The holidays are usually a time of great generosity (even for the Grinch!). The energy of the season makes us reflect on the past year and evaluate our accomplishments and shortcomings. Whatever our financial circumstances, whether we have big profits or no profits, we want to contribute to others.

Giving to our family and friends is easy to do. We spend a lot of time with them and we know what they own, what they like, and what they need. Giving to our community can also be as easy when you know what to consider. If your giving brings more opportunities to your brand it will encourage you to do even more, and possibly provide the means to do so, so don’t feel guilty that you’ll be receiving something fabulous in return.

With service based businesses, the challenge in charitable giving often lies in finding the right way to gift our services. It’s takes planning, because we need to accommodate our schedules while making a true service contribution as well as a brand impact. When your brand is in the spotlight it’s important to position it with the right message, the right benefits and the right actions. Here are some… Read the full article... →

How do you solidify your Brand Difference?

When a brand establishes itself as the leader by making a claim that no one else can, their customers perceive them as the only solution to their problems. So how do you set yourself apart from the competition in a way that establishes both an authentic emotional connection as well as a need fulfilled? The foundation of developing your difference lies within every experience you’ve already had. The key to standing out in the past several years has become more dependent on your unique characteristics than in any other time in our history.

To start, let’s look at the top identifiers for brand distinction – S.P.A.C.E. Signals, Performance, Audience, Character and Emotion.

Signals. One way to stand out is with your brand signals. Brand signals include the external components of your identity. Things such as your logo, website, tag line, name, colors, etc. These are the external factors that help your clients to remember and recall your services when needed. Big companies spend tens of thousands of dollars on these components, but you don’t need to as long as you create something clear and authentic.

Performance Coupled… Read the full article... →