We’re all smitten with social media. We can talk to people all around the globe, we can grow our businesses, and we can reach out and touch our neighbors without leaving the comfort of home. We chat, we tweet, we post, we blog, we share, we comment, we Skype, we’re up on all the latest social media platforms, and we’re happily and proudly engaged.

But have you ever thought about how your social media activity affects your brand? How exactly are you managing your brand in the social media age?

Branding is evolving, courtesy of the social media age. Let’s use an example shall we?

Scenario1 We’re all aware that when we send out a formal letter in the mail, we need to check it for proper spelling, punctuation and grammar. We also make sure there’s a proper salutation and closing with a signature. We also print letters on branded letterhead, with a branded envelope, and any attachments usually have a visible company logo. A complete, pretty little branded package of printed communication.

Scenario 2 When you send an email to a client or a prospect are you making sure all these same criteria are met? Too many professionals are not paying enough attention to the subtle communication of their brand when it comes to email. How many times have you received an email with a too-casual salutation, misspellings, improper grammar, and no closing, but a signature line full of social media contact info? It’s somewhat neat, easy to distribute, but a not-so-hot sounding piece of communication, yet it still affects your brand 100%.

Scenario 3 Your Twitter account is under a business name, you have a Facebook page for business, and you’re LinkedIn to your professional network. You tweet a mix of personal and business info, but it’s abbreviated and quick so you misspell too often, might go on a rant, chat socially with your friends, etc. Your Facebook fan page still has personal posts, but you can’t help it, after all, that was the whole point of Facebook. It’s purely social. LinkedIn is for professional, formal communication. However, you use Twitter, Facebook and texting most frequently so you unconsciously send informal messages and post comments on LinkedIn, even though it’s the most professional platform.

Review these scenarios. Does each instance reflect your brand? Absolutely! The question becomes, how are you reflecting your brand when you communicate on social media? Are you paying as much attention to your Facebook fan page posts as you would to a client email? What weight do you place on a formal letter versus your LinkedIn group comment? As we develop more platforms by which we communicate, you must remember, if you’re using any of these platforms for business, your brand is reflected in all that you post, so be cognizant of your brand reputation online. Your first impression is still important, and in the age of social media, you don’t know when, where, or how our first point of contact will happen with a prospect. Online posts last forever.

I had the pleasure of spending my lunch time with LaKesha Womack for her appropriately named blog talk radio show, “Lunch with LaKesha“. We discussed some key points in building a successful brand. The points we covered were:

• Consistency
• Positioning
• Professionalism
• Image
• Communicating the right message

Click below to get the details of everything we talked about during lunch.

You know your business needs a strong, solid brand to compete in the marketplace. You know the basics of building a brand. You’re active on various social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, Digg, About.me, etc. How do you manage to develop a cohesive brand across all these different platforms? Hint: it’s more than using the same logo pic on your profiles!
Here are some critical points to ensure your branded online presence is consistent at all times. Remember, your brand is accessible 24 hours a day. You never know when, where, or how your next client will find you.

Post with consistency

There’s a fundamental lesson you have to understand as you  develop your brand on social media: you have to use it consistently! You can’t put up a profile and walk away. The old adage “build it and they will come” no longer applies. The sea is crowded, and you have to stay engaged in order to stay in front of your customers. For business, a general rule of thumb is Monday-Friday to share content. Update your LinkedIn status at least once a week, and you need to tweet/FB several times daily to maintain an active presence.

Your website is the foundation for your social media brand.

Be sure to include all the sharing buttons on your company website. Post snippets of your blog as an RSS feed, include widgets to show what you’re talking about on Facebook, etc. Show which social media platforms you’re using and include the usernames. Include select employees’ profiles when it’s appropriate. Let your site visitors know where they can find you, and they just might search for you and become your newest followers and future clients.

Engage with others across the various social media platforms

Interact with your peers and your prospects. Do this by posting useful comments on blogs. Follow others and share their information. The important key is to share relevant content. Your prospects will appreciate learning new tips and tricks to better their business, and they will come to see you as the go-to person for answers. This is a primary goal of your every move in business isn’t it? To become the go-to company, excuse me, go-to brand for expertise?

Create a visually cohesive brand

The look and feel of your brand must be cohesive from a visual perspective. For example, if your profile pics are similar, I don’t have to guess who you are. If your bios are similar, again, I’m not guessing if I’ve found the brand/person I’m looking for. Don’t leave this to chance. Create a great bio for yourself as an individual, then create one for your company. Next, merge the two and create a captivating keyword-rich bio that will attract your target and use this bio for your profiles!

Content should have an identifiable voice

When you’re online your posts and comments should all have a unifying theme, related to your brand. When people read your posts, they should be able to identify and/or recognize the voice behind the words. For example, my blog/ comments/ tweets/ FB posts all sound like the same person. I don’t write formal on Facebook, then turn around and forget grammar rules on Twitter because it’s only 140 characters, then comment on others’ blogs like I’m a scientific theorist. All my online chatter sounds like my blog, not too formal, straightforward in my approach, with a little of my sassy attitude thrown in, because that’s the person you’re going to be looking for when you meet me. Believe it or not, I’ve had people actually say to me “you sound just like your tweets” when they meet me in person. This is one of the biggest compliments you can get from a branding perspective.  Mission accomplished!

Keep your fans up to date with your activity

When you know you’re going to be super busy and forced to be a bit inactive online, whether you’re preparing for a major event or going on vacation, tell your online fans. Remember, consistency reigns at all times. If you go offline for a period of time, or start posting less frequently, there is a chance you will be forgotten if you don’t give a heads up. Simple tweets like “Can’t wait to go on vacation next week and decompress, looking forward to going offline and relaxing with a mai tai” will inform your followers that you’ll be absent. A Facebook post letting your friends know you’re starting a new job so you won’t have as much time to check in during business hours not only explains your upcoming plans, but also why you’ll be posting less frequently or changing the times you’ll be posting. In other words, we won’t mark you as “absent”.
Social media is an official part of your marketing strategy, so why not learn how to use it strategically to build your brand? Build your credibility as an authority in your industry, stay consistent, and you will have a powerful brand that you can leverage to grow your business!

When all other airlines were laying off employees and raising fees, Southwest did the the exact opposite. They had come across a formula that went against the grain in the airline world. The result was success.

In the  2011 North America Airline Satisfaction Study J.D. Power rated them “among the best” (highest rating) in 5 different categories.

In the Glassdoor.com 2011 Best Places To Work – Employees’ Choice award Southwest ranked #2.

According to their website, Southwest Airlines has consistently received the lowest ratio of complaints per passengers boarded of all Major U.S. carriers that have been reporting statistics to the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Their unique but seemingly obvious tactics are more than enough to spotlight them. They don’t follow the trend but rather set it.

So what makes up the Southwest brand?

The Logo

Just like Southwest themselves, the logo is simple. It features a small, multicolored rendition of their easily recognizable plane flying upward. Underneath that are the words Southwest Airlines in all caps.

The Website & Booking

One of the elements that makes Southwest unique is that the only way to book a flight with them is to navigate to southwest.com. The reason this is unique is that most major airlines also allow you to go to a booking site such as Expedia.com or Travelocity.com as an alternative. At first glance it may seem restrictive to only handle booking through its website. In actuality, this is one of the ways Southwest manages to keep their fares so low.

By circumventing the online travel agencies and solely using their own branded website, Southwest is able to reduce its own costs and pass those savings on to the consumer.

which brings us to…

The Low Fares and High Service

It’s not a new concept to offer a good or service at a lower price to draw in consumers. What is a bit different is offering  a lower price and still provide equal or better service than your competitors. When other airlines where starting to charge more for baggage, Southwest said “Bags Fly Free“. This was instantly attractive to travelers who had seen increased fares and less amenities.

Even with low fares Southwest still ranks high on many lists (#12 on the Bloom burg Business Week Customer Service Elite List). The staff bends over backwards to make the atmosphere light and lively. Unlike coined phrases and forced smiles at departure, Southwest does customer service outside of the box.

The Ads

Southwest marketing team knows how to focus on the things that will grab a consumers attention in their television ads. The focus is on things that most airlines have stopped offering such as no-hassle reward point redemption.

Southwest Airlines has proven that businesses can survive providing high customer service at a low cost. Their brand has succeeded over all others by becoming the current most profitable airline around. A company in any industry can learn something from the Southwest brand.

“Hand me that Kleenex”.

“I’m going to Xerox these forms”.

“Google that information for me”.

These are brands that have become a part of our everyday language. Sometimes the popularity of a brand becomes so large that its name is used synonymously with an action or thing, even when that particular product brand is not actually being used.

They even have a name for this. It’s called a genericized trademark.

A genericized trademark (also known as a generic trademark, proprietary eponym) is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation (“secondary meaning”) as intended by the trademark’s holder. Using a genericized trademark to refer to the general form of what that trademark represents is a form of metonymy.

I listed some brands that have become bigger than the product itself and have become genericized trademarks (Or for legal terms, have been close or on their way to becoming genericized trademarks)

Band-Aid

History
The Band-Aid was invented in 1920 by Earle Dickson, an employee of Johnson & Johnson, for his wife Josephine Dickson, who frequently cut and burned herself while cooking. The prototype product allowed his wife to dress her wounds without assistance. Dickson, a Highland Park, New Jersey, resident at the time, passed the idea on to his employer who then went on to produce and market the product as the Band-Aid.

References
Band-aid is used to define any type of adhesive bandage. (ex. “My leg hurts, Mommy. Can I get a band-aid?”)

Xerox

History
Xerox was founded in 1906 in Rochester as “The Haloid Photographic Company”, which originally manufactured photographic paper and equipment. The company subsequently changed its name to “Haloid Xerox” in 1958 and then simply “Xerox” in 1961.

Reference
Xerox is usually used as a verb to describe the act of making paper copies of something. (ex. “If you could run down to the print room and xerox these documents for me.”)

Google

History
Google began in January 1996 as a research project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin when they were both Ph.D. students at Stanford University in California.

Reference
Google is used as a verb. It has been used to define any online search for information. (ex. I am not sure of the exact quote but I can google it for you.”)

Windex

History
When Windex was invented in 1933 by Harry R. Drackett, it was essentially 100% solvent, and as a flammable product, it had to be sold in metal cans. When modern surfactants were introduced after World War II, the product was reformulated.

Reference
Windex is used to refer to any type of window and glass cleaner. (ex. “There are fingerprints all over this mirror. I will need some Windex to remove them.”)

Clorox

History
The product and the company date to May 3, 1913, when five entrepreneurs, Archibald Taft, a banker; Edward Hughes, a purveyor of wood and coal; Charles Husband, a bookkeeper; Rufus Myers, a lawyer; and William Hussey, a miner, invested $100 apiece to set up the first commercial-scale liquid bleach factory in the United States, on the east side of San Francisco Bay. The firm was first called the Electro-Alkaline Company. The name of its original bleach product, Clorox, was coined as a portmanteau of chlorine and sodium hydroxide, the two main ingredients.

Reference
Even though Clorax actually makes several products under that name it is still used to define any household bleaching product. (ex. “The bathroom tiles were so stained with mildew I had to use Clorox to clean them”)

Q-tip

History
The cotton swab was invented in the 1920s by Leo Gerstenzang after he attached wads of cotton to toothpicks. His product, which he named “Baby Gays”, went on to become the most widely sold brand name, “Q-tips”, with the Q standing for “quality”.

Reference
When referring to a cotton swab most people will use the term Q-tip. (e.x. “I used a Q-tip to clean the wax out of my ears.”)

Kleenex

History
The material from which Kleenex is made was originally called “Cheesecloth UGG,” and was designed by Kimberly-Clark during World War I. It came to be used in gas mask filters during the war as a replacement for cotton, which was in high demand for use as a surgical dressing.

The Kimberly-Clark Corporation created the first Western facial tissue in 1924.

Reference
Kleenex has been referred to as any facial tissue. (ex. “I had to keep wiping my nose with a Kleenex in the meeting because it would not stop running.”)

Is it a pro or a con to become a household name?

While it may seem the goal of a company to become a household name, a brand can be so widely used that it becomes “generic” and can run the risk of losing its original trademark. When a brand is so widely used, it can lose its right to registration and its right to protection.

Here’s a short list of brands that have done just that.:

• Aspirin, originally a trademark of Bayer AG
• Butterscotch, originally a trademark of Parkinson’s
• Escalator, originally a trademark of Otis Elevator Company
• Heroin, originally a trademark of Bayer AG
• Kerosene, originally a trademark of Abraham Gesner
• Phillips-head screw, named after Henry F. Phillips
• Thermos, originally a trademark of Thermos GmbH
• Yo-yo, originally a trademark of Duncan Yo-Yo Company
• Zipper, originally a trademark of B.F. Goodrich

Can you think of any other brands that we use today that have become generic terms?

In this age of social networking, where the world wide web brings people from all parts of the globe together across the Internet bandwidth within seconds, more-than-likely a portion of your clients will meet you through your web presence before they ever meet you in your physical presence; if they ever meet you face-to-face at all.

With that in mind, I’m always baffled by how little effort some businesses, many businesses, put into their web presence.

The same person who will spend thousands of dollars on the latest, model car with all the bells and whistles

or

the same company that will burst their budget buying thousands of dollars of high-end office space

and thousands of dollars on new-age, ergonomic office furniture

and thousands of dollars on today’s cutting-edge computer technology

will throw a mere pittance at their company’s website.

Think about it…

Your web presence may be the only opportunity you have to impress an entire segment of your clientele, and you drag them to the worst cyberHood in your cyberWorld.

When I have clients who don’t understand the difference between a domain and hosting, this is what I tell them: “Your domain is the equivalent of your home address. It’s what you give people to come to your house to visit. Your hosting is where your house sits. Think of the hosting as your little piece of eLand, your website as your house and your domain as the address you give people to stop by and say hello.”

Now with that in mind, why would you build your house (website) yourself if you don’t know carpentry (web design/development)?

Just like real estate is a huge investment that should be carefully planned and thought-out, “virtual” real estate is a huge investment that should be carefully planned and thought-out.

If you’re not familiar with the market, real or virtual, consult an expert.

If you weren’t a plumber, and you didn’t know how to unclog or replace your sump pump, you’d hire an expert who knows what s/he’s doing.

If you weren’t an electrician, and you didn’t know how to wire your unfinished basement, you’d hire an expert who knows what s/he’s doing.

If you weren’t a car mechanic, and you didn’t know how to replace your car’s transmission, you’d hire an expert who knows what s/he’s doing (or you’d by a new car).

The same should apply when you’re creating your web presence. If website design/development is not one of your fields of expertise, hire someone who knows what s/he’s doing.

Don’t be conned into believing that you can build your website in a night without knowing anything about web development/design.

The “one-click” install is awesome until it refuses to act right, and then you have to hire someone who knows what s/he’s doing because you have no idea what the “one-click” install did on your behalf.

Stay with me now. Inhale…

The shoddy job you would do at unclogging/replacing your sump pump if you bought a do-it-yourself manual, the dangerous outcome of wiring your unfinished basement without the know-how of what wire goes with what wire and the seven left-over screws and three left-over washers that would be on your driveway once you finished replacing your transmission the way you think it goes is about the same thing you do when you skimp on your web presence by trying to create and erect your own website.

Exhale…

I’m not suggesting that paying more means you’re getting more.

Just like hiring a plumber or an electrician or a car mechanic, you need to shop around, ask for referrals from previous clients and carefully plan and think out who will create your website and how it will be maintained.

Plumbers, electricians, car mechanics and even web designers/developers (quality web designers/developers) spend years learning, practicing, re-learning and practicing again.

Do not trust your brand to some one-click, drag-and-drop, cookie cutter creation (not creative) process.

They say pediatricians and morticians will always have work, because PEOPLE will continue to be born and continue to pass away. I won’t profess that website design/development can be likened to the miracles of birth and the reality of mortality. All I want you to understand is that when you remove the HUMAN factor from web design/development, there goes the neighborhood.

While McDonald’s gets all the attention in the fast food world, if you want to talk about a consistent brand you have to mention Chick-fil-a.

Chick-fil-a is a privately-held, Christian-owned company that closes every Sunday. The staff greets you with a smile and the dining area is always clean and orderly.  As soon as you walk through the door you can tell every step possible has been taken to make sure that the customer is well taken care of.

So let’s run through what makes up the Chick-fil-a brand.

The Logo 

A simple, one-color logo, in script writing, with the head of a chicken interposed into the “C”  is what makes up the logo.

There is no doubt what their specialty is.

A fast-food restaurant should make it very clear what it is about within its logo. When driving down the street you want to be able to glance at its sign and know immediately what that restaurant deals in.

The Staff

The staff is like no other in the fast-food industry. Chick-fil-a’s mission is simple – “Be America’s Best Quick-Service Restaurant”.

While we are used to rude teenagers mumbling “good afternoon” to customers, there is none of that at Chick-fil-a. With smiles that would have you to assume their job is the best in the world, they politely take your order. If the order takes a nanosecond longer than it should, they quickly return to apologize for the wait and to let you know your order will be up in a moment.

This alone would make people want to visit Chik-fil-a. It is a refreshing break from the norm.

Chick-fil-la is the model for great customer service.

The Menu

What is the name?

Chick-fil-la.

What do they serve?

Chicken.

While this may seem like pre-K logic, it’s more common than not that a fast-food chain would sell much more than their name would suggest.

Chik-fil-a’s brand remains strong because they don’t go too far outside their specialty. There are six chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, chicken strips, chicken salad sandwich and chicken soup on their menu.

The chicken is not like any you will find anywhere else. Customers are willing to pay a little more here than other places because of it. The product is strong enough to stand against any debate on higher pricing.

The Dining Area

While this may not seem important, you have to understand that the dining area is the introduction to the customer.

Nothing takes more maintenance and care than keeping a highly-trafficked eating area clean and orderly.

Chik-fil-a employees seem to go the extra mile to make sure this is top priority. Nothing is out of place. Condiments are openly displayed and not hidden behind a counter only available upon request.

The cleanliness of their dining area is company-wide. There isn’t one I’ve seen that has been less than flattering.

The Marketing

Eat Mor Chikin (Eat More Chicken).

This is the battle cry for the cows desperate to turn the entire world away from eating beef. Using cows as the face for a fast-food chicken restaurant is incredibly creative. Who better to push the idea of eating chicken than a cow?

Chik-fil-a doesn’t do a lot of television ad campaigns, but everyone recognizes the cows who’s handwriting and spelling have little to be desired.

From their waffle fries to their quick moving drive-thru line, Chick-fil-a’s brand is built for longevity. They have mastered the art of treating people well—a lost art nowadays.

The iPad, iPhone, iMac, iThis, iThat. Unless you have been living under an iRock you have heard of the Apple brand. Whether you like their products or not, whether you have ever used them or not, you are very familiar with it. It is one of the strongest brands in the world. Customers camp out for their products and “drop dates” make headline news. Everything that surrounds Apple is a big deal, from the CEO to the look and feel of each product.

Let’s take a look at what shapes the Apple brand.

The Logo

The logo is simple but very recognizable; an apple with a bite (byte) taken out of it. The apple is given a chrome finish which is appropriate since it represents the sleek and polished designs of their products. It is a logo that is hard not to notice. Even when it is placed subtly in a movie, the glowing apple still seems to stand out among the actors and other props. Using a fruit to represent a company that specializes in computer technology might seem odd but Apple has turned it into a marketing masterpiece.

The Products

Humans are visual creatures. Our first impression of something is usually through sight. Apple knows this and has capitalized on it. The block style of PC’s was not sufficient enough for Apple. They opted for a smoother, sleeker design that appealed to the geek and non-geek alike. Before someone even knows the technical differences between a Mac and a PC the look of the Mac makes the decision for them. The rest of their products followed right in line.

Apple also knew capability was important. With Microsoft’s operating system holding onto the lion’s share of the market and most software and hardware being compatible to them, Apple wanted to make sure it provided its consumers all it needed within its own family of products. They created a well-rounded and complete selection for the Apple loyalist to choose from.

The Store

In the case  of Apple, when you talk about the store and how it contributes to the brand you can speak of their App Store and their brick and mortar store. As far as the online Apple Store, from here you can buy everything from their many hardware products to their hundreds of thousands of apps to even music within it’s iTunes section. It’s a one-stop shopping for everything Apple.

The physical store re-enforces the brand. It has the same sleek and modern look as its products. Even if you are not an Apple fan the store will cause you to develop at least a small crush on them. The lighting and display enhances the look of each product and adds a quality look.

The CEO

Not many CEO’s are as visible as Steve Jobs. In many cases a company is only as strong as its leader. In a time where founders of tech companies are at least a decade or more younger, Jobs is still a major player in that world. His celebrity status adds to the superstardom that Apple has been able to acquire.

The Marketing

While to some this would be an obvious piece to the explosiveness of any brand, it seems to be an especially large piece of the pie for Apple. Even for those who don’t know the difference between a Mac or a PC or have no idea what an “app” is, Apple has managed to convince them that they are the best there is on the market. Their ad campaigns penetrate the minds of consumers like no other company. Their most popular television ad campaign includes two actors; one representing a PC who’s in a suit and tie and a younger actor in jeans and untucked shirt representing a Mac. Each ad shows the differences and advantages of owning a Mac over a PC. The casual wear of the Mac is meant to represent the “cooler” style of it’s products while the suited actor represents a computer supposedly only good for running stuffy business applications.

Apple’s marketing has people who don’t even buy their products knowing the date of when they come out. The marketing has loyalist waiting in lines for days just to get their hands on the newest iPhone or iPad. While Apple’s lack of shyness when it comes to giving themselves props may alienate some it also creates a very brand-loyal sector that more than sustains the company. I would even go as far to call it a cult-following.

The Conslusion

Whether you’re a Mac or a PC, it is hard to deny the control Apple’s brand has over people. They have learned to listen to the public and give them what they want. Even though I am not a “Mac” person, myself, I do recognize what it can offer. In the fast-paced world of technology it is hard to know who is going to be on top from one day to the next but it does seem that Apple’s brand has established a pretty solid presence that they can ride out for a while.

While our branding profiles have normally focused on the elements that have contributed to the strength of a brand, this post is actually about how Domino’s has re-branded in order to stay relevant. In 2009 a survey of consumer taste testers ranked Domino’s Pizza last among national chains (tied with Chuck E. Cheese). In that same year Domino’s made the decision to totally reinvent themselves. Along with their reinvention they developed a television ad campaign that gave an honest look at what they needed to improve on.

I will list a few of the things that added to the success of their reinvention.

The Recipe

It is not common for a major food chain to totally change the taste of their product but being in last place will cause you to make some radical moves . Most of the complaints about their pizza was the doughy crust and the bland tasting tomato paste. The following is from a Domino’s Pizza Press release:

“2010 will be our 50th year in the business, and we are kicking it off with the most aggressive promotion in the history of our company,” said Domino’s Chairman and CEO David A. Brandon. “This is the biggest product introduction we’ve done since…well, pizza.”
The primary changes include:

· Crust – A garlic seasoned crust with parsley baked to a golden brown.

· Sauce – Sweeter, bolder tomato sauce with a medley of herbs and a red pepper kick.

· Cheese – Shredded cheese made with 100% real mozzarella and flavored with just a hint of provolone.

Television Ad Campaign

In anything, if you want to gain someones loyalty just simply be honest with yourself and them. After the eye-opening survey, Domino’s worked hard to put together a campaign that not only showed the changes they were making but how they were lacking in the pizza market. They created ads that were honest and real in order to reconnect with their customer base.

The Menu

In 2009 Domino’s introduced it’s American Legend’s line of pizza’s which offered 40% more cheese than the regular pizza’s. Domino’s also began selling the BreadBowl Pasta entree and the Lava Crunch Cake dessert. This added more variety along with the improved recipe of the original pizza items.

Before this year I had not had a Domino’s Pizza product since somewhere around 1997. I had the common complaints most others had. As a result of their marketing campaign I decided to finally give them another chance. On a personal level that revealed to me how powerful a well thought-out re-branding can be. Also the numbers speak for themselves. Domino’s changes resulted in a 14.3% quarterly gain.

The Brandweek Buzz Report by YouGov is a weekly consumer perception report that analyzes the most talked about brands based on buzz. The campaign that began in December of 2009 did just what it was intended to do. It made Domino’s Pizza relevant again and created a buzz around them.

Do you think Domino’s Pizza was successful in their re-branding attempts?