Package design is not decoration. Did you know that 80 percent of all purchasing decisions are made in-store? As traditional media is being revolutionized right before our eyes, your packaging will most likely be the first introduction a consumer has to your product and we all know how important first impressions are. Your package is a valuable asset that can make or break the sale of your item and should be considered as important as the item itself. After all, no one is even going to try your product if the package is not appealing…there’s simply too much competition to choose from.

Let’s review four key packaging attributes that should be considered prior to making any packaging decisions. Innovation, Visibility, Content and Appeal.

Innovation
The buzzword in product development today is innovation. You can only color and shape a toilet brush in so many ways before you have to start considering how to change the mechanics of the product, thus the invention of disposable heads. The same theory can be applied to packaging design.

Take Target’s pharmaceutical packaging for example. For years your pills were delivered in the same cylindrical bottle with the same small text and illegible instructions. Hopefully you didn’t have more than one family member with prescriptions or else your medicine cabinet really became confusing. With the innovation of Target’s bottle, not only do you know whom the prescription is for by the color band but also the name of the medication as it is clearly indicated on the top of the bottle. Target’s slimmer bottle design allows for a better fit in your cabinet and easier-to-read text on a non-curved surface. Target’s innovation of the pill bottle was a great way to kick off their new pharmacy and draw a following of consumers who were looking for a better experience.

Visibility
The visibility attribute sets your product apart from your competitors. Before beginning a package design project, a category audit should be conducted. It is important to discover who your shelf neighbors are and what attributes they possess in order to design for difference.

Think about the vegetable aisle in your grocery store. Everything is green. Yes, it must be green or the consumer will not buy it. Shoppers expect green for their vegetables and red for their sauces … there is no getting around that. So what can someone do to stand out on a shelf with those kinds of constraints? How about simplify. Recently Publix redesigned their generic items. Not only do the Publix products retain the bargain look, but the simplicity of the design actually makes the product stand off the shelf in a world of green. It is not the most elaborate design but it is perfect for a brand of that price point. Their redesign jumps off the shelf far quicker than many of their counterparts.

Content
Examine the difference between Nordstoms and JC Penney. You walk into Nordstroms and your senses are immediately affected. The sound of a piano player in the middle of the store and the fact that you are not bombarded with sale items or cluttered aisles of merchandise allude to a feeling of elite. You immediately sense that the store is upscale. Now think about JC Penney, you can barely walk through the store without knocking something over nor can you see past 10 feet in front of you as the aisles of merchandise are stacked high. This environmental scenario will tell you that somewhere in JC Penney there is a bargain for you. Neither of these scenarios is incorrect. It is all about your brand and how you want your product or service to be perceived.

Content for packaging works similarly. If you clutter your package with flashy stickers of “New!” or “As Seen on TV”, expect to set your product to a lower price point. On the contrary, develop a package with a sleek design and less clutter, expect a perception of higher quality and set your product at a higher price point. Remember, you still must uphold your brand promise. Putting junk in a nice box does not change the fact that it is junk.

Appeal
Lastly, the most important attribute is appeal. The word attribute is used loosely in this case, as appeal has to do with the combination of Innovation, Visibility and Content. After you have examined these key attributes, you must determine if your solution is appealing. The best way to determine appeal is to conduct research specific to your objectives.

As television ad viewers and radio listeners decrease due to a recent shift in lifestyle habits, the importance of your package speaking for you is immeasurable. Your package is akin to a first impression of your product and company. Uniqueness, appearance and content determine whether a person is worth engaging in conversation and the same goes for your product. Make sure that your product can easily make that leap from shelf to hand.

Laura Denman is the Strategy Director for XO Create! who provides expertise in package design for the youth market. XO Create! assists organizations in positioning and moving product through compelling packaging solutions.

You can contact Laura at 678.319.4242 or by mailing: XO Create! 1320 Union Hill Industrial Court, Suite C, Alpharetta, GA. 30004

You see them when you enter hotels, motels and businesses of all types. I’m talking about floor mats with an imprint of the the business’ custom logo. They serve a practical purpose. They provide a method for the customer to remove dirt and moisture from their shoes, thus avoiding slips and falls. They also remove dirt at the entrance to your building that would otherwise be spread throughout the building. Additionally, they add a touch of class to the interior entrance and a recognition by the customer of a committment to customer service and a pride in the business identity.

Custom logo floor mats are more expensive than off-the-shelf mats. However, there are several factors which you control to keep the costs down. These factors include size, purchase quantity and shipping. If you are a business owner considering the purchase of a custom logo floor mat, you need to consider these price influences on your purchase.

First, these mats are offered by a variety of floor mat stores in many different sizes. Consider the size of your entrance and pick the appropriate "standard" size from the vendor’s available size list. Keep to the standard sizes available from your vendor. If your potential vendor does not offer the exact size you desire, check with other vendors. If the size does not appear to be available from any potential vendors, either choose the closest available size or be prepared to pay a premium price every time you have a run of these mats produced. Also, remember that the manufacturing charges are directly related to the size of the mat. Check your potential vendor’s price list. The prices for the different available sizes should be very close to the same per-square-foot price. If there are substantial per-square-foot price differences across the vendor price list for various sizes, ask the vendor why! The manufacturing price is based on the size of the mat and the quantity being purchased.

When considering a custom logo floor mat, never buy a quantity of one! Realize that the manufacturer of the mat must prepare the artwork from your logo. A manufacturer utilizes human labor for the computer work and masking requirements. If a customer is purchasing a quantity of one, the manufacturer is obliged to pass this cost along to the vendor. The vendor passes this cost along to you! With any custom logo floor mat, repeat business is usually expected. However, if the customer purchases in a single quantity, repeat business is thrown into doubt and the vendor cannot reasonably expect to recupperate the manufacturing costs associated with the initial logo preparation. Therefore, the vendor must pass the artwork costs along to the customer. Smart vendors change the per-square-foot cost for the single quantity purchase to recupperate the extra manufacturing costs, rather than adding a separate artwork charge. Regardless of how the charges are added, they have to be there since the vendor must make a profit off the sale and cannot count on additional quantities for the same product to offset the additional costs. By purchasing a minimum of two identical custom logo floor mats, the vendor often does not even incur an additional artwork charge from the manufacturer. Even if the art charges are still there, the vendor has a reasonable expectation of repeat sales and can pass along quantity savings to the customer. If you are considering a custom logo floor mat for your business, purchase one for every entrance. If you have only one entrance, purchase two. Vacuum every evening or at every shift change, depending on the foot traffic and weather conditions. Rotate the mats weekly. Use the down time for thorough mat cleaning.

Always plan your purchase to allow standard ground shipping. Mats are heavy. Even ground shipping is relatively expensive due to the weight of the product. Because of the steps involved in the manufacturing process, the time between purchase and delivery of custom logo floor mats ranges between 20 to 40 business days. If the manufacturer is in a heavy purchasing period, that time can be longer. Realize that the manufacturer must take your custom logo and prepare it for transfer to a mat. If your logo is trademarked or otherwise protected, you will need to provide an authorized company officer’s signature allowing the use of the logo on the mat. Once the artwork is done, the vendor must provide you the proof for your approval. This is critical. Custom logo floor mats are usually only returnable due to manufacturing defects. The vendor must have your complete approval for the proof of the mat artwork before the mats can be manufactured. If you are unavailable for several days, have an alternate point of contact who has authority to make a decision on the proof, or be prepared for delay of the delivery of your mats. Until you approve the artwork, the manufacturer cannot begin making your mats. Once the approval is given, the manufacturing usually takes 10-20 business days, depending upon the manufacturer’s backlog. When considering a custom logo mat purchase make your buying decision a month to two months before you actually need the mats. This will allow ample time for the process involved and allow the mats to be shipped via standard ground service. If you need the mats sooner, be prepared to pay a premium price for two day or overnight shipping. Given the weight of matting materials, two-day or overnight shipping could add 50% or more to the cost of the purchase!

The final consideration that you need to make is the quality of the mat. When purchasing a custom logo floor mat, make sure the mat backing is nitrile rubber. Nitrile rubber-backed mats will last 5-7 years in standard high-traffic situations. Lifetime costs need to be considered in your purchase. The other mat backing choice is vinyl. Vinyl-backed mats can be expected to last 1-2 years in high-traffic commercial entrances. Either type can be visually acceptable and cleaned identically. But you need to take the lifetime costs into account. Nitrile rubber-backed mats are more expensive than vinyl-backed mats. However, they last twice as long and typically are not double the price. Make your quality choice based on your expected lifetime costs.

Cliff Bell
Owner of Best Mats
http://www.safety-exercise-yoga-mats.com

With the combined advent of the internet/dot-com boom and the prevailing trend of individuals going into business for themselves, the focus and importance surrounding intellectual property has been in the forefront of the minds of entrepreneurs, artists, inventors and anyone wanting to protect the fruits of their labors.

Because intellectual property and the laws therewith can change as rapidly as our ever-increasing technological world, it is imperative that when doing research on these topics to use accredited resources – contact either the appropriate governmental agencies, attorneys or private companies that specialize in these topics.

TRADEMARKS :

Trademarks are frequently thought of as those items that identify either a product or a service. This can include names of services (e.g. McDonald’s ® for restaurant services) or products (e.g. Coca-Cola ® for soft drinks), logos (e.g. Nike’s ® swoosh design), slogans (e.g. American Express’ ® Don’t Leave Home Without It ®), packaging, sounds and smells.

There are over 2,500,000 Trademarks, and over 16,000,000 commercial Common Law trade names in use! An existing Federal Trademark, State Trademark or commercial Common Law use can take precedence over your new business or product name, IF there is a conflict or similarity in sound, appearance or meaning!

SIMILARITIES IN SOUND, APPEARANCE & MEANING:

What exactly is a similarity in Sound, Appearance or Meaning? This is the most complex portion of any legal name research. In order to determine what may or may not be a similarity, one has to be as open minded as possible to include any & all variations that could possibly confuse the common consumer. Some examples may help with this:

1. Joe has a pending Federal trademark for his auto detailing service called It’s in the Details. Becky wants to call her new auto detailing service, It is the Details. They are both offering the same service and their trade areas cross. This is a Strong Similarity, based on Sound & Appearance, their crossing of trade areas & Joe’s pending Federal application.
2. Mary has a Federally registered trademark for her clothing line, Scary Mary’s Apparel. Dan wants to use the name Mary Frightful Wear for his clothing line. This is a Strong Similarity, based on Meaning & Mary’s Federal registration.
3. Sam has a California state registered trademark for his restaurant, Crabtastic Eats! and has no plans to expand outside of the state and primarily serves locals. Hannah’s restaurant, Crabtastic, is located in Maine. She also has no plans to expand outside of the state and primarily serves locals. This is NOT a Strong Similarity based on their different trade areas.
4. Lorena’s online payroll service, Pay Up, has been in use for 15 years and has clients across the country. Gene wants to start an online payroll service called Wage Wizard. Neither of them have trademarks. This is NOT a Strong Similarity based on the dissimilarity in the names.

No claim is made to the ownership, knowledge or liability of the above personal and/or company names. The above examples are merely for informational purposes and should only be seen as such.

Naturally, there will be exceptions to every situation. For instance, similar trademarks (in name and goods/services) can coexist peacefully if both parties are comfortable with one another’s existence. This can happen if trade areas do not cross (e.g. located on opposite coasts), if they appeal to different consumers (e.g. one sells to private industry while the other sells to the general public), etc.

FAMOUS TRADEMARKS:

Trademarks that are famous are afforded slightly different protection based on the very nature of their recognizability. Simply, the argument for famous marks is that since their brand name is recognized by a vast majority of consumers, any marks similar to it, even in different industries, could be construed as an infringement. The main justification for this is if "the owner of a famous mark shall be entitled, subject to the principles of equity and upon such terms as the court deems reasonable, to an injunction against another person’s commercial use in commerce of a mark or trade name, if such use begins after the mark has become famous and causes dilution of the distinctive quality of the mark."

Of course, like with all trademark issues, there are gray areas. Each potential infringement is taken on a case by case basis. Not all cases end up favoring large corporations either. Take the famous case of Victor’s Secret & Victoria’s Secret (Moseley et. al. d/b/a Victor’s Little Secret v. V Secret Catalogue, Inc., et al.), in which the smaller company won their case.

The best route to take if there is a possibility of an infringement, famous mark or not, is to speak to a trademark attorney. She will assist you in determining what the next best step is as well as offer assistance with any preparation and filing of documents.

SUMMARY:

While trademark law can be intimidating to the uninitiated, obtaining the help of a trademark attorney or an experienced private company will make the entire process go much smoother. There are preliminary steps one can do when starting a business and/or renaming a business:

1. Choose a name that is unique & distinctive – generic or descriptive names are not generally allowed registration by the USPTO and are more difficult to enforce.
2. Do as much free research as you can before hiring an attorney or a private company. Check the internet, yellow pages, domain names & the USPTO.
3. Be aware that any research you do for free online is merely preliminary and only comprehensive research will tell if the name is available.
4. Once you receive the trademark, it is your responsibility to enforce your trademark rights. To do this, either have research conducted every 2-3 years OR hire a monitoring service.

Link to Above Quote

Shannon Moore is the General Manager, East Coast for TradeMark Express. Since 1992, TradeMark Express has met the needs of their clients with comprehensive research, application preparation, attorney referrals and trademark consultation. For further details, please visit us on the web at http://www.tmexpress.com.

The main purpose of a headline is very simple. You want to grab the attention of your ideal prospect so they’ll read the next sentence in your advertising copy.

Easy to do. Right?

Well… not so fast.

It’s possible. That’s the good news. But you have to do your homework first. There are books written on how to write a great headline. If I said you’ll find everything you need to know in this article my nose would grow like Pinocchio’s. But I can help you get started in the right direction.

A headline should have the full attention of your prospect in 5 seconds or less. If it doesn’t the rest of your copy probably won’t get read.

Many copywriters think the headline is the MOST important part of the copy because it’s read 5-8 times more than your body copy (on average). In short, your headline must get the job done. This is where the homework comes in.

I’m assuming you’ve already done the homework for your product or service. You know it inside and out. You’ve listed all its many benefits in exhaustive detail.

Great!

Now you focus on researching your customer. Advertising legend Denny Hatch says it best, “To write a great ad you have to get inside your customer’s head.”

You have to become familiar with your customer’s interests, desires, and problems. You have to know your customer’s mindset. How do you do this? Research tactics might include any or all of the following…

1) Talk to people in your target audience.

Talk to any friends who are similar to your ideal prospect.

Call potential prospects on the phone. Simply tell them you’re doing market research and ask for their input and advice about your product.

Make notes - - especially when you hear the same things mentioned over and over again by prospects.

2) Read what they read.

Newspapers and magazines.

Trade journals for the industry (etc).

3) Read other advertising literature directed at your prospect. Read any controls you can get your hands on for related product(s).

This includes collecting competitors’ marketing promotions, direct mail or other advertising. Study them. Pay careful attention to promotions that are mailed over and over again. Those are sure winners. They’ll give you insight into the emotional appeals and messages that are currently working.

4) Read what your prospect has written or spoken.

Read testimonials sent in by your prospects. (Maybe your sales letter headline could be geared towards the thing customers liked the best?)

5) Read any of your prospect’s complaint letters. What bugged them about the product? What didn’t they like about the company? Did they suggest how to make things better?

6) Research your prospect on the web.

Take notes. Write it all down.

Okay, now the fun part.

Write down who your ideal prospect actually is in 2-4 sentences. Be concise. Be specific. You’ll be merging your product with this person.

Picture them in your mind. Their sex. Their age. Their job. Their work environment. Their home life. The age of their children (if any). Your sales letter headline is going to be written to this one person.

Let’s say you’re a software developer who has put together a complete home-business package that makes it easy to write medical reports for doctors. Since doctors frequently outsource this work it makes a great small business opportunity. You think your research has uncovered the ideal prospect. Now you write down exactly who this person is…

“My prospect is a busy stay-at-home mom taking care of small children. She’s left her full-time job to take care of her family while the children are small. She has lots of business and computer skills gained from her previous work experience.”

Next…

Write down in 2-4 sentences what your prospect really WANTS.

“She wants to make a steady $200-$300 a week to increase the family’s income. She wants to work from home, but only 10-20 hours a week. She doesn’t want her children’s needs to suffer while she works at home.”

Now, put this information to work for you.

Use your headline to speak to the most important burning desire within your prospect as it relates to your product or service. Try to match what she most desires with what you have to offer her. There are different tactics for achieving this (we’ll look at a few in a moment). But, as a general practice, your headline should convey your strongest benefit.

Now, what’s the best way to do this? Copywriters have strong opinions over the best way to achieve this. But there does seem to be a little consensus on certain things about headlines.

A headline might do any of the following:

a) Convey the most important benefit to your ideal prospect. Use clear, simple, and direct language. Don’t be cute. Be specific. Avoid generalities.

Don’t say, "This marketing system will help you increase your profits…" Instead say, "This Marketing System is Guaranteed to Increase your Profits by at least 43% over the next 6 months…"

Here’s an example of a sales letter headline targeting the stay-at-home mom…

“Here’s a Quick Way for a Stay-At-Home Mother to Earn $312 Dollars a Week Part-Time at Home Without Sacrificing Family-Time”

Here’s another benefit-oriented headline…

“Eliminate Pain after Your Surgery using an All-Natural Remedy Just Discovered by Princeton Medical Researchers”

Select your target customer by speaking directly to the one your offer is meant for…

“A Proven Way for Miami Beach Realtors to Increase Sales by as much as 28% the First Month”

b) Use the headline to arouse curiosity.

“The One Type of Stock You Absolutely Do Not Want to Own over the Next 18 months”

c) Deliver a promise in your headline.

“Lose 12 pounds Over the next 2 Weeks Simply by Changing the Way you Cook your Food”

d) State the prospect’s problem in direct language and suggest you’ve got the solution.

“Warning: Cancer Patients Should Avoid the Most Common Sweetener at All Costs…A Leading Oncologist Suggests this Substitute Could Save Your Life”

e) Start Your ad by telling an out-of-the-ordinary story. “Learn How this Golfer with Constant Back-Pain Shaved an Average of 13 Strokes Off his Game by using This New Type of Club.”

f) If your product and its average price is well known to the prospect then your most effective headline might be a simple and direct offer.

“All Movado Watches 66% off Now until this coming Saturday”

The most important thing to remember about creating your headline is to start with your prospective customer.

What is it she or he really wants?

The following are some common (and effective) types of headlines used in copywriting:

How to …

How To (Accomplishment) In (Time Frame)

How To Turn (Problem) Into (Benefit)

How To Get (Goal) From (Something Common)

How To Improve Your…

How To Start…

How To Have…

How To Make (Someone) Do (Something Great)

How To Get Free (Product/Program)

How You Can (Action) In The Next (Time Frame)

How (Unexpected (Event) Changed My (Situation)

How I (Accomplishment) In (Time Frame)

How I (Accomplishment) By (The Unexpected)

How I Improved My (Problem)

An Easy Way to …

A Proven Way to …

Introducing …

A Quick and Easy way to …

Why you should …

Announcing …

If … Then …

(Problem) — How To Fix It

A testimonial can sometimes make a great sales letter headline. Especially if it conveys your product’s biggest benefit. When used in this way it can be powerful…

"We use the 305 Dawson Water Pump every day for plant operations and it always works without a hitch."

A few last thoughts …

Never use a sales letter headline to trick your prospect. It should ALWAYS be related to your product or service in a way that meaningfully ties in with your copy. If you use tricks to get attention your prospect may start reading your copy, but as soon as they discover they’ve been tricked the sale is dead.

Your sales letter headline doesn’t have to be cute, hype-y or outrageous to get attention. After outlining all your product’s benefits find the one your prospect wants the most and you’ll be on your way.

Copyright 2006 Joseph Farinaccio

Joe Farinaccio helps businesses and entrepreneurs make money using direct response advertising. Discover how to effectively sell products or service using direct marketing by visiting his website … http://www.sales-letters-and-marketing.com

What is a Brand?

Brand is an identification of a company and its products. It can be in the form of logo, symbol, color or just a name. This identification helps distinguish itself among its competitors.

Creation of brand is not just creating a logo or byline statement or a symbol. It is the creation of experience, which would make the customer, want more and more of it. An experience, which can create strong positive emotions, something that can lead the customer to trust and become loyal to it. First thing that qualifies a company or product to be a brand is the ability to create emotions. Brand has to be associated or should trigger emotions.

Logos, colors, symbols, statements, advertisements and promotions are the main tools for the communication of a brand. Now coming to the main point of the article –Unleashing the power of brand internally & unveil a new power, i.e. Internal Branding or promoting the brand internally among employees so that they are aware of the capabilities of the company and are proud to be working for it. With the help of internal branding, a new source of powering the brand comes to force. All employees are people who connect with the outside environment after office hours. All positive vibes sent out by employees to their friends, neighbors, relatives, etc creates a compounding effect on the image of the company.

The pride the employee shows to be working for an organization itself speaks volume about the company. The manner in which employee behaves itself portrays or communicates something about the image of the company. It can be either positive or negative. So how do we go about the internal branding? How do we harness this hidden power?

First Step:

To be able to harness this power, there needs to be a synergy between the organization and the employee, a bonding, or you can say an environment in which the individual can thrive and bring out his best for the company. Every organization has a different culture and every individual a different temperament, this should match. I hope I have made the point now. So lets move ahead

The whole process starts with recruiting, recruiting people who can gel in with the organization. Any Employee joining the organization or selected to join the organization needs to be evaluated in terms of his personal characteristics.

What about existing employees??

In case of existing employees they need to be conditioned to behave or exhibit certain characteristics as deemed fit. All this is possible only with the motivation of the individual and Focus.

In a company the employees are the first customers of the brand and the brand should be able to fulfill their promises. Brand is also the outcome of all the company employees’ efforts; so they need to give in their best to the brand.

Who is responsible for Internal Branding?

Internal Branding is the responsibility of the Top management/Leadership or the Brand Manager in charge of the particular brand. Alternatively the best solution is to have a team of Marketing, Admin and Finance guy to form an internal branding team.

Some tactics to internalize the brand:

1. Brand the atmosphere

The workplace atmosphere affects the way the person works. Put on the posters of the brand and its promise or attribute visible to everyone. The brand promise visibility in the office should be exceptional.

For eg: Put up a notice board and highlight every day some news about the brand progress or send an email to everyone on the update or the progress made by the brand or by the executive working on the product. (I don’t mean a formal email stating simple fact what has been done, an email, which evokes passion, smile and motivate. Some time an email with good intentioned criticism also helps to push people, personal notes by leaders inspire staff)

2. Team Involvement:

Ask for suggestion, start in a forum where ideas can be discussed openly without the fear/hesitation of organization hierarchy, but make it clear who the decision maker is. Keep everyone informed. Keep the buzz on don’t ever give the guys time to slack down. Keep them charged, keep them interested

3. Responsibility, Credit & Incentive:

Give out Responsibility and authority to carry it out and give credit where it’s due. There is nothing like incentives, which can really motivate people along with appreciation. Give out a “ Champs of the month” in various functions for the brand like marketing, admin, customer service, sales, merchandising, etc.

4. Brand Training

You might have heard of product training, but brand training is different and unique. Educate, Reinforce and inculcate the attributes that really make the brand stand out amongst the other competitor in the employees.

If necessary, Spoon-feed the staff on the behavior that compliments the brands, especially the staff that will come in contact with the outside world.

In simple terms each of your employee has to be a brand ambassador. Let everyone hear the facts and things that need to be projected for the brand.

5. Brand Culture Development

Create & promote the culture of the brand in your organization, as most of the brand guru has said LIVE THE BRAND. Develop the culture in your organization that reflects the brand nature.

Once done, you might have single brand but 100 to 200-brand ambassadors (depending on the number of employees) projecting your brand everyday to the world. If I summarize, Internal Branding can create salesman out of every employee and who ever comes in contact with your employee will be influenced by the brand.

Santosh Pania visit http://www.marketingbuff.blogspot.com

I picked this up on the news this week and was interested to hear Ad Age critic Bob Garfield’s take on the Super Bowl ad for American Home Health. Although he loved the ad, he hated the packaging and in most cases the packaging is what will sell the product — or not.

This is a direct quote about the product and packaging. "You can go to great lengths to prevent germs wearing a biohazard suit 24/7 or you can use the new PS line of disinfectants. A solid product intro despite dreadful packaging and logotype."

With each Super Bowl 30-second time slot costing a record $2.5 million - or $83,333 per second, you would think the company would have all their ducks (not AFLAC) in a row when it comes to product packaging. I remember the American Home Health ad, but I was more focused on the green biohazard suits so I went back and looked at the products.

The message I got from a brief glimpse of the packaging was "industrial strength." I like the strong color family concept but the colors themselves come across as harsh and the package looks rather mundane, "institutionalized" and definitely not consumer oriented. This might have been the company’s strategy to give the product the industrial strength look equating to a better stronger product. In that case, they got their message across. We will wait to see how the packaging evolves after it has been on the market and in the consumers hands for a while.

Another ad where the package was the supposed star of the show, Pepsi Light, got panned by a media critic too. “The session features a group of men and women moaning and flirting with the can of Pepsi on a pedestal to the tune of "You want it." No thanks. Brown and bubbly…bad and burpy. Hardly appetizing.” Other media pundits also gave this ad thumbs down.

This sends a bad message to the packaging community, no matter how strongly the product is branded. I watched the commercial and didn’t get the point either.

So, spend some time and think about the perception of your package with a new product launch and analyze the cost of prime time advertising. What will the consumer see in your product? Will the first impression be a good one or a negative one that will have to be overcome at a later date? Does the package invite the consumer to come for a closer look? Remember, the best advertising will fail the test if the consumer doesn’t like the look of the product when they see it for themselves. With the right packaging, you can brand your product positively in the consumer’s eyes. Conversely, with the wrong packaging you can establish a lasting negative impression that can never be overcome.

Got products you want to ensure consumers will buy? Is your packaging is on the right target with the right message? Find out with a 15 minute consultation with the Packaging Diva. Email me at PackagingDiva@aol.com for an appointment or call 678-594-6872.

The DIVA is coming to NYC in late May. If you are interested in picking my brains about the latest trends and technologies or how to package products people will buy email me at PackagingDiva@aol.com or call 678-594-6872.

When David was a small boy his father asked him, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” David thought about it for a minute and answered, “I don’t know what I want to be, but I know that I DON’T want to be a salesman.” “That’s too bad,” his father responded. “Because, whatever you WANT to be, you HAVE to be a salesman.”

It is so true. You are always selling. You sell your products, your services, your ideas and most importantly, you sell yourself. No matter what you do for a living, you are a salesperson.

So what will help you succeed in this world of “sales”? Let’s take a look at how branding can help you sell yourself more successfully.

What is a brand? It is simply the emotional reaction and attachment that a customer has to their total experience with a company, product or service. Judgments about brand are created in the hearts and minds of customers.

Corporations understand the importance of branding. In this very competitive marketplace, it is more critical than ever that they differentiate themselves from their competition. Success depends on being visible; standing out and rising above the crowd. Managing their brand allows companies to grab attention and gain a hold on the hearts and minds of their customers.

But, you may be thinking, how can you maximize your brand as an individual? How can you harness the power of brand, to help you stand out from the crowd—to demonstrate the value you add? A personal brand provides you the same benefits as a corporate brand. Your brand is what you represent; what you stand for in the hearts and minds of others. It is not posing, pretending or posturing. It is about who you are every day consistently, and who you are working to become.

As you attempt to manage your personal brand, remember that we all make split second decisions about the world and the people with whom we come in contact. While you are taking in data and forming opinions about the people around you, they are doing the same. The way you dress, what your business card says, your tone of voice, your body language, your work ethic and the words you use, form mini impressions in the hearts and minds of others. These impressions are brand touchpoints, and collectively they form your brand image. You need to remain aware of and responsive to how your everyday actions create the impressions others have of you, so you can constantly shape your brand to maximize your value.

Regardless of where you are in the development of your image, there are five areas that you need to focus on:

1. How you look

Whether you like it or not, you are judged on your appearance. The moment you walk into a room, people’s mental checklists come into play. Are you well dressed? Check. Is your hairstyle both flattering and contemporary? Check. Do you look well groomed? Check. Do you look successful? Check. Many free spirits have said, “I’m not concerned with shallow things like clothes. My clothes express my personality.” Yes, they do. But think about what message you’re sending about yourself. Is your message, “I don’t care what you think.”? The key isn’t having the most extravagant wardrobe, it’s taking the time to look appropriate for the setting and situation. You want to be judged on merit; but if you don’t make a positive physical impression, you may never get a chance to impress others with your knowledge and skill.

2. How you communicate

No matter how wonderful your physical impression, you have to support it with good communication skills. Have you ever watched a presentation given by someone who is slump-shouldered, can’t look you in the eye and bores you to tears with their lack-luster voice? Don’t let that be you. Your body language needs to say that you are confident and relaxed. Good posture and appropriate gestures say that you are sure of what you’re saying and enthusiastic about your topic. Comfortable eye-contact says that you believe what you’re saying. Varying your vocal tone, pitch and pace says you are motivated to keep the person you’re talking to interested and that you are worth listening to. Your vocal skills are even more important when communicating on the phone because the person on the other end doesn’t have the benefit of visual input.

3. What you do

You can promise people the world; but, if you don’t follow through, your promises are meaningless. For example, you can assure someone that you make it a practice to always be on time; but when show up late you are sending quite another message. Your actions don’t match your words. Though people may not notice when you are punctual, every time you are late you leave a negative impression. The message received is that you made the person you are meeting a low priority, whereas showing up on time or a little early indicates that you consider that person and the time you will be spending with him very important.

This attitude goes beyond punctuality. You need to be seen as someone others can count on in a pinch. Ask yourself these questions:
• Can you be depended on to follow through no matter what?
• Are you the go-to person who consistently gives more than is asked for?
• Are you able to multi-task with grace?
• Is your word your bond?
Answer Yes to these questions, and you will deserve the confidence you’re seeking.

4. What you know

You probably don’t like to appear to be bragging about your accomplishments. No one likes the guy who flaunts his fancy degrees and financial successes. However, that’s a far cry from sharing the very things that qualify you as an expert on something. If you’re asking people to believe that you know what you’re doing and/or to take your advice, you need to tell them tell them why their confidence in you is justified. What makes you qualified will vary with what you’re trying to do, sell or teach. Perhaps it will be years of experience, a long and/or varied job history, an advanced education or a depth of research. The key is in giving your listener the information needed to make an informed decision.

5. How you reach out

Letter writing is an art. You need to make your communication compelling and effective. People will also want to do business with you based on what they see on paper.

Although e-mails are intended to be less formal methods of communication than written letters, you still have to be aware of proper e-mail etiquette which includes correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Mistakes in these areas make you look unprofessional or uneducated.

Something as small as your business card can have a big impact how you are viewed. When you hand someone a tattered card that has writing on the back, you are leaving an impression that you are not prepared to do business.

Remember everyday you have the ability to either support your current brand or enhance its power by supporting these five brand touchpoints. Create a powerful image that sells.

Laurie Brown is an international speaker, trainer and consultant who works to help people improve their sales, service and presentation skills. She is the author of The Teleprompter Manual for Executives, Politicians, Broadcasters and Speakers. Laurie can be contacted through http://www.thedifference.net, or 1-877.999.3433, or at lauriebrown@thedifference.net.

I always wonder if the ‘experts’ who appear on the morning shows (The Today Show; Good Morning America; CBS Morning Show) have any idea that they frequently sound stupid to perhaps half the people who are listening to them.

Consider the other morning, for example. According to one ‘expert,’ dentists all over the country are extremely worried because people are drinking so much bottled water, and, therefore, are not getting enough fluoride from drinking tap water.

"It is easy to drink fluoridated tap water," the expert said. "Everyone can just turn on their tap and drink fluoridated water."

Really?

Everyone?

What about those people who drink well water and are not hooked into a municipal water system that fluoridates the water supply?

I don’t know about people who live out in the country in other parts of the United States, but around here in Wisconsin, we do not install systems to fluoridate our well water. Sometimes people will give fluoride tablets to their children to prevent tooth decay, and the school districts will also give fluoride tablets to rural children, but from what I’ve read, fluoride tablets might not be such a good idea, either. I have read that fluoride can depress thyroid activity and that doctors used fluoride up until the 1950s to treat thyroid conditions.

Whether the claims about the dangers of fluoride are true or not, I cannot say for certain because I am not a research scientist who has investigated fluoride. What I can say for certain is that if you do a Google search for "fluoride" and "thyroid" more than 300,000 references come up. And when you start to read through the web page descriptions, you see that many of the websites are questioning the safety and efficacy of using fluoride either by tablet or in the drinking water.

In regard to the issue of drinking tap water for the fluoride, the expert on television went on to say that many people are afraid to drink their tap water because of contaminants.

Really?

Isn’t that why municipalities go to great pains to test their water? To make that sure the water is free from contaminants? Isn’t that why there are so many regulations concerning the testing done on municipal water to make sure that it is safe to drink? Isn’t that why municipal water systems have filters and other devices and procedures to make sure the contaminants are removed?

Be that as it may, the expert hastened to assure everyone that the bottled water companies were coming to the rescue and would soon sell BOTTLED WATER THAT CONTAINS FLUORIDE.

Ah-hah!

Now we come to the real crux of the matter.

It isn’t that dentists fear for our teeth and general dental health because so many people drink unfluoridated bottled water.

It isn’t that municipal water systems contain contaminants.

It’s that the bottled water companies want to create a market to sell more bottled water.

So now I wonder, how long did it take the publicist (hired by the bottled water companies, of course) to talk the producers of the morning news show into airing the segment?

It all makes me rather sick to my stomach.No one cares about the health of our teeth. It’s just that the bottled water companies want to sell more bottled water.

Then again, it serves as an excellent reminder.

When I see or hear something on television, or read about it in a newspaper or magazine, I must always ask myself — whose agenda is this?

And once I figure out who stands to profit by a certain train of thought or a certain opinion or a certain piece of "news" — I am just that much closer to the truth.

© LeAnn R. Ralph 2006

http://ruralroute2.com

If your company has a good product and a hungry market for that product, you’re closer to success than 90% of the rest. But to take that final step, some of the most successful companies in the world have hired a Branding Company to craft their company’s brand image into the sales and loyalty-generating machine it needs to be.

How have these successful companies—take your pick from the Fortune 500—found these branding companies? There’s no one-stop resource or fail-safe formula. Fact is, finding one worth its salt is exceedingly difficult. But if you’re going to take your brand to the next level, there’s no way around it—you need one. So, here are some things to remember when you’re out there on the hunt:

1. Know your needs and have an idea about how you’d like them met. This will give you the self-knowledge you need to better gauge the work of the branding agencies you’ll encounter to determine if they really can deliver what you need.

2. Go ahead, be a fan. If you admire the branding efforts of a certain company, call around and find out who did the work.

3. Go with a referral, not a blind hire. Canvass your contacts. This is always better than hiring someone with no frame of common reference. If they left a favorable impression on one person, chances are it’s a trend, not an exception.

4. Throw a few companies a bone & see what they do with it. Give them a general question or problem scenario. See how responsive they are and how much time it appears they put into crafting their response. This isn’t the same as asking for free or speculative work, which is bad form. Don’t do that. Rather, this should give you a preview to how they think and their work ethic…and whether they would really value your business and do a good job for you.

5. Money isn’t taboo. Once you’ve found a company you’d like to work with, discuss it from the outset. It’s better to agree on financial terms from the start than for either of you to be in a precarious position somewhere down the line. This may start with a simple question, like: “What’s your budget?” or “What would you typically charge for this kind of work?” If they ask you, give a number if you one in mind, but don’t pull it out of nowhere. Be sure you’ve educated yourself on the costs involved with the kind of work you need, and don’t expect them to give you a discount just because you have kind eyes. If you ask them, try to be specific. Ask how much it cost to produce a specific project in their portfolio.

Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru a leading Corporate Branding and Branding Research firm in Boston, MA.

Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation.

Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.

Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Franklin Sports and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies.

This Article may be freely copied as long as it is not modified and this resource box accompanies the article, together with working hyperlinks.

They say advertising is excessive: it interrupts TV series, preceding movie shows and dominating music award ceremonies. Some even lament that advertising not only occupies the media, but is also present everywhere else; the latest music editor softwares could be seen at bus shelters, and online VoIP products pictured in public telephone booths. It is irrelevant and disruptive.

If you agree with my last sentence above, continue reading. You might decide to change your mind.

First of all, I don’t think advertisers occupy the media. As a matter of fact, it is the media that courts companies, maybe except for over-popular shows. TV stations need funds to run your favorite programs, and radio broadcasts have to pay for the Music on Demand. It boils down to us consumers: we demand, and the media provides, at a price of course.

Ah, you might now argue that it is the advertisers who flock to the media and pay for available ad space. True! But how many time slots are so coveted over? Shows like the Super Bowl Football are rare. Other less endowed channels, in fact, have some hard time securing long-term ad contracts to be financially sufficient. It is thus fair to conclude that advertisers and the media, and us, are in a multilateral relationship.

Besides its commercial relevance, there is more to this misunderstood industry that we often miss out on, like how advertisements might effect cultural understanding, especially in this globalizing world of business. HSBC features newspaper ads of cultural differences across countries. FedEx has their TV ads filmed in Japan, showing the way Japanese people live and work. And I actually learned from a MasterCard ad that in India, people release white doves for luck. Interesting, isn’t it?

In addition, informative ads feed useful information to our preoccupied minds. Public service messages could be conveyed effectively through ad-works on air. And people get to know the latest products available on market during review hours. I mean, it would be a pity if we work so hard to produce all these commodities just to, in the end, know nothing of them. And because we work so hard, we could hardly afford to find out about what’s going on ourselves. Informative ads keep our society functioning as it is meant to.

But most of all, advertisers are creative (e-mails are not advertisements; they are spam). The appealing advertisements that crack you up or hook your eyes for the hundredth time take much more than the 30 seconds of airtime. Creativity, and the resulted attention, increases sales, and the advertising environment is so competitive nowadays it truly stimulates the human edge of creativity and nurtures it to flourish. Advertising signifies the human drive to succeed.

To me, what makes modern advertising desirable, besides bridging cultural gap, informing the populace or generating new ideas, is that it empowers every individual possible. It no longer takes an established firm to put up an ad. Any one anywhere can promote their ideas, products and even themselves through the thriving medium of the internet. 15-year-olds can now economically design and effect ads to promote their companies (yes, don’t look down on these young entrepreneurs). Any one could adopt different voices using voice changer softwares, and edit audio as well as video ads with the many music editor softwares and video editor softwares available. Because advertising could so omnipotently enable far-reaching creativity of expressions, it is relevant to our human society that values progressing thoughts and selective reception of ideas.

The staunchest critics of advertising might ask, what would be the future of advertising, now when people are able to get rid of the commercials. MythTV offers a plug-in that automatically filters out commercials during recording, whereas video editor softwares allow you to freely cut out unwanted ads from pre-recorded clips. Yes, people are actually paying to be free of advertisements.

But hey, think again! Advertising is not that inconsiderate. Have you ever listened to radio broadcasts so excessively loaded with audio commercials it’s impossible to follow? And advertising might be excessive and disruptive, but I suppose only to a minority few. In fact, like I have said, informative ads are actually desirable. Don’t you or your children feel excluded if you are not aware of the new iPod, or the latest music editor gadgets?

Trust the media. They are doing their work. Isn’t Google putting into place keyword-related ads to better suit your preference? Trust the authority, too. They approve all circulating ads, or at least those we often see. And most of all, trust the advertisers. We are mutually dependent; we need them for our TV shows, and they need our money votes.

Josh Nowell is a Media Morpher writer keen on advertising trends. He could be contacted at media@audio4fun.com