Blake Snow

writer-for-hire, content guy, bestselling author

As seen on CNN, NBC, ABC, Fox, Wired, Yahoo!, BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal
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Obsessive Branding Disorder

Run a good business, and your brand will follow.

Branding Companies, like self help gurus, are very big business. They’re basically the same though. Like personal coaches help insecure individuals, Brand companies do the same for insecure CEO’s. They’re selling point: “we’ll help your company and customer’s know who you are.” Whatever that means… Could you be anymore vague in a making a buck?

Fast Company writes: “Consider that some of the most successful brands do little overt “branding” to achieve their status. Chelsea Milling Co. hasn’t changed the packaging on its well-known Jiffy mix boxes in more than 50 years. Though the company has never advertised, it dominates the muffin-mix category with a 55% market share by unit sales. Betty Crocker and Pillsbury have spent decades and untold millions trying to catch up.”

Not Convinced?

The article continues by saying that In-N-Out Burger dominates burger sales in comparison with McDonald’s. Yet the company spends almost nothing in advertising. McDonald’s spent an estimated $1.5 billion on branding efforts last year alone, producing little more than one day’s worth of sales more per store than In-N-Out. “Have you ever met anyone who’s had an In-N-Out Burger who doesn’t believe it’s one of the best burgers they’ve ever had? Meanwhile, just who, exactly, is really ‘lovin’ it.'”

If you build good products and/or offer competent services, you’ll have a strong brand. Instead of paying someone to tell you who your are, work hard in serving your customers and they’ll do it for free. Think of your brand like your own personal character. You can’t buy one. It takes work to get one.

(Source: Fast Company)