March 2004

The hard working Brand

Branding affects all areas of a business. Your branding strategy needs to work hard to address all the audiences your company or product will interact with while keeping its synergetic entity.

Two decades ago, the average person thought of branding as that creative graphic thing ad agencies do with the name of a product or its package. We were confident that by simply advertising in the media, as long as the brand message was communicated, we would get the job done. That was before, when we had fewer media outlets to consider and less industry competition.

Today, in this information age, branding is in everything, everywhere. Brands are not simply products or services or names. Brands are the sum of all the images and perceptions people have about a particular company or a particular product. Today a brand needs to work harder, be smarter in order to stand out and become a stand alone asset. In the late 90’s, the New York-based Interbrand calculated Coca-Cola's name was worth $83.8 billion, and that Microsoft’s name was valued at $70.2 billion.

But hold on the Super Bowl Ads.... Branding doesn’t have to cost you your entire company’s marketing budget to accomplish it. Here are some questions that can help you get closer to the right brand strategy.

1. Niche/market

• What do you know about your Industry?
• Where does your company fit into the Industry?
• What makes you different from your competitors?

2. Target

• Who is/are your audience(s)?

3. Positioning

• How does your product satisfy your target's needs?

4. Slogan/Tagline or Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

• Does it deliver one, strong BENEFIT to your target?
• Does it tell people what You can do for Them?
• Does it tell what makes you UNIQUE?
• Does it eliminate the competition?

5. Logo

• What images or ideas does your logo conjure?
• Does it deliver a clear message?
• Is the message consistent with your USP?

6. Pricing

• How does your price compare to your competitor's price?
• Are you using pricing to imply quality or financial competitiveness?

7. Trust
Do you have systems in place to accommodate purchase?

• Secure online transactions
• Guarantee or warranty

8. Credibility

• Are you looked at as an expert? (Advisory Board, published work)
• Do you provide information/assistance to your client freely?

9. Marketing Strategies
How are going to build awareness of your brand?

• Networking
• Direct Mail Marketing
• Traditional and/or Online Media Advertising
• Trade shows
• Training Programs
• Publications
• Direct Personal Selling
• Public Relations and Press Releases
• Web Site

To find out more about creative and brand strategies send us an email at contact@aperiolife.com or call us at 415.601.5336.

Aperio Life is a full service marketing communications and advertising agency that provides strategic counsel, creative services and PR to companies in the life sciences industry with focus in four key sectors: genomics/drug discovery; biotechnology/pharmaceuticals; medical device/diagnostics; and consumer health.

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