Blog Archives

Nov 08 2018

Brand: why perception is everything when growing your business.

Comments: 0 | Posted by: Jamie Thomas

Often, when networking with other business owners, the core brand message I deliver is that ‘perception is everything’. It’s such a succinct message that it features on The Brand Experts business card (the tagline) because it’s a simple belief and a simple message that encapsulates and embodies a fundamental part of ‘brand’ and The Brand Experts offering: it links our brand purpose, the brand vision and the brand promise. If you agree with that belief and it resonates with you, then great –  we’re aligned and we can continue the conversation; if not, then maybe we’re not aligned? Not just yet anyway… Read on.

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Sep 20 2018

Brand: why no one ever really buys a product or service (and what they do buy).

Comments: 0 | Posted by: Jamie Thomas

No one has ever purchased a product or service. Ever.
Deny it as much as you want but we have only ever purchased one thing whenever we’ve bought something in the past, or if we intend to make a purchase (large or small) in the future – and it’s not a tangible product or even a service.

Regardless of socio-economic status – whether you’re filthy rich or poor, this factor does not discriminate. It applies equally to all people regardless of their background or status and in this way it defines and demonstrates its true power. Harness and communicate this quality and your business will experience serious growth.

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The Brand Entrepreneur
Sep 12 2018

Brand: discover the power of identity.

Comments: 0 | Posted by: Jamie Thomas

Identity. It’s a powerful thing.
Underlying everything we are and do, identity is what defines us, what we hold dear, what some people strive for, what many struggle to come to terms with, what some of us fight for and, in extreme cases, what some of us die for.

Identity (which includes relevance, meaning, connection and understanding) is what many are currently searching for to define themselves and their place in this crazy world. And yet, ironically, when pressed, many of us have no clear identity of who we really are either. We’ve never really considered our own identity for two reasons – no one has ever asked us and life kind of got in the way, right?

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The Brand Entrepreneur
Sep 07 2018

3 reasons why your brand needs video.

Comments: 0 | Posted by: Jamie Thomas

Effective videos are compelling, in-depth and emotional and with the right strategy behind it they are the perfect addition for your brand blueprint for business growth. Harnessing the power of video can therefore work wonders for increased brand awareness.

I recently met a talented documentary videographer with a distinct stylistic point of difference on my networking travels, which prompted me to write this blog about the power of brand videos in your brand storytelling strategy. We’ve all heard the saying ‘a picture tells a 1000 words’ right? If that’s the case, then what does a video add to your brand? Quite a lot as it turns out…

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The Brand Entrepreneur
Aug 24 2018

7 reasons to narrow your market focus for business growth.

Comments: 0 | Posted by: Jamie Thomas

Can you really shrink to greatness? How can you grow your business by narrowing your focus? As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog, a lot of brands today focus their resources and energies on the ‘brand’ itself, but the shift has already started – tomorrow ‘brand’ will be focused on building ‘community’ with an emphasis increasingly on interactions between advocates, customers and individual.

Somewhat counter intuitively, the way to build a community of like-minded people with the same values and beliefs (i.e. a brand) is not to go out and cast your net as wide as possible to anyone and everyone who will listen. Instead, get selective about your customer. Very selective…

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The Brand Entrepreneur
Aug 15 2018

Brand: deliver on your promise. It’s a matter of trust.

Comments: 0 | Posted by: Jamie Thomas

‘Certainty in an uncertain world’: that’s the emotional and functional benefit an effective brand offers to your customers – and by reflection your business. Consumers want to know they’re standing on solid ground with your offering – not only in terms of buying value but that your delivering something they can rely on – something they can trust. Time after time.

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The Brand Entrepreneur
Aug 09 2018

Brand: build a small, super-engaged community around your brand.

Comments: 0 | Posted by: Jamie Thomas

The most effective brands today and in the future will focus on building community, not content. While customers still want information, they really want connection and they’re looking for identity. Dig a little deeper and brand is really about giving customers something to believe in, be it purpose or fulfilment, all wrapped up around a community of similar thinking people – hence your tribe. All the more reason to get laser-focused on…

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The Brand Entrepreneur
Aug 02 2018

Brand: it’s your business approach.

Comments: 0 | Posted by: Jamie Thomas

Many businesses believe brand is a one-time process and a one-time investment – usually involving a series of meetings, workshops or discussions over a period of time (along with the price tag) with a specialist in marketing who talks in abstractions about experiences, emotions and mission & vision statements where nothing is ever concrete or certain. This is perhaps ironic given that brand and brand strategy provides your customers with certainty in an uncertain world.

There’s also the business that believes brand is…

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The Brand Entrepreneur
Jun 26 2018

Brand: it’s your call to action.

Comments: 0 | Posted by: Jamie Thomas

Building a brand is the most effective way of elevating your business beyond ‘commodity status’ – that’s to say – ensuring your business does not compete on price alone with your competitors. In this unfortunate scenario there’s never, ever a winner, not even the consumer, who in extreme cases ends up with either (at best) a long-term depressed local economy with little choice or variety, or at worst insolvency of large parts of the local economy and a heavy social cost as a result. Brand therefore becomes the ‘smart choice‘ for any business with the intention of growing or securing a position in the market, because it…

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The Brand Entrepreneur
Jun 19 2018

Brand: What’s the ‘right’ message to send for your business?

Comments: 0 | Posted by: Jamie Thomas

My last blog focused on the benefits of investing in effective graphic design to leave a ‘good’ first impression for your brand (it sets the tone for the rest of the business relationship). If ‘perception is everything’ in brand and in business, then it’s in your businesses best interests to… build a positive and effective identity, find your voice and…

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