053 The Invisible Touch – Brands and Performance
The Second Key: Brand
Nearly every study about branding deals with products.
Coke, Pepsi, Ford, Mercedes, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Gillette, Schick, Dove, Dial, Hershey's, Mars – OK, so those are the brand names and not specific products, but you get the idea.
But since my work is with service providers (even those who sell products as part of their service), let's understand why services are not usually in those studies: Services are often Local vs National or International; Services are linked indelibly to the individual providing them.
Services Are Often Local vs National or International
OK… I can hear you now: what about huge law firms or accountants that have offices all over the world.
They do indeed have a brand idendification.
But think deeper: do you (or others) go to that firm because of what it is OR go to it because you have made a connection with someone there? Maybe your first connection was because of the firm's name or maybe when you met the individual you work with, having the firm's brand name attached helped attract you to him or her. But…
People work with People, period. That's what make service businesses successful, though so many people forget that.
Services are linked indelibly to the individual providing them
Are all the people who work there the same? Do they each have the same knowledge? Do they each deliver the same client service
Hell no.
When, in my photography business, some of the large "factory-type" photographers (those with multiple photographers) would sell against me by putting fear in the mind of the bride and groom: "what if he gets SICK – we have a photographer waiting to work with you if that happens to one of OUR photographers," it was NOT an effective strategy.
WHAT? REALLY!!? They have someone just sitting around (being paid) in case one of their photographers got sick and couldn't fulfill the contract? And what if TWO of their photographers were sick – do they have TWO others just sitting around.
And what about the QUALITY of those substitute photographers… how do they compare with the one that you hire.
Oops, I forgot: most of those "factory-type" photography houses don't even tell you who their photographer IS until you are close to your event. WHAT kind of customer service is THAT? Will every photographer give the same kind of attention, produce the same quality of work, capture all the special images that the bride and groom are looking for?
Not a chance.
And that's why those photographers seldom won an Agreement away from me… unless they were selling only on PRICE: and then I didn't want the client anyway.
So… when thinking about your service, remember that Branding is all about WHO you are and WHAT you do. Be consistent, offer superior work, tell your story, get people to notice you.
You're not a can of Coke – but you can still tell your story through the images (branding) you create.
Best,
Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting
The Invisible Touch – A Marketing Blog Series By Charles Seymour Jr
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Charlie Seymour Jr is an entrepreneurial evangelist and marketing-success coach helping individuals and companies (up to $100MM) explode their success through online and direct-response marketing. He specializes in blogging, podcasting, photography, video, and Facebook applications. Visit his blog at http://bit.ly/24eYTO to learn more about his successes.
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053 The Invisible Touch – Brands and Performance
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