Pro global business

Here’s another funny post by word of mouth guru Andy Sernovitz:

“Word of Mouth Big Idea:  You can build an entire brand around one great reason to talk. Everybody’s Nuts has a great word of mouth topic built right into their brand: Find an unopened pistachio and they give you a whole bag for free.”

Apparently that’s what Andy considers a brand? Find an unopened nut is apparently THE brand. Gosh it really pains me when people who obviously know nothing about branding make these statements.

Although that’s a nice marketing tactic it is hardly the brand of the company. Least I hope not because I’ll guarantee if I interviewed California Pistachios eaters they won’t, repeat, won’t list unopened nuts as the primary reason they wouldn’t eat them or wouldn’t purchase them.

It’s a really cute marketing tactic that may engage customers who buy the product. Matter of fact it’s very hard to even find this guarantee on their website. Go to their site and find it…How many clicks or how much time did it take to find the guarantee?

I perceive their positioning as California Pistachios that are very healthy. They claim to have the highest levels of Phytosterols ( full of fiber, B6 and antioxidants).  There is where the real brand identity lies, not the gimmicky guarantee that Andy claims the brand can be built around.

I actually really think Everbody’s Nuts did a great job of differentiating through many tactics. I know because I eat California Pistachios daily (I love them). I may give these guys a try just based on their different, unique flavors but not because I want to hunt through the bag and find an unopened nut.

The guarantee is a great idea as it makes it fun and engaging. Here’s a letter from them to a client that found an unopened pistachio:

Click to enlarge

They’ve also branded a mascot “Stach” to bring some life to their brand. Here’s the deal, differentiating yourself and developing a brand identity is the KEY to successful branding. But banking on a word of mouth tactic to build your brand? I wouldn’t recommend it.

The forthcoming conference RFID Europe will have many opinion leaders from across the world. Speaker Brian Dobson of Transport for London (TfL) will be giving a status report of the London Oyster card experience.

Here are the best of the best when it comes to branding:

http://www.brandidentityguru.com/wordpress/?feed=rss2

http://feeds.feedburner.com/acleareye

http://feeds.feedburner.com/BlumenthalOnBranding

http://brandinsightblog.com/feed/

http://feeds.feedburner.com/BrandMix

http://brandstrategy.wordpress.com/feed/

http://feeds.feedburner.com/brandflakesforbreakfast

http://feeds.feedburner.com/BrandingBlog

http://feeds.feedburner.com/BrandingStrategyInsider

http://www.brandsimple.com/blog/?feed=rss2

http://feeds.feedburner.com/typepad/jonathansalembaskin/my_weblog

http://feeds.feedburner.com/MakeTheLogoBigger

http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheMarketingMinute

http://feeds.feedburner.com/ries

http://feeds.feedburner.com/TomFishburne

http://www.whisperbrand.com/blog/feed/

http://thebrandingblog.com/feed/

http://www.corebrand.com/index.php?option=com_rss&feed=RSS1.0&no_html=1

http://feeds.feedburner.com/personalbrandingblog

http://feeds.feedburner.com/williamarruda

http://feeds.feedburner.com/chrisgcom

http://feeds.feedburner.com/Fusionbrand

http://www.igorinternational.com/blog/feed/

http://feeds.feedburner.com/HardKnoxLife

http://feeds.feedburner.com/GirvinDlog

http://feeds.feedburner.com/WhiplashDesignsIdentityBrandingBlog

http://feeds.feedburner.com/brandplayblog

http://feeds.b5media.com/b5media/BrandCurve

http://feeds.feedburner.com/NameWire

http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheEngagingBrand

http://feeds.feedburner.com/LiquidAgencyBrandExchange

http://feeds.feedburner.com/GretemanGroupBlog

http://www.martinlindstrom.com/rss.xml

http://feeds.feedburner.com/ShoestringBranding

http://feeds.feedburner.com/brandcorralblogspotcom

http://feeds.feedburner.com/typepad/vKRd

http://www.orange-blog.com/feed/

http://feeds.feedburner.com/Brandweek-NewsAndFeatures

http://feeds.thebrandelastic.com/typepad/brandmediaweek/the_brand_elastic

http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com/feed/

http://brandingbrand.com/blog/feed/

http://feeds.feedburner.com/brandblog

http://www.brandchampionsblog.com/my_weblog/atom.xml

http://blog.thinkresultsmarketing.com/rss2.aspx

Feel free to share a few on your blog with a link back to this post.

So the Internet is buzzing over cuil (pronounced “cool”), the new search engine to challenge king Google.

Here are my thoughts:

1. Don’t make a name you can’t pronounce

2. Don’t make a name that requires you to say “pronounced as”…

3. Oh, and if you’re a search engine trying to take on king Google make sure the name cuil (you know, your company name) comes up in your own search results.

p.s. cuil, Google “cuil” and you’ll see yourself at the top of Google’s results, but not your own? Ugh!

Gosh, can’t make this stuff up.

The RFID business is quintupling in value in the next ten years but the Active RFID business is growing about ten times, driven by such business as the $475 million military order currently being serviced by Savi Technology and innovations such as the first 100,000 Active RFID labels from Power ID with greatly enhanced range over passive alternatives.

Today is the first of our monthly BIG Kahuna interviews. I chose TigerLight because they really had a unique product. I think it’s a big secret.

We begin with our interview with President/CEO Michael Teig of TigerLight.

Michael was nice enough to send us their Pepper Spray product called the T100:

The T100 is a pepper spray system that includes a built in eye piercing light. The light is really blinding and also has a strobe feature which really freaked me out. Very cool stuff. Basically a woman will blind you with the piercing light and then pepper spray your eyes. Kind of like a one two punch. The product works like a charm and is truly different than anything in the market.

But I’ve seen a lot of great products that were different fail. So let’s get into the branding a bit.

What are you passionate about when it comes to TigerLight?

To make a real difference in preventing someone from being attacked or killed. Safety is my real passion.

What makes TigerLight remarkable?

It’s really genius in its simplicity. Attackers don’t see or expect to be pepper sprayed. The product has real stopping power.

Michael, why the corporate name TigerLight?

Tigers are ferocious and have real muscle stopping power. It has a light and bite.

Why not a more evocative name like “Blind Avenger”?

The real concern is that Tigerlight products are fully endorsed by professionals, like the police. We need to maintain that authenticity and quality.

The product name T100 is very masculine to me. Since the product is marketed to women why not call it something like “Purse Patrol”? or a name that hits home to a woman?

Even though the T100 is targeted to college women we still sell the product to men. Especially men buying it for their wife, daughter or girlfriend. Although renaming the product might be advantageous to us.

Have you considered offering the T100 to women in different colors?

Yes, but we must maintain authenticity with professionals like the police.

In 3 words or less what is the brand identity of your company TigerLight?

Peace of mind.

In 3 words or less what’s the brand image of TigerLight?

The product is very new like when the “Club” came out. But I would say most people find the product cool and after holding it think it’s very high quality.

How do you build the brand of TigerLight?

We are getting ready for a 50 city tour of the US. We’re going to truck accross the country visiting colleges and universities. We’ll be training local police as well as certifying new trainers.

Have you considered social marketing (like a blog or social network) as a way to build word of mouth?

Yes, we feel there is a great opportunity but we are cautious and need to evaluate it. Things like a blog could really work well for us.

What do you think TigerLight could do better when it comes to your brand?

Everything. We always can do things better but off the top of my head I would say delivering the right message is critical. Right now we’re the best kept secret.

Besides product features what makes TigerLight different than its competitors?

Our philosophy. We solve problems based on our imagination.

What’s the one thing you want women to know about the TigerLight T100?

Personal protection.

Please rate the following marketing tactics by importance (1 being the most important, 2 second most etc.)

TV Advertising: 1

Radio: 2

Internet Search (coming up in the top ten of Google): 3

Public Relations: 4

Word of Mouth: 6

Branding: 5

Direct Mail: 8

Print Advertising: 7

Thank you Michael Teig!

Here are my thoughts.

The product is really terrific. My wife Nicci assembled the T100 in just a few short minutes. She immediately noted how comfortable the fit was in her hand. She loved the blinding light feature. The product is different and exceptional.

Questions to our readers:

Would you recommend a name change for TigerLight?

Would you recommend a name change for the T100?

What do you think of the website design (click here to see it)?

What would be some good marketing ideas for TigerLight?

Full Disclosure: I emailed out an offer to write a review and conduct an interview for one lucky member of our e-newsletter list. Michael was one of many companies that responded to the offer of an interview. Brand Identity Guru is not being paid but Michael was nice enough to send us a product sample for testing.

Staying ahead of your competition is not always easy. Life as a business owner can become increasingly difficult if your market is divided by your competition or your competition’s offer renders your product or service obsolete.

I created this comic for those small business owners who understand this best from experience…

Summer-time tends to bring many things, and one of them is a new office dress code.  What’s the connection?  When employees start wearing flip flops and tank tops into the office, many employers decide that it is time to clarify just what is meant by “casual” attire.  The reasons to clarify a dress code are many, including: legal accountability, aesthetics for customers, distractions for employees, and simply maintaining a positive workplace environment.  A positive workplace environment is best maintained if you make a dress code and publicize it, so that no one employee feels singled out.

Many businesses have different dress codes for different types of employees.  There will be different expectations  for client/customer facing employees vs those that customers don’t interface with face-to-face.  Also, those working in “blue collar” hands on work will need to wear clothes appropriate for their work, including any safety requirements.

Shoes and Legal Issues.   Remember, even a receptionist who has a ream of paper fall on her toes can sue you for not telling her to wear closed toed shoes.  All the more so, those involved with heavier and more regular lifting (warehouse workers) should be required to wear steel toed shoes/boots.

Race Sensitivity.  Many business include in their dress code rules regarding small braids in the hair, such as “cornrows”.  Be aware that African-American employees may find this rule offensive and racist.  Professionally braided hair is neat and attractive.  On the other hand, people who do not use a professional to braid their hair, or who have thinner hair, can look much less professional in braids.  These employees might cry “foul” if others are allowed braids and they are not.  I recommend thinking carefully, and perhaps consulting a lawyer, before saying “no” to braids in your dress code.

Aesthetics/Business Image/Positive Working Environment.  Legal issues aside, most small business owners who institute a dress code do it for reasons of aesthetics, creating the proper business image, or as an attempt to create a more positive and productive work environment.

DRESS CODE CATEGORIES

• The bare bones dress code usually requires closed-toed shoes and bans cut offs, shorts and skirts shorter than mid-thigh, tank tops and halter tops.  Sleeveless shirts which are not tank tops are usually accepted.  T-shirts are OK, but only if they don’t have anything offensive written on them.

• The business casual dress code generally does without shorts all together, and bans T-shirts all together.  Polo-shirts and button down shirts are acceptable for men, and blouses or polo-shirts are acceptable for women.  Many companies will specify “no facial jewelry”, and no visible tattoos.  This is the most popular dress code for most businesses today.

• Business Professional is another step up.  It requires slacks and ties for men, often a jacket as well.  For women, it is more vague, but professional attire includes pantsuits, blouses with tailored skirts or something of a similar caliber.  This dress code is usually referred for client facing professional, or others who are representing the business to the outside world.

• Uniforms are another option for dealing with the dress code issue.  Many businesses as varied as restaurants, medical offices, retail stores and machine shops, use uniform to help make staff readily identifiable, professional and fit in with the company image.  Many uniforms are simply a polo shirt with the company logo, or a vest or jacket which can be put over regular clothes.  With this option, many businesses will request that employees wear a particular style/color of pants as well.

HOW TO CREATE, IMPLEMENT AND ENFORCE A DRESS CODE

1. Think for a while about your goals in creating the dress code, and your vision for what your work force will look like.  Weigh in how they will feel about various points and how it might effect their morale.  Think about what image you want to present to your customers and what role your employees’ dress plays  in that image.  These musings should lead you to a general category of dress code (see above for categories).
2. Research the legal issues.  I just touched on a few issues here - more are discussed in this great article on the legalities of various dress code requirements.  However, legislation does change, and it is best to check with a lawyer who specializes in human resources before finalizing your dress code.  The information here is a great guide for getting started.
3. The next step is to publicize the dress code through internal memos, an employee handbook and email.  It is best to have a signed dress code on file, in case an issue arises.  Also, make sure that you mention the dress code when interviewing new candidates.
4. Enforcing the dress code is even more important than having one.  This is because an unevenly enforced dress code can cause resentment amongst employees, and can even be cause for a legal complaint.  Make sure that it is written in the dress code itself the consequences of not meeting the dress code (warnings, sent home as a non-paid day, etc).  However, remember that some individuals require special accommodations due to religious, medical or other reasons.  Be fair and reasonable, but don’t ignore those who are not complying and have no excuse.  Point out why they don’t comply, what they need to do to fix it, and what will happen if it happens again.

Bam, they hit you in the kisser. Here’s a story you won’t believe is true. But sadly it is.

I’m currently blogging from Old Orchard Beach in Maine. Last Night my wife and I went out to dinner at a fun place called Hooligan’s. Apparently all the bars and restaurants are owned by a company called The Pier.

We enjoyed our dinner, received great service and asked for the bill. My wife looked at the bill and noticed that everthing was in line except for one charge that was confusing.

ROUNDING: .21

hmm, I didn’t remember ordering any ROUNDING? If I had eaten it I think I would have remembered. So we asked what “ROUNDING” was?

The answer is so dumbfounding that you can’t believe it’s actually true. Here’s what the really sweet waitress told us.

The restaurants and bars don’t deal with pennies, nickles or dimes. Just quarters when it comes to change. So when the bill is tabulated, presto….they round it up to the nearest quarter.

Our bill was $35.29 which quickly became $35.50. There is no ROUNDING down by the way.

Now The Pier is arguably the busiest business on the beach, serving thousands of people per day during the summer months. So ROUNDING can be a pretty good stealing, I mean revenue generator.

Here’s what I think:

ROUNDING = STEALING

Without question the owners (the Golzbein family) of the famous Pier are literally stealing from customers each and every day. And people don’t even question it.

Now we’ve had a really fun time here at Old Orchard Beach but the one thing I’m going to laugh about for quite some time is ROUNDING.

Mr. Golzbein here’s a suggestion. Stop ripping people off for their change. Find another less noticeable way to steal from folks that are giving you business. Do these words sound inviting… Class Action Suit?

By the way how has Steve Rowe the Attorney General of Maine not questioned this practice?

Here’s where to go and file a complaint if you like:

http://www.state.me.us/ag/consumer/complaints/complaint_form.shtml

Come on now, say it 3 times fast…

Husqvarna, Husqvarna, Husqvarna

With Group sales in 2007 at 33.3 billion and average number of employees at 16,000…

None of whom can pronounce the corporate name.