A lot of my friends are graphic artists, they’re great people and honestly, there are a couple of them that are pretty darn good at creating art. But you’re about to learn that art, unless you sell art, won’t help you attract more customers and grow your business. After reading this article my artist friends are probably going to like me a lot less. That’s because this article uncovers some striking truths of small business owners throwing large sums of money away by hiring graphic artists that aren’t business savvy or experienced in marketing. I feel it’s important to share this with you, the small business owner, and I hope this will help shift how you think and invest in your future marketing and design projects.

Artists with no business expertise are risky investments at best. In fact, there is absolutely no way I would pay them a dime to design my marketing and advertising materials if I was a business owner. Admittedly, this is pretty harsh - I know, if you want to find out why, read the rest of this article and you might feel the same way.

"Investing money in a graphic artist hasn’t worked for me", that’s what Maria told me last year when we met at a networking event. Maria is a businesswoman, a fairly successful one at that, but she’s had to learn the hard way something you’ll know after reading a few more paragraphs.

As I got to know Maria I learned that she’d worked with two different graphic artists that created her company identity, marketing materials, web site and her yellow pages ad. Despite all of this, she wasn’t getting good return on her design investment, "I just don’t understand it, everything looks good but nothing is happening". True enough, the work looked aesthetically fine but I asked her one simple question, "Did your designers ask you about your marketing strategy, your ideal target market, competitive landscape and your business objectives?" She shook her head "no" with a puzzled look, "They just designed something that looked good, should they have asked?"

Damn right they should have. But artists aren’t necessarily savvy marketers and businesspeople. It doesn’t even occur to them to ask about niche, product placement and marketing strategy. Hiring a designer that has no expertise in marketing or business is like purchasing a new Infiniti from the car dealer and later finding out that it doesn’t come with an engine: the car looks nice but it doesn’t do a darn thing, it just sits there and looks nice. Similarly, if you invested a load of money in a design project that looked nice but didn’t have a positive effect on your revenue, would you think you made a bad investment? Yep, I bet you would. Still, otherwise intelligent businesspeople throw thousands of dollars away on design projects created by artists that don’t know the first thing about marketing.

Design without marketing focus is just art, and this is what most artists do, they just create art. Unfortunately, art isn’t going to separate you from the competition and it sure as heck won’t add to your bottom line. Don’t get me wrong, business owners need art; they hang it on the walls of their office - and that’s all it’s good for. Design - Marketing Strategy and Focus = art. Successful business owners know they need more than art in their marketing and advertising. Having a clear marketing strategy integrated into their design projects is the best way of maximizing their investment.

You know it’s a demanding world out there, I don’t have to tell you that: life is moving faster, your customers have more choices available to them and less time and attention to give, and competition is down right fierce. So what does that mean to you, and how can you ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment dollars?

You want to work with designers that are also marketing experts; these specialists not only know how to design, but they understand the psychology of outreaching and attracting the customers that you want. They know how to integrate a clear, hard-hitting marketing message into your projects, by doing this they increase your odds for success astronomically. Hiring a designer that creates based on what he/she feels is cool or clever is like shooting at a target blindfolded and hoping that you’ll get lucky and hit it. When it comes to the success of your business, you don’t want to be relying on luck.

If this article’s got you thinking, that’s good. You wouldn’t hire an accountant that didn’t know current tax laws, so why hire an artist that doesn’t know anything about marketing or advertising?

If you want additional information on how to make sure you’re working with a business savvy designer that can help you get the most out of your investment, email me for your free special report, "Top Ten Questions That Designers Don’t Want You to Ask", and I’ll make sure you receive this invaluable .pdf document that will enable you to clearly see if the artist your considering is qualified to help you maximize your design investment.

I help small businesses build more confidence and credibility into their business brand. Through marketing and design initiatives; I help you feel better about your company. Making you feel good about your business gives you more confidence and less anxiety when you are networking, promoting or selling your business. If your business needs the reliability and talent of an in-house marketing and design department but doesn’t want additional employees, salaries and benefits, give me a call at 480.391.0704 - I have a new approach for you.

If you are looking for more free insight and inspiration, you’ll want to get in on the “Can-Do Confidence Builder”. Emailed weekly, the Confidence Builder provides you with essential marketing and design insights that help you get the most out of your investment and help you to stay one step ahead of the competition. Email me at comments@candographics.com and asked to be added to our list or visit http://www.candographics.com.

And don’t forget to email me for your free special report, “Top Ten Questions That Designers Don’t Want You to Ask”.

There is an old saving "they can call me anything as long as they spell my name right" This form of publicity, even if it has a negative slant, is appreciated by some people who want to be recognized or significant (this is sometimes why little kids act naughty). Like the Bible says "it’s vanity, nothing but vanity."

I consulted with a contractor who had been running an ad, @ $400 a week, in the local City Business Journal. He had also moved his business to a major traffic location, at much expense. When I sat down with them to analyze their promotional efforts, I recommended some changes in their ad. They needed to generate some attention to their ad in order for people to bother to read what sizzling benefits were available to those who choose to switch and become their customers. It was recommended to put a heavy hitting "grabber" at the top of the ad. This met with a "oh, no, we have got to have our name at the top in bold type, we have to get name recognition."

When asked how many responses they were getting from the ad, the answer was "none!" My response was, "it doesn’t bring in business for your name to be known, it brings in business if there is a good enough reason for people to switch to you from the other guys, a lateral move is not something people like to do, it has to have some form of benefit for them and it better make enough of a difference for them to risk using a new company.

I then asked how much business they were getting from the expensive, high-profile location, guess what, the answer was the same, "nothing." This was an industry where people just call, they don’t bother to come by for service to their home. A carry-in business would have fared better by the expensive location, but even the large volume of auto traffic did not result in trade. Your name, unless it’s identified with some impressive "value", means nothing to the prospective customer. What means something to him is what’s in it for him, nothing else!

To get them to read your ad means that you have to convince them, real early, that there is information to follow that they must know about or else it will cost them and it will hurt, possibly a lot! The fact that you exist does not fit that description. The only time that your name recognition has any impact is when it’s identified with some trait or condition that means something to the potential customer. it may be well linked with better prices (which I resist, it’s much harder to consult with just price as a distinction), choices, service, locations, quality, or extras (my favorite), or else it’s still a feature, not a benefit to them!

So, the goal is to get your named linked to some form of benefit to them, then your name recognition will cause the desired acknowledgment.

Volvo = safety
Volkswagen = cost effective
Porsche = performance

Your image must mean something to them, not about you!

Daniel Wadleigh is a nationally published marketing consultant and has programs for start-up and existing businesses including effective web sites, e-mail/database, other non-internet ways to drive them to your website, and low cost ways to get more new customers.

Go to: http://www.more-new-customers.com to get free copy of "Marketing to Men vs. Women- the 8 different responses" and a Free copy of "Market Research- 7 Questions to Ask to Start-up and 7 to Ask to Improve Any Business."

One of the household responsibilities I’ve taken on is that of "remote control manager." I just don’t need to hear about "losing another one to Ditech" and I’ve gotten pretty good at flipping to a few other channels and getting back to the program just in time to keep peace in the family. But, it stuck, didn’t it; and I’ll have to admit that, were I looking a mortgage, Ditech would be among the first providers that I would think of.

That’s the way big companies with deep pockets brand themselves. They hook you with their tag line, or a catchy tune, or a little humor. They go for repetition. They make you identify with what they are selling. They try to create an emotional bond with you that makes it easier to trust them. That’s a great approach, if you have millions to spend - but you don’t, if you’re a small business!

So, without a huge advertising and marketing budget, can a smaller business be successful at branding itself? Yes, but a more focused, strategic approach is needed - and doing three things really helps the process.

First, define very clearly what your business is and what you want to say about it. You need to be concise about this. Branding a small business is about building your reputation for what you can do, explaining what benefits you can provide, and showing customers how you can provide them value. Spending what little money you have saying the wrong thing, or saying it the wrong way doesn’t make any sense.

Second, know specifically what market you are going after. This requires some analysis, but, again, funds are limited, so why spend your money talking to the wrong people? Remember, effectively branding your business means potential customers think of you first; talk to the wrong people and they are simply not going to care.

Finally, be able to measure the return on your marketing and advertising investments. This, too, requires doing a little homework and making assumptions; but, if you’re limited in what you can spend to establish a brand for your business, don’t you have to know whether or not the small amount you do have is hitting the mark?

That all may sound simple, but, if it was, everyone would do it - and you know that doesn’t happen. Saying the right things to the right people and knowing how much money you made in the process requires a lot of thought, but if done well, you can create real competitive advantage for your business.

Jim Deyo is the President of Business Advisor Online, an internet based service that provides small businesses with the ideas they need to grow and the resources they require to make the right decisions. As a former Sr. Vice President with a major banking institution, Jim worked extensively with small and medium sized companies and has over 30 years experience in commercial and consumer lending, accounting, finance, marketing, and strategic planning. Visit the website at http://www.businessadvisoronline.com and sign up for a six week free trial of the service, or e-mail Jim at jimdeyo@businessadvisoronline.com.

There is another set of options regarding the style of writing ads. With the understanding that there are basically two kinds of ads:

1) Direct Response, meaning that you are directing an immediate response,

2) Image Enhancing ads, meaning that you are trying to instill an image of irresistibility that will be remembered when they are ready to act on your product.

There are even two basic ways to style these two kinds of ad writing. The first we’ll call "Slam Bam". This is the "meat and potatoes", "here’s what’s in it for you" style approach that gets right to the point. There is no fat, no build-up and no impressive style points- eg. "If you want to get the girls, you gotta get a Porsche!" (from the movie "Crazy People") This style appeals to those of us who like to cut to the chase; they want the rational argument, not manipulation; they want to get their entertainment and amusement on their own terms. They prefer the "bottom line". This kind of ad is what you would tell your father if he asked you what you sold. There are a lot of people who appreciate the respect that these kinds of ads represent towards them, the customer.

The second we’ll call "literary". These are the one half to one-minute commercials or the multi- page direct mail pieces that go into the old song and dance. Understand that there is a place for these ads, if you know how to write them! The pros will forever be hitting you with the:

1) claim of the benefits,

2) the documentation of the claims,

3) why their product is superior, and

4) the irresistible and/or risk free call to action (with a free bonus throw-in).

These ads do work because they know how to constantly keep telling you "what’s in it for you" and documenting each claim. If you aren’t comfortable with the lengthy type of ad, consider the meat and potatoes style. You should be able to know which works best for you because you now know how to measure the results of any effort. However, if the style points are good for the image that you wish to protect and nurture, then consider creating both kinds and alternate them.

Daniel Wadleigh is a nationally published marketing consultant and has programs for start-up and existing businesses including effective web sites, e-mail/database, other non-internet ways to drive them to your website, and low cost ways to get more new customers.

Go to: http://www.more-new-customers.com to get free copy of "Marketing to Men vs. Women- the 8 different responses" and a Free copy of "Market Research- 7 Questions to Ask to Start-up and 7 to Ask to Improve Any Business."

So many people never think about the package when they develop a product. Packaging should be the first thought in product development — not the last. Without the package, you couldn’t even have a product to sell or ship. After all, the package transports the product from point A to point B, protects it and secures the contents inside.

The product has to be shipped using some method of conveyance – the package. So, no matter what kind of product you develop (whether it be informative, literature or a physical consumer product) the choice of the shipping container or box is just as important as what you put inside it.

Your "package" is the first physical interaction with your customer or potential customer. What it looks like, the material it is made from, and the condition it arrives in all convey a visual image of the contents inside. Remember this connects back to you and the impression of your products or services: Bad packaging-bad products or services.

You can also easily destroy the good impression you have created about your product/services by using "shoddy" packaging. Don’t incorporate packaging into your shipping that looks as if it has seen better days or if it has been used and reused. There are some people out there that tout using any old box to ship a product; but if a good impression counts with your customer, don’t even consider this as an option. There are many inexpensive packaging options that can create a unique look without having to spend a lot. All it requires is a little ingenuity and creativity on your part.

Think about the box in the store that is torn, dented or shows obvious signs of damage. Do you ever buy that product? No way. It sits on the shelf forever and becomes more shopworn as time passes. Your immediate thought-It’s damaged inside.

How many plain brown or white envelopes have you tossed without even looking inside at the contents? Why would someone want to see what’s inside if the outside looks like garbage? Consider when you receive something that is torn, tattered and it is from someone unknown. Your first impression is a negative one. You may just pitch it before even opening it. The amount of things that are thrown away because they are unidentified or uninteresting is staggering. Mailrooms are often instructed to toss this kind stuff (junk) before it gets delivered no matter who it’s addressed to.

Here are some ways you can improve the odds to ensure that your product will be opened and seen by the receiver.

• Always ship or mail a sample to yourself to see what condition it arrives in.

• Clearly indicate who the material is from and why it is important to be opened promptly.

• Use care when selecting packaging material. Make sure the materials will get the job done.

• Consider color as a differentiator from all of the white and brown out there.

• Make sure the outside of the package screams "open me."

• Ensure that the contents inside are protected and secure so they arrive in pristine condition. Think of ways to distinguish yourself from the competition. Even using such simple things like colored bubble wrap (no more expensive) can create a positive impression.

• Make the package something that can be reusable or stored. (A client of mine who shipped flower bouquets made the shipping package in such a way that gift wrapping paper could be stored in the box after the flowers were long gone.)

• Make sure the container is substantial enough to be returned should it need to be. Nothing alienates a customer more than having to find another box to ship something back in.

• Think about what appeals to you when you receive a package. What makes you want to open it? Incorporate that feeling into your shipping materials.

Whatever methods you decide to use to ship your products make sure that you put thought and creativity into the box or container before you send it out the door. It is difficult to overcome an initial negative impression of your product if it arrives in shop worn or damaged condition or in the worst case broken. The customer may never give you a second chance.

Remember to make packaging of your product your first thought not your last. As in this case, what is outside the box counts just as much as what is inside.

Want to know more about the role of packaging? Need to learn how to package products people will buy? Just starting a business that needs to package products? Need brainstorming about what packaging works in the current economy? Contact the #1 consumer product packaging expert by email at PackagingDiva@aol.com or by phone at 678-594-6872 for a free 15 minute consultation.

There are two principals that are effective in getting attention as well as delivering credibility for your advertising claims.

First - is the concept of the declarative statement. This is declaring that you are saying is truth, assuming that it is. In this, there is no room for ambiguity, for argument or doubt- it is so! An example of this would be: "all people want income security", or, "you will sleep better if your assets are protected", or, "maintenance is always less expensive than repair." These, when declared as truth, set a standard base of possible acceptance of them as a principal, not to be questioned, that prepares them for your next statement. The declarative statement must make sense or else the subsequent statement will be questioned as well. To say "Texans don’t like foreign made cars" is contrary to actual commonly accepted facts and risks your credibility for any other claims of why they should do business with you. People continue to do business with people they trust or otherwise approve.

Second - is the concept of making a numbered list of choices, again, declaring that this is the complete list of options, and, making your product the obvious choice for any rational person. A declared list removes any potential lingering questions of whether any choices are not covered, and, in effect, forces them to make a choice, at least in their mind, as to which is the best choice. The next job, after declaring and listing, is to deliver the irresistible and/or risk free offer to get them to act, now.

Eg.- "There are 3 things you need to know before you buy red shoes! One of them can save you time, grief and money. Don’t make a decision before you see these 3 important points on our web site!"

Daniel Wadleigh is a nationally published marketing consultant and has programs for start-up and existing businesses including effective web sites, e-mail/database, other non-internet ways to drive them to your website, and low cost ways to get more new customers.

Go to: http://www.more-new-customers.com to get free copy of "Marketing to Men vs. Women- the 8 different responses" and a Free copy of "Market Research- 7 Questions to Ask to Start-up and 7 to Ask to Improve Any Business."

Let’s be clear from the outset. The road to brand success is not easy.

It’s true that some people seem to fall upon it by chance and readily make their way from one end to the other. For most of us though, it’s a route taken with difficulty and marked by mis-steps and wrong turnings.

That shouldn’t surprise us. If you understand a brand to be the relationship between you and your customer, then you’ll know how hard it can be to plot the course of a relationship with any certainty.

It isn’t possible to chart every feature on the road or each twist and turn along the way but we can make plans for the journey that prepare us for what might lie ahead and give us a greater chance of success.

Step 1- Start with the end in mind.

Don’t just set off in hope.

Be clear from the beginning what brand success means for you and what a brand can and can’t do for your business. Typically, your brand should support your business goals by helping you to build and maintain a great relationship with your customers.

There should be a purpose to this relationship for both you and your customer. You bring them something important (for example, security or pleasure) or move them from one place to another (say, from a state of anxiety to calmness), and they give you something in return (usually, but not always, money).

Remember that people make sense of their lives in the stories they tell, so you’re looking for a story that describes for your customers the experience of that business relationship with you. That story should give your customers sound reasons to invest their time, energy, attention and money in your business.

Your road to brand success should lead you there.

Step 2- Get the lie of the land.

Check local knowledge.

It’s unlikely that you’re the first to cross the territory that lies ahead. Others will have made maps and noted landmarks. They’ll know which stretches of the road are safe and where there are dangers.

Listen to their stories. Whilst they can seem fantastical, folklore, anecdote and myth will often point towards what’s really of importance in this new world. Sometimes, even plain old gossip can prove useful.

Don’t forget to talk to your customers. They live and work here, and they will know the territory well. But don’t expect them to make the journey for you. This is your role, you are the leader of the expedition.

You must decide which paths to take and which to avoid, based on whatever information is available to you.

Step 3- Map your route.

Set your course and choose your guiding star.

As you begin your journey, you will be faced with many roads that you might follow, many ways in which you might tackle what lies ahead.

All relationships are founded on a shared set of values. For some, these are values such as freedom or truth. If you are not to lose your way, you must choose which values will guide you on your journey.

Trace the route that makes most sense for you and for your customers and set your course by the stars, by your guiding principles. Avoid the apparent shortcuts that deflect you from your purpose.

Step 4- Equip yourself for the journey.

Take what you need for the road.

Great businesses play to their strengths. Determine what it is you do well and how that is likely to help you build and maintain your relationship with your customers. Then do it to the best of your ability.

But travel light. Too many people weigh themselves down for what can be a long journey. Trust your own resources and keep it simple. Bring only what you need to feed, water and protect yourself and your customers. Leave the rest behind.

In the same way, choose your travelling companions carefully. You will rely heavily on them. Include only those who can best bring something of value to your relationship with your customer.

Step 5- Be prepared to ask for help.

Don’t be too proud.

Assistance can come from the most unexpected quarters. Although you must lead the expedition, you are not expected to go it alone. There are others around you who cannot make the journey but can lead you a small part of the way. These can include veterans of other expeditions or those who are on neighbouring roads that occasionally coincide with your own.

Do not forget your customers. They are keen to see you succeed - for in your success, they see their own - and they will usually be only too happy to help you out. Sometimes, it is they who see best of all what it is you do well and they are able to point you in the right direction.

But again, this is your brand, and it’s you who must always take and keep the lead.

Step 6- Keep the faith.

Don’t give up too easily.

The road to brand success is often long and difficult. It is easy to grow weary and disheartened by the inevitable setbacks that you will meet along the way. Be prepared to retrace your steps when you have gone astray. If your customers see that you are committed to the relationship, they will be patient whilst you recover your path.

Don’t simply go through the motions. Steer clear of the temptation to settle for second-best, a shadow of the unique relationship that you wish for with your customers. When the road you have mapped out proves to be misguided, strike out across country if that’s what’s required and make your own road.

Keep your heart set on your goal and look to your guiding stars to direct you towards it.

Step 7- Head for home.

Don’t become too enamoured of the road. It’s a means to an end and you must travel its length or not at all.

Complete the journey. Remember that you started out to find your brand story. Make sure that you have achieved your purpose. The place in which you’ve arrived and the story you have to tell in getting there must make sense for both you and your customers.

Now you can retrace your steps and bring the others with you, your customers and any colleagues that you’ve left behind. They can now make the journey safely with you.

Step 8 - Don’t settle down just yet.

Did I promise you only seven steps? Of course, there’s one more. Now that you’ve achieved brand success, you must work tirelessly to maintain it.

You have found your strengths, so play to them. Use them to deliver on your promise to your customers and commit resources to maintaining the relationship.

Tell your story and tell it often. Secure the road you have taken against rogues and pretenders and make it safe for traffic. Light the way and signpost it clearly so that you and your customers can travel the road often and easily.

Only then can you honestly say that you have taken the road to brand success.

Gerard Tannam is the founding Managing Director of Islandbridge, a business that delivers brand direction, planning and corporate communications across a wide range of sectors including retail, property, hospitality and tourism. Recent clients include Quality Hotels, Temple Country Retreat & Spa, Action Recruitment, Musgraves Food Services, DIT School of Hospitality, Liffeyside Properties, The Westport Woods Hotel and The Smile Conference.

For regular updates on branding or to tell your own brand story, visit http://www.islandbridge.com

It is useful to go into an understanding of some of the finer points of maximizing responses to produce business when you want it.

1) Position - There is an ugly phrase that is based upon some measure of a truthful principle It is "last liar has the best shot". Humans remember the last thing that they heard on a subject. I once got a job through an employment agency partly because the agent thought I had the best chance of getting it if he placed me in the last position for the interview. It worked. The human mind is somewhat like a computer. It processes information and retains it. It recalls it with more ease if it was the last of the stimulus received. That’s why people cram for tests; the recent ingesting of information is easily recalled.

2) Frequency - Reinforcement of the message causes ease of recall. (unlike computers, which recall all with the same level, emotion is a non-factor with electronic memory.) This is always the reason all media companies advise you to run ads frequently. Even if they have an agenda, the theory is based on somewhat valid statistical evidence.

3) Positive Emotional Reliability - The other two are valid, but, the more the message touches the heart, the easier it is to remember. So, combine both and get the best of both avenues. It is always the memories that stir up emotions that are more easily and vividly recalled.

4) Variety of Approaches - If you see the same ad over and over, unless it really touches you in a positive way, and even then sometimes, it loses it’s effect because the instant you see or hear it, you shut off the conscious absorption of it because you are already familiar with it and you shut down receiving it any more. This is why Madison Ave. tries to use "funny" all the time. This is done to get people to pay attention to the whole message They would be better off using a positive emotional benefit to get them to listen with impact.

So, change the ad, rotate ads that deliver a logical message, an emotional response and an unusual message. Companies run ads frequently because they work. However, they would work better if they varied the angle of appeal, thus would not become stale too quickly.

Daniel Wadleigh is a nationally published marketing consultant and has programs for start-up and existing businesses including effective web sites, e-mail/database, other non-internet ways to drive them to your website, and low cost ways to get more new customers.

Go to: http://www.more-new-customers.com to get free copy of "Marketing to Men vs. Women- the 8 different responses" and a Free copy of "Market Research- 7 Questions to Ask to Start-up and 7 to Ask to Improve Any Business."

The personal marketing power of Eddie McGuire as chief executive of the Nine Network could add more than 100 million dollars to the company over the next five years.

Running a commercial TV station is a simple business model. The more eyeballs you have watching - the more you can charge for advertising.

Advertising is limited by time and space so the key is to get the maximum number of viewers with good programming.

In the case of Channel 9, analysts believe each rating point increase is worth about $40 million dollars in revenue a year.

McGuire’s unique combination of charismatic personality, influencing skills and high profile makes him the perfect personal brand on which to build a new corporate identity.

Branding in today’s competitive, crowded and noisy marketplace now needs to focus on three levels - the corporate brand for capital markets and external stakeholders, the internal brand for employees and at a leadership level, the personal brand of the CEO has a significant and often underestimated impact - McGuire has the qualities to succeed at all three levels.

Successful leaders with high levels of power, influence and charisma are able to align their personal brand with that of the company to add shareholder value and this is what makes the appointment of Eddie McGuire such a good decision.

McGuire’s values of the ambitious, hard working and determined battler appeal to the Australian larrikin in us all, and because Nine’s audiences, revenue streams and future fortunes lie with this target market, I’m convinced he will be a success despite his perceived lack of management experience.

Brands help keep products or services fresh in the minds of consumers - and good marketers and influencers are able to identify what is at the core of a brand - the McGuire personal brand will bring new energy to Nine’s waning star.

The outstanding attribute of the McGuire personal brand is that his values are both authentic and aspirational and this resonates across a wide range of demographics.

McGuire is not afraid to have a go at the establishment and this much admired Australian trait coupled with his creativity and impeccable networking skills make him the obvious choice.

I’m calling this concept Integrity Marketing, where a good CEO will use their position, personality and power to align the values of an organisation with those of its staff and customers.

The Eddie McGuire story is the typical hero’s journey and this is why his personal brand will add value to the company right from the CEO’s door to the mail room floor.

His profile as President of the famous AFL Football Club, Collingwood has also helped create a powerful personal brand.

Learning from Eddie McGuire’s success, if you’re an aspiring or experienced leader here are five reasons why you should implement a personal brand strategy:

It sets you apart from your competitors.

It reflects your core values, personality, talent and skill set.

It increases your credibility, especially if you can harness the power of the media.

It establishes your expertise, authority and value.

It creates a success spiral that can boost your health, wealth and career.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.

You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com

It is an interesting exercise for one who creates ads to watch other ads. It is clear to see the motivation behind what causes some people to build ads the way they do. There are clearly three angles that could and should be considered as components of an ad. Most have one, some have two, the best have all three.

1) The most common denominator is the element of cleaver. These are the ads that usually have funny as the main ingredient. It is easy to see how the ad agency sold the client on funny, it’s supposed to generate the warm fuzzies and even be remembered as well as be looked forward to the next time they run the ad. Agencies win awards for funny ads, even if they don’t sell product or enhance the companies image. Shows you where the priority is at ad agencies.

2) The second kind of ad is one that is memorable. This is supposed to make you remember the product. This is primarily for commodities: "me too" products and services that are always being bought. If the "memory" side of the concept is not connected to a positive emotion, it will not be as easy to recall.

3) The third kind of ad is one that shows, clearly and emotionally, the positive benefits of doing business with you. If you see those fast food ads on tv where they zone in on the juicy hamburger with the freshest tomatoes, lettuce and sizzling meat, that is a feature not a benefit and they are missing the connection. That juicy hamburger, with a very satisfied customer biting into it and a huge smile on his face of supreme delight; or even saying "wow, what a fabulous hamburger!", then you are seeing the benefits of that feature. Otherwise, you have left the benefits to the imagination of the customer.

All effective salesmen know to help guide the customer through the benefits to them, personally, of using your product/service. Tell me why ads shouldn’t be set up the same way. If it says "How would you like to take that extra savings and go on a free vacation to a tropical island where you can sit on a sunny beach and have a romantic time with your one and only’." To get the picture, get the picture.

The very best ads are cleaver, memorable and show benefits, but, 2 and 3 are a must!

Daniel Wadleigh is a nationally published marketing consultant and has programs for start-up and existing businesses including effective web sites, e-mail/database, other non-internet ways to drive them to your website, and low cost ways to get more new customers.

Go to: http://www.more-new-customers.com to get free copy of "Marketing to Men vs. Women- the 8 different responses" and a Free copy of "Market Research- 7 Questions to Ask to Start-up and 7 to Ask to Improve Any Business."