Once upon a time, businesses would open with a smiling face and a new sign on the door. Fast forward to 2011, launching and managing a business has a myriad of faces all trying to herald one voice…enough to make anyone have an identity crisis without the proper meditation.

There’s a lot of information flying around about the fast-changing world of marketing and brand development/management in light of the continued evolution of digital media and consumer savvy. Internet marketing, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon….the list of branding mediums could seem to go on and on. Sanity tip to self: as a small business owner, be discerning about the information you receive and how it may (or may not) directly relate to your business or efforts of sales.

Everyone agrees that consumers are taking different routes to gain and share information regarding buying decisions. Different exposure opportunities have been created and are gaining momentum across technology platforms, and customers are interacting with their brand choices in different ways than before.

I hold strong to the premise that every client has a different story and is a different story- what works for one may not work for another. So at the base of any marketing evaluation, you need to define what you are offering and who your customer is. Then you can move into determining what strategies suit best and are most cost-effective and resourceful.

In my book, at the foundation of it all rests traditional marketing strategies….present a good product, back it up with your company brand, follow up with the right attention to detail and make your customers happy. Happy customers say good things, refer and come back for more. As Joe Calloway says in Becoming a Category of One, “Your brand is who you are, what you promise and your ability and willingness to keep that promise. Consistency of performance can be the most powerful differentiator of all.”

Recently, a CEO of one of Maui’s most prominent and reputable businesses emailed me an article for insight. It was written by David C. Edelman and titled “Branding in the Digital Age” and published in the Harvard Business Review.

In this article, David Edelman outlined a few important points regarding the new rules of branding in light of the evolution of social media in consumer spending practices.

1) Identify your customer.

2) Identify touch points that your customers are most open to influence at, and strategize about the best ways to leverage and interact with them at these points.

3) Understand the CONSUMER DECISION JOURNEY. Think about how your product would be presented along the way of the CONSUMER’S DECISION JOURNEY of “consider, evaluate, buy.” Then move into the CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE PLAN that emphasizes the coherent brand experience, extending the boundaries of the brand itself into the realms of “enjoy, advocate and bond.”

4) Allocate resources effectively and cost efficiently.

Twitter! Facebook! YouTube! Oh My! So many choices, so little time…don’t fret. In the playground of business, be yourself (define your brand) and go make friends (in the way that best suits your interests and goals). You can’t be everything to everyone, but you are sure to find success if you shine on the right stages.

You can review David Edelman’s “Branding in the Digital Age“ and order a copy at: Harvard Business Review Online.

Find out what Grace Delivers can do to support your business branding efforts today!

Tags: Category of One, David Edelman, Joe Calloway

This entry was posted on January 19, 2011 at 2:27 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.