I came across an interesting article today that smacks the face of good branding. It speaks to authenticity. Colby Sambrotto, the founder of ‘for sale by owner’ recently sold his home through a real estate owner. He even paid full commission. What does that say about his authenticity? The negative press will certainly hurt the DIY market. Read the story here.
Are you and your brand on the same page? Do you manufacture parts for GM but drive a Chrysler? You can’t have it both ways. We are all guided by our perceptions. I’ve met people who sold sales training packages but they themselves never used it in their sales efforts. I’ve met Dale Carnegie guru’s who never exhibited traits complementary to Mr. Carnegie’s principals. Hypocrisy abounds. It takes real effort to live your brand. To do otherwise shows that you don’t take branding seriously and put its value as so much spin.
Branding is not a slogan or an “I wish I was great.”
[tbpquotable]Branding is the reality of your company at this point in time.[/tbpquotable]
It’s not what you wished it was or hope it could be one day. Real estate agents across the continent are going to be re-defining Mr. Sambrotto’s DIY brand for him over the next little while. He wrongly thought his personal and business brand were exclusive of each other. That kind of arrogance can be very costly and hard to back away from.
Branding is getting more and more important recently, especially for small businesses.
robertlion I agree Robert. Small business is starting to see the branding light as it were.
“First impressions are paramount”
 An age-old statement, we know, but it’s so true.
Without trying to bore you, scientific evidence can even back this statement up. For example, in a particular experiment people were shown a number of websites for just a split second and based on what they saw in that very limited amount of time were asked to note down which sites they would like to explore further. The number of ‘good looking’ sites that came out on top was overwhelming.
pacificbusiness I guess that validates what we all think here at Small Business Branding.  Branding helps us all to deliver a more professional and polished story to customers.
Hey Ed,
There is no denying how important branding is. For starters, branding is one the most important thing to do. It’s not just about making yourself known, it’s about how you tell your future clients what you and your business can offer in a secure and confident way. Branding is beyond company logos and stuff. It’s a method of self-promoting and making identity for yourself and your product in the market and in the world..
Farrell John Conejos Your take on branding would resonate with customers in a big way – thanks for your opinion.
Ed,
Branding is important, indeed. Also business owner needs to consistently use the similar idea to brand their business. For example, company logo can inspire people how the business can be. My company is more for funny stuff, yet I want to bring a stylish image out. So I create a stylish logo for the company. It works really well and targets lots of younger people like it. This proves that my brand identity works.
Tony
nextwavecreative Consistency is my favorite song. Even if your image is ugly, as long as it’s consistent it will not confuse at the very least.
It’s really about being authentic. As you say, do as you say or walking the walk. People can tell when you are authentic or unauthentic. They will buy from you when you are unauthentic when there aren’t any other opportunities, but they will jump ship depending on price and availability. If you are authentic, they will stick with you through everything.
mikemartel I think we’re all that way Mike. When I’m forced to use a service – I look for ways to leave. Great comments everyone.
I agree with branding by name that is appropriate for any business. There are far too many businesses today that seem to like radical, complicated brand names that have no relevance to what they are doing.
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Evden Eve Nakliyat Thank you Evden. Check back to my website within the week, I’m launching a major upgrade to the site with some exciting new services. http://www.thebrandingexperts.ca
Are you and your brand on the same page? Do you manufacture parts for GM but drive a Chrysler? You can’t have it both ways. We are all guided by our perceptions. I’ve met people who sold sales training packages but they