| Marketers charged with achieving return on investment | | | | from the perspective of prospects, customers, |
| and marketplace performance in today's competitive | | | | investors, or other key audiences. |
| landscape know that powerful, relevant brands make | | | | 8. Your company has hired a new CEO with different |
| the difference between success and failure. Keeping | | | | objectives for future growth. |
| brands up-to-date requires constant vigilance because | | | | 9. The competitive terrain is more intense, and it is |
| quick fixes to tactical elements rarely offer long term | | | | more difficult that ever to differentiate your superior |
| rewards that lasting brands provide. | | | | products and services from others. |
| The power of observation can reveal volumes about | | | | 10. You do not have a well documented brand |
| the relevance of your brand today. Consider these top | | | | strategy. The brand has always been conveyed |
| ten symptoms to decide if it is time to re-evaluate your | | | | verbally or in pieces through your employees. This has |
| brand. | | | | created challenges with both employee |
| 1. Your sales and marketing people are producing their | | | | communications and made it tough to work with |
| own marketing tools or selling pieces. If | | | | external consultants such as advertising and public |
| corporate-produced materials exist, they're not always | | | | relations agencies and design firms. |
| used. You may feel that you are over communicating, | | | | If these symptoms exist throughout your organization, |
| yet under-delivering. As a result, brand consistency is | | | | don't despair. |
| suffering. | | | | First and foremost, don't surrender to the temptation of |
| 2. Your brand's marketing tools don't seem to express | | | | the quick and easy fix to your Web site, marketing |
| what the brand truly stands for. | | | | collateral system, brand identity, or packaging design. |
| 3. You worry that the brand may be losing its external | | | | Don't run the risk of applying scarce marketing dollars |
| appeal that in earlier days felt much stronger. Perhaps | | | | to achieve inadequate performance results. Instead, |
| it's simply become dated. | | | | take the time to craft a well articulated brand strategy |
| 4. Brand awareness is low among your target | | | | to guide and integrate all of your future marketing |
| audience. The target market has a hard time explaining | | | | communications. If you need outside counsel, engage |
| what you do when asked. | | | | proven brand strategists and other relevant experts to |
| 5. You want to attract a different market segment | | | | help you consider the broader brand implications |
| than you've targeted before (e.g. a younger clientele, | | | | before you try to fix any problematic marketing |
| more established firms, international versus domestic, | | | | vehicles. |
| etc.) | | | | In doing so, you'll address issues in a winning way and |
| 6. Your business is expanding into a different type of | | | | give your brand its best shot at earning a firm position |
| product or service area (e.g. a company expands | | | | within the hearts and minds of the consumers you |
| vertically along the value chain.) | | | | depend on for your long term success and the |
| 7. You've acquired or merged with another company | | | | employees who serve as your brand ambassadors |
| and have two or more brands that don't make sense | | | | every day. |