - McDonald's.
Branding - putting a name on a cow's butt or searing it into a person's mind - isn't enough without optimal positioning (No, I don't mean where the mark is put on the cow's butt.). Where a product, service or firm is positioned (ranked in a category) in people's minds is subject to individual's choices. So, it's vital to attach a meaning to a name, so you can influence their ranking process.
Until Jobs & The Woz started Apple Computer, I don't remember apple being linked with computers. The link was available in people's minds, but the Steves needed effective marketing to establish & maintain the link.
Al Ries & Jack Trout advise picking a word, phrase or sentence to focus people's attention on.
Your word, phrase or sentence can be part of your business's name. Your business's name can be part of your word, phrase or sentence.
You should do what you can to influence when, how & what people think of you & your business. If you just brand their minds with a name, they may think of 100 monkeys in a room with 100 typewriters. What will you or other people gain, if they think of 100 monkeys or typewriters, unless you offer monkeys or typewriters?
You may wonder why I advise you to influence when people think of you & your business. It involves setting the context of when people can benefit from what you offer. If you successfully set a context in people's minds, they'll remember what you offer when they can buy it. If they remember what you offer when they're too busy with other issues, that may be beneficial but it isn't optimal.
Explaining the whole concept (of setting the context) would require more space than I have available here. I've written about it in posts in other sites. When you Google my name--Dennis S. Vogel--Google may find those for you.
Yes, what I wrote about Googling my name is an example of setting a context. Now next time you use Google, you may remember my name.
You can use Google in the Inc.com search bar above, please do it now. I just added a call to action. A call to action can make your offers more successful & add to the effectiveness of branding.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2009 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
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