Monthly Archives January 2013

The New Rules for Branding – Getting Edgy or Getting Lost in the Noise of YOUR Marketplace

The biggest enemy to your business these days is being average.  With mass customization, free information, and a tight economy, you need to drive your branding image.  What are the new rules for branding? 1 – It must have a plot or a storyline.  Think Disney.  Chipotle has it’s brown bags with stories on them.  Harley is about terrorizing small towns (see previous blog post) 2. It must be unique to stand out.  Unless you have a BHAC (Big Hairy Audacious Concept) you have beige, average, pedestrian. 3. It must fill a need or create a new mind set for
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Is your Association out Terrorizing the Neighborhood?

Can you believe it!  The federal government actually thinks that Harley-Davidson is in the business of selling motorcycles. When asked one Harley honcho explained it this way.  “What we sell is the ability for a 43-year-old accountant to dress in black leather, ride through small towns, and have people be afraid of him.” So just what does Harley-Davidson sell?  In a word . . . an experience. There are some associations who still think that they are . . . well . . . er . . . associations.   Recent surveys indicate that 3 of the top 4 four things
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