Make your Tagline STAND OUT!!

Verdict stands, that a powerful and catchy tagline can really make your products a household name. The success of the biggest brands, is often tied to the type of catch tag=lines they come up with, for their products- Coca Cola is a living testimony. Bearing this in mind, it is important that you know what makes a powerful tagline, and at Mass Inspire, we believe in making you stand out from the crowd..

 

A Powerful Tagline is defined by essential characteristics:

1.)    Pop: A powerful tagline gets to it. A well-turned phrase is direct, succinct, and to the point in a few words. Excavating an expression that represents your brand is critical. Big ideas condensed create sticky messages. If you want it remembered and repeated…just say it.

2.)    Differentiates:  The goal is to tell your story with a little punch in a memorable quip. Communicate your attitude, core competencies, flair, and novel purpose in your own voice.

3.)    Capture the truth: Your tagline should be believable, straightforward, clear, focused, and original. Avoid lofty, pretentious, phrases that won’t turn a head, capture anyone’s attention, or mean anything to anyone. Stay clear of jargon and clichés (unless you have a new spin on an common quip).

4.)   Operationalized:  The last thing you want is a message that you can’t deliver and a brand promise that you can’t keep.

5.)    Recognizable: To thine own brand be true. Taglines are intended to reinforce the “word” that you want to own in your customers mind. The trick is to capture and communicate the brand’s collective persona.

6.)    Discover the universal truth in your brand: Sticky slogans get to the heart of the matter revealing an inherent quality, a universal truth, or a drive that all users can relate to at a meaningful level.

7.)    Bold: You want a slogan that is impossible to mimic. This is no time for obscure promotions. Your audience is listening for bold brands to speak up and in a customer centric voice. Be impressively, unequivocally, explicit about who you are, what you do, and what you stand for. Bland is boring. Avoid copy cat, cookie-cutter, safe, vague, tired, homogenized, and drab slogans. A bland brand is nothing to brag about.

8.)    Enduring value: Taglines that have stuck and lasted the test of time have dug deep with a simple message.

9.)    Customer focused: Never forget who you are talking to. Why do they care? Why should they care? What’s the need? The need behind the need? The shared perspective? The promise that compels? The real deal?

10.)    Works: And now that you have done all that…you need to vet it, “google it”, field test it on the outside, put it to the “mother-in-law” clarity check to ensure that it works for you and doesn’t belong to someone else.

We are always amazed at how many brand firms use the phrase “brand fuel” as their proprietary approach, in their taglines, names, and communications. Once upon a time it had zing…now it’s just overdone.

This information was sought fromhttp://blackdogstrategy.com

Know, as we seek to make your brand stand out from the crowd, we want it to do so, as it shouts, WELL DONE!! 

Benefits and Advantages of a Brand

Isn't it despicable when someone refers to you as, "Hey You!" instead of using your name. It is annoying to be precise, isn't it? Well, your company is a legal person, thus upholds the right to have an identity that speaks volumes about it; let it lack one, and you will be playing second fiddle to your competitors.
Brand Identity Design is the creation of the visual identity, “The Branding”, for a company and/or its clients. At Mass Inspire, we strive to give your company a brand that echoes your mission, one that guarantees to linger on in the mind of your stake and share holders. "Well Done!", is the tune we want them to sing.

Pride - A professionally designed logo and Brand / Identity system will show that you are committed to presenting your company as a major contender in your market. 
This is what we shall offer you: professionalism sweetened with raw talent in design. It is second nature to us.
 
Visibility - Most prospective consumers / clients look for highly visible, well-defined businesses, and the "look and feel" of your identity plays a major role in their decision making process. Think about it, what is the essence of having brand that is not known to its target market. It simply means your brand is not existent in the first place. 
We seek to make your brand visible even to those who are blind. We want you blind not only see, but touch. Touch your clients with a resounding affirmation of guaranteed excellence.
 
Credibility - Establishing credibility with a strong visual message in a professionally developed Brand / Identity system, used throughout all of your business and marketing communications, will keep you a step ahead of your competition. 
Our work speaks for itself. Give us a chance, and we will give you value for your money.

Appearance - A professionally developed Brand / Identity system positions your company to work with larger organizations and increases your margins by allowing you to set premium rates for your products and / or services. 
www.massinspire.co.ke  Visit the link and see what we shall offer you!!

Retention - Most people remember what they see much better than what they hear or read.  Having a consistent visual identity throughout all of your business and marketing communications will keep you at the forefront of existing and potential clients’ minds when they have a need for your products and / or services. 
This is the importance of having a brand with a sweet voice, that produces heavenly music to its target market. 
 
Differentiation - When partnered with a strategic marketing program, a well-designed logo and a strong identity system will position your business far above the competition in your market.
Simple and clear, you not only need to stand out from the crowd, but be so far from it, that you are your own crowd.
 
Stability - Even if you are unable to claim that you’ve been in business for “over 30 years”, having a functional Brand / Identity system gives the impression that your business is dedicated to the industry you serve. 
'Why fake it till you make it; while we can you make you be it, as you make it"
 
Support - When you present a well-rounded business package, your business goals and objectives are more clearly defined and this will improve your chances of getting venture capital or other forms of financial assistance. 

Your brand creates your first impression when interacting with potential customers. Study shows, you only have seven seconds to make a good impression, what do you want your brand to say?

Your brand should leave footprints that cannot be matched!! We can help you do that!!

Information was borrowed from www.corporatecomm.com

10 Principles of Brand Strength (part two)

We all know learning is a continuous process, thus take a seat, make some coffee and escort it with with this sweet knowledge...c

6 RELEVANCE

This component estimates how well a brand fits with customer needs, desires and decision criteria across all appropriate demographics and geographies.

The world is moving fast and brands must keep up in order to stay relevant. Whereas brands once focused on web experiences and online shopping to stay up-to-date, now they are adopting mobile practices to meet customers’ needs and desires.

With the banking sector adopting the use of mobile services at an increasing rate, emphasis on trying to be relevant, as per the trend of your target market cannot be over-emphasized.

Tag behind, and simply be the hind. Always marry your products and services to your customer needs.

7 UNDERSTANDING

Not only must customers recognize the brand, but there must also be an in-depth understanding of its distinctive qualities and characteristics, as well as those of the brand owner.

Apple is a brand that customers immediately understand. They know what they get out of adopting and associating with it. Its products are seen as innovative and creative. One simply has to put a face to one’s brand, thus ensure that customers have a human touch/feel to it. This guarantees an emotional attachment to one’s products, building up on customer loyalty.

8 CONSISTENCY

This measures the degree to which a brand is experienced without fail across all touch-points and formats.

When we think of consistency, Nike always comes to mind. With its iconic swoosh – a design element from the past – it creates one universal experience across every touch-point, from advertisements to websites. In recent years, however, consistency has become a bit more complicated.

Even when you choose to be inconsistent, you must be consistent about your inconsistency. As you choose to expand, you need to make sure that the product is customized as per the customer’s needs. In line with this, therefore, when you opt to tweak your services a little, to address a specific need, the ‘tweaking’ needs to be consistent wherever the specific target market is.

9 PRESENCE

This measures the degree to which a brand feels omnipresent and how positively consumers, customers and opinion formers discuss it in both traditional and social media.

The rise of social media means that brands have new opportunities to elevate their presence. Today’s customers provide feedback online and brands are now expected to respond authentically and quickly to that feedback, or else put the brand at risk.

Brand depth is key, as it promotes loyalty among customers. Upon attaining depth, width almost tends to come naturally, as your loyal customers will be your mode of advertising, and will heap praise about your product. Your business should also embrace the use of social networks as they cross borders faster than any plane or ship ever will. Capitalize on them, and seek to get feedback on your product.

10 DIFFERENTIATION

This is the degree to which customers perceive the brand to have a positioning that is distinct from the competition.

Emphasis on standing out from the crowd, as a brand, cannot be undermined. Your brand and its presence, needs to be so unique, that customers perceive and believe, it is in a league of its own. Look at Microsoft at a global level, Safaricom in the local setting and Bata in the shoe industry.

With the ammunition of knowledge instilled in you, as per the principles of a brand,  feel free to eliminate all which does not propel your organization forward. At Mass Inspire, we promise to make your promise to your clients, a promise that breathes a resounding belief of excellence.

10 Principles of Brand Strength...(Part One)

Today, due to the downturn in the economy and the ensuing reset in customer priorities, corporations need to be more aware than ever before of the many underlying forces that impact a brand’s ongoing strength. Business is changing, but the principles of strong brands still hold true. We, Mass Inspire, strive to make sure that knowledge is availed, thus make you know why we value you as customer and what we strive to deliver. What you say, is what we do. 

We want your customers to say WELL DONE to you, and you to us.

1 COMMITMENT

A measure of an organization’s internal commitment to, or belief in its brand.

Commitment is the extent to which the brand receives support in terms of time, influence and investment.

It is of no importance to have a brand, if the employees do not believe in it, eventually lacking commitment to it. An air of pride should surround the bride, not arrogance. It should always be cultured deep within the organization that it is simply a way of life.

2 PROTECTION

This component examines how secure a brand is across a number of dimensions – from legal protection and proprietary ingredients to design, scale or geographic spread.

Whether it is Coca-Cola’s patent on its exact formula or IBM’s strategic acquisitions, protection is a vital brand component.

It is important to ensure that your brand, is a representation of your organization; Yours, and Yours alone. Yes, you cannot share your brand or have people impersonating it; the repercussions could cost you all the input you have invested in the firm.

Patent your brand.

3 CLARITY

The brand’s values, positioning and proposition must be clearly articulated and shared across the organization, along with a clear view of its target audiences, customer insights and drivers.

It is vital that those within the organization to know and understand all of these elements, because everything that follows, hinges on them.

At heart, clarity measures the degree to which the brand and its owner are truly dedicated to understanding and defining their customer. From this stems a clear view of what the brand can offer to address an identified customer need. Without clarity, a brand lacks insight – the most precious of commodities, particularly in a recessionary climate. Indeed, as Harvard Business School suggests, instead of cutting research budgets in a recession, “you need to know more than ever how consumers are redefining value.”

So clarity, as we view it, is about audiences as well as what your brand can offer.

4 RESPONSIVENESS

This component looks at a brand’s ability to adapt to market changes, challenges and opportunities. The brand should have a desire and ability to constantly evolve and renew itself. *Brand refreshing, remember?* 

In 2010, many brands demonstrated responsiveness by adapting to customers’ increased desire for sustainable products, as a result of the two year recession.

While the trend has been apparent in virtually every sector, it has been especially evident in the automotive category, where the growing concern among customers regarding fuel efficiency and greenhouse emissions, as well as demand for hybrids, has kept brands on their toes.

Another challenge has come in the need to respond to consumers by harnessing the latest technology. This is evident in the growth of smartphones – especially Apple and BlackBerry, with Nokia seemingly in retreat. Not to be forgotten is the latest innovation from Apple: the iPad.

Yet another challenge is the need to address competition, or perhaps to gain domination over the opposition.You simply cannot sit back, and watch your competitors make juice from the fruits you have borne.

5 AUTHENTICITY

This component is about how soundly a brand is based on an internal capability. Authenticity asks if a brand has a defined heritage and a well-grounded value set, as well as if it can deliver against customers’ expectations.

Customers’ desire for authenticity has always been essential. Customers, more reluctant to spend, want to trust the brands they purchase from – and a large part of how brands elicit this trust is through authenticity and a strong heritage.

At Mass Inspire, we aspire to ensure that we give you a brand that simply breathes an aura of freshness to your organization. These are codes that we choose to live by.As always, we always aim to make you say, 'WELL DONE"!!

Brand Voice-'Hear it loud and clear'

At Mass Inspire, we can't stop emphasizing on the importance of having a brand that is ‘attractive to the eye, and not distracting to the mind.’ That, having a brand that is second best, is simply insulting to the image of your company. You company is a legal entity, thus it has an identity to uphold-question is: What is your company's identity? Is it a brand that stands on its own two feet, and sells itself, or does it need crutches as a result of having weak knees? Talk of a strong brand, and many names come to mind: from global firms like Nokia and Coca-Cola, to local firms, like Safaricom and Tusker. Well, Mass Inspire is adding on its strength, and we want you to tag along.

1.      Your brand voice fundamentally defines your brand

It’s an expression of the values that shape your organization—it best delivers the messages you’re trying to send and shapes the perception of your brand not only through what you say but how you say it.

2.      Brand voice, like singing or speaking voice, has a range

Your brand voice should span several registers, from whisper to shout. Consistency is not the same as sameness, and in order to remain consistently compelling, brand voice must adapt to different scenarios—mood, medium, and audience—to say the right words the right way at the right time.

3.      Brand voice is more than word choice

It’s about syntax, structure, semantics, style. It’s about sending your messages in the most clear and efficient way by evoking a style that matches what you’re trying to say. That’s why your brand voice works best with messaging as a complete communications toolkit.

4.      Brand voice creates dialogue

Communication requires a response, and your brand voice brings value to that dialogue. It means you’re able to listen and respond in a way that brings your brand strategy to life.

5.      Brand voice is key to internal brand engagement

Internal brand engagement means everyone’s on the same page, which is easy to do when you’re all speaking in one voice with one shared point of view. Your brand voice helps you deliver on your brand promise from the inside out.

6.      A strong brand voice will evolve over time

Maintaining the consistency of your brand voice across the organization requires review, feedback and discussion: what’s working and what isn’t? By taking a descriptive view, and stopping to re-evaluate your verbal strategy from time to time, you’ll strengthen your linguistic approach across the board.

And a story well told is really a strategy. It’s a strategy for deploying words to create an effect. Good brands make an impact when they speak. A really good story can change people’s lives, and if enough people hear it, that story can change the world. Meaning your brand can change the world, in part, by telling a great story.

As thoughts of intent take your mind hostage, just rubber-stamp them with a fact: Mass Inspire is the ultimate link to ensuring that your brand sounds like an acapella that soothes the heart and puts your mind at ease. We strive to make you brand say, “WELL DONE!”