Then there’s the other side of the coin… Added awareness and exposure…Building a brand culture…
In today’s marketplace, being category leader or even in the top three isn’t always enough. Brand extension is sometimes a necessity for survival and growth for many companies.
Brand extension can:
1. Broaden the appeal of a single product by adding features to it.For example, if your product is a phone, you might add a nifty video screen feature to it (novel idea?).
2. Leverage the success of your existing brand name by attaching it to a new products.For example, if you produce a popular motorcycle brand called “The Knuckle”. It’s success leads to extensions of the brand (e.g. – “The Knuckle” products: “The Knuckle” cycling gloves, helmet, and leather gear).
Win, place or show… when is the brand “Over extended?” How do we discern merchandising of products for the benefit of the brand versus sheer greed and stupidity?
Let’s stir up some conversation…
In the meantime, take this poll of (conceptual) extended brands. Which would be your favorite? (feed readers, click through to take the poll)
Until next time…
Keep Cooking! (Some fun)
Andrew B. Clark
-The Brand Chef
Morsels making brand history: On this day, in 1912 was the first time Rueckheim Bros. & H.G. Eckstein, owners of Cracker Jack decided to put a surprise in every box of their nutty, caramel popcorn concoction.
Until that time, the snack candy company was finding difficulty positioning themselves in their respective market – finding their product a mere commodity in the consumers’ eye…
Why? There wasn’t a hook. There was no UNIQUE brand advantage.
Enter the hook – A Surprise In Every Box! What kid (let alone most adults) don’t like a fun surprise – guaranteed?!?
And the rest is tasty history.
How many brands can guarantee that kind of draw? What brand can cement itself in the pop culture lexicon by adding one simple surprise? Ever sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game?”(make sure you turn up the volume)
What surprise does your brand offer? Can you think of one thing to add (a surprise in your brand box) that would catapult your brand like Cracker Jack?
I ran by an article this morning on Law.com(no idea how I got there). In it, I was intrigued by the dichotomy that law students or law grads have struggled with forever – Law can be a VERY profitable career, BUT it’s frowned upon to aggressively market your services.
Doctors market themselves with very little push back. Accountants and credit counselors market themselves (especially these days). So why, if lawyers market themselves, do they come off as ambulance chasers or some kind of smarmy worms in Brooks Brothers’ suits?
“…Although you may be able to do anything with a law degree, a law degree and solid experience alone will not do it for you. For those young attorneys who dream of becoming top lawyers, the key is to be three parts lawyer and one part marketing agent.”
She continues with,
“Through expertise, involvement and shared values, top lawyers continuously cultivate reputable self-brands. It’s the essence of those brands that separates top attorneys from colleagues destined for repeated lateral moves or career stagnation.“
Using personal branding (for recent grads)and professional branding (for established careers and firms) to build a “reputation” that becomes marketable for growth — what a novel idea…
Throughout the article, while including networking, charitable involvement, and family activities, Littlejohn continues to support branding in the legal profession to benefit and advance careers and service to clients.
It makes perfect sense. In these times of exploding growth in social media networking, aggressive advertising and promotion by virtually every industry on the planet; lawyers need the same skills to build a brand that will be beneficial to their careers as well as benefit the service they can provide to their clients – without the concern for guilt or stigma of impropriety.
Hmmm. Sounds like a recipe for success to me.
Let’s cook up some conversation… I’d love to get your input. Do you know a lawyer that utilizes personal or professional branding to enhance their exposure and growth? Do you think lawyers that aggressively market their brand come off smarmy or cheap?
There’s a question I like to ask of myself (and others) on a regular basis:
“Is there more to the story?”
It’s never given to me immediately, but through focused observation, reading, research, discovery, and a few more questions; the answer about knocks me out of my socks, every time…
“Of course there’s more!”(You just have to reach a little…)
So below, are Resources for your story – a Baker’s Dozen from the Brand Chef:
I call them resources. Call them social media extensions. Call them whatever you want. But never under estimate the power of Social Media to find the answers to the questions you have. With that, you have control over the growth and reach of your personal and professional brand.
Extend your brand.
Keep Cooking – always!
Andrew B. Clark
–The Brand Chef
P.S. There’ are SO MANY MORE out there, but it wouldn’t have fit into my “Baker’s Dozen” theme… Go find ‘em and extend your brand – come back and list ‘em here!
Go find ‘em and extend your brand – come back and list ‘em here!
