Comments for Strengthening Brand America http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:46:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on Differentiate or Be Ignored by Jim Hill http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1199&cpage=1#comment-2785 Jim Hill Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:46:57 +0000 http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1199#comment-2785 Great article on understanding the importance of crisp and memorable differentiators for any brand. Very important, but very hard to do for most businesses. Great article on understanding the importance of crisp and memorable differentiators for any brand. Very important, but very hard to do for most businesses.

]]> Comment on Differentiate or Be Ignored by Linda H. DiMario http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1199&cpage=1#comment-2784 Linda H. DiMario Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:41:15 +0000 http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1199#comment-2784 The brand promise ought to reflect the framework of the very differentiating charactersitics upon which the brand platform and brand culture are premised. The more definitive the promise, the easier and more likely the private and public sector partners in a community or destination can reflect it in meaningful and distinguishing ways in their words and actions. The brand promise ought to reflect the framework of the very differentiating charactersitics upon which the brand platform and brand culture are premised. The more definitive the promise, the easier and more likely the private and public sector partners in a community or destination can reflect it in meaningful and distinguishing ways in their words and actions.

]]> Comment on You First Need To get Noticed by Jan Ross http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1194&cpage=1#comment-2773 Jan Ross Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:24:02 +0000 http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1194#comment-2773 Great article with strong advice for destinations to improve their online presence and ranking. Thanks for the tip on Website Grader - great info to compare effectiveness and to understand why some do it better than others. Great article with strong advice for destinations to improve their online presence and ranking. Thanks for the tip on Website Grader – great info to compare effectiveness and to understand why some do it better than others.

]]> Comment on What’s in a Name? by Joan http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1184&cpage=1#comment-2771 Joan Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:48:47 +0000 http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1184#comment-2771 This is way more helpful than aythnnig else I've looked at. This is way more helpful than aythnnig else I’ve looked at.

]]> Comment on You First Need To get Noticed by Steve S. Chandler http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1194&cpage=1#comment-2768 Steve S. Chandler Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:27:50 +0000 http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1194#comment-2768 This is a fantastic post. I could not agree more. It amazes me to see how many economic development organizations bury their information inside the walls of a city website. It practically screams were not that special of a place for bring your business. In addition, everyone is absolutely singing the same song (wait for it) of " a great place to live, work and play" peppered with stats on available land, labor force and accolades. Bottom-line - communities must realize their success absolutely requires a well thought out plan for building their brand footprint online! Thanks for the article! This is a fantastic post. I could not agree more. It amazes me to see how many economic development organizations bury their information inside the walls of a city website. It practically screams were not that special of a place for bring your business.

In addition, everyone is absolutely singing the same song (wait for it) of ” a great place to live, work and play” peppered with stats on available land, labor force and accolades.

Bottom-line – communities must realize their success absolutely requires a well thought out plan for building their brand footprint online!

Thanks for the article!

]]> Comment on Designing The Future – Gap Analysis by Alex Romero http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1118&cpage=1#comment-2762 Alex Romero Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:38:42 +0000 http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1118#comment-2762 Gap analysis is one of the best tools to drive continuous improvement. Keys to success are discipline, consistency and rigor. Discipline in making sure that the team adopts the culture and behavior changes along with the tools - the reward many times is in the analysis, which often companies want to cut short & oversimplify to standard reports. Consistency is key because it takes several business cycles to learn what works and not in terms of both identifying issues and resolving them. Consistency is also about building the team's confidence in the method... Finally, rigor - is about getting to the root cause of the problem... Some methodologies state that you can get to the root cause by stating the issue or obvious consequence (e.g., volume gap in a region) and then repetitively ask "Why ?" ... first and second rounds of why usually segment the issue (e.g., by team, by brand, by SKU, etc.)... however next rounds start to identify the true issues/reasons for the gap - getting to the root cause will enable the team to develop a solution that truly delivers gap closure. A great book about this - and it has been around for quite a while is "Building A Chain Of Customers" by Schonberger. Hope it helps! Gap analysis is one of the best tools to drive continuous improvement. Keys to success are discipline, consistency and rigor.

Discipline in making sure that the team adopts the culture and behavior changes along with the tools – the reward many times is in the analysis, which often companies want to cut short & oversimplify to standard reports.

Consistency is key because it takes several business cycles to learn what works and not in terms of both identifying issues and resolving them. Consistency is also about building the team’s confidence in the method…

Finally, rigor – is about getting to the root cause of the problem… Some methodologies state that you can get to the root cause by stating the issue or obvious consequence (e.g., volume gap in a region) and then repetitively ask “Why ?” … first and second rounds of why usually segment the issue (e.g., by team, by brand, by SKU, etc.)… however next rounds start to identify the true issues/reasons for the gap – getting to the root cause will enable the team to develop a solution that truly delivers gap closure.

A great book about this – and it has been around for quite a while is “Building A Chain Of Customers” by Schonberger. Hope it helps!

]]> Comment on You First Need To get Noticed by John Marshall http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1194&cpage=1#comment-2761 John Marshall Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:49:56 +0000 http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1194#comment-2761 In my somewhat biased opinion, it is currently the most effective use of marketing dollars for an Economic Development organization. Site selectors do over 80% of their analysis online, before they ever pick up the phone. Smart phones and tablets with hotspots are becoming widespread. Google and other search engines are replacing the yellow pages. Facebook is replacing many of our society's old ways of communication. A strong online presence displays an active and progressive business climate that says "we are open for business". #econdev In my somewhat biased opinion, it is currently the most effective use of marketing dollars for an Economic Development organization. Site selectors do over 80% of their analysis online, before they ever pick up the phone. Smart phones and tablets with hotspots are becoming widespread. Google and other search engines are replacing the yellow pages. Facebook is replacing many of our society’s old ways of communication. A strong online presence displays an active and progressive business climate that says “we are open for business”. #econdev

]]> Comment on You First Need To get Noticed by Linda H. DiMario http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1194&cpage=1#comment-2760 Linda H. DiMario Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:38:04 +0000 http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1194#comment-2760 By online presence, I am interpreting that to mean all online including social media. That being the case, according to research and surveys of site selectors, developers and commercial brokers, pretty darn important these days. Before the internet and social media, a site selector would conduct a site visit and seek out word of mouth reflections of the community into which they were looking to relocate. Now, they can, and do, easily tune into online chatter and social media channels to read what residents, business owners, cities, realtors, customers and other developers are saying about a community in real time, unfiltered! That's why cities need a robust communications plan, including some paid online advertising and social media, to build identity and reputation. If EDOs and cities don't do it, others surely will! By online presence, I am interpreting that to mean all online including social media. That being the case, according to research and surveys of site selectors, developers and commercial brokers, pretty darn important these days. Before the internet and social media, a site selector would conduct a site visit and seek out word of mouth reflections of the community into which they were looking to relocate. Now, they can, and do, easily tune into online chatter and social media channels to read what residents, business owners, cities, realtors, customers and other developers are saying about a community in real time, unfiltered! That’s why cities need a robust communications plan, including some paid online advertising and social media, to build identity and reputation. If EDOs and cities don’t do it, others surely will!

]]> Comment on What’s in a Name? by Ralph http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1184&cpage=1#comment-2757 Ralph Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:25:11 +0000 http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1184#comment-2757 Correctionville, Iowa. It sounds like a prison town even to people who live nearby and know otherwise ...actually this town is a spot where they corrected and aligned initial surveys from before Iowa was settled. Correctionville, Iowa. It sounds like a prison town even to people who live nearby and know otherwise …actually this town is a spot where they corrected and aligned initial surveys from before Iowa was settled.

]]> Comment on Harness The Voice of Your Community by Linda Armsey http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1173&cpage=1#comment-2756 Linda Armsey Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:17:06 +0000 http://strengtheningbrandamerica.com/blog/?p=1173#comment-2756 Like many things you can rule social media or social media can rule you. I haven't reached a balance just yet. Nothing can replace face-to-face but that's not always possible or practical. My biggest problem is understanding just what the potential of LinkedIn is. (Facebook I can take or leave.) It seems to me that until the majority of members are committed or forced to understanding how to use the medium, LinkedIn will be a frustration/nusance to many. Like many things you can rule social media or social media can rule you. I haven’t reached a balance just yet. Nothing can replace face-to-face but that’s not always possible or practical. My biggest problem is understanding just what the potential of LinkedIn is. (Facebook I can take or leave.) It seems to me that until the majority of members are committed or forced to understanding how to use the medium, LinkedIn will be a frustration/nusance to many.

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