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How can I update my company's image?
Q: "I need something that makes my business stand out from the competition. What's a good way to update my company's image?"
A: Standing out from your competition can be done a number of different ways. The key operative word is different. Most businesses are built with word of mouth advertising. Everyone knows that. The part that businesses struggle with is: If you want word of mouth advertising you must give customers something to talk about. Therefore, different is good. Unusual is also good because unusual things will get people talking. The New Year is the perfect time to launch a new image initiative because the New Year is always full of promise and expectation of a better year.
The best way to capture attention is with the three Cs. When you buy a diamond, they say its color, clarity, and carats. Almost the same rules hold true for image initiatives:
- Color – What colors do you use? What is your "trade dressing"? Your trade dressing include the colors you use, the fonts you select, and the graphic enhancements to your image, logo, or signature lines.
- Copy – I believe that copy is king, but I'm a writer so I have my bias. I have seen a few short words create brand excitement. "That was easy" has been a brilliant initiative by Staples. Can you imagine giving a button with a company's advertising initiative for a Christmas gift? (I actually gave out five Easy Buttons™ as gifts, and a friend of mine gave out almost 75. He loves the concept.) Copy is king. I could go on, but space doesn't allow it.
- Content – Does the image change mean something in the mind of the customer? If it is a change for the sake of changing, it might not work. But if it has meaning behind the attention grabber, then it makes sense. "That Was Easy" is not only fun, short, brightly colored, playful, and means that the business is hassle free, time saving, and convenient. It's also easy.
One last word of caution: "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water." That means be careful about radical changes. You might be tired of your image, but some customers might still like it. Enhancement and improvement might just be enough to make the difference.
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