If at First You Don’t Succeed, Brand Again.

The American Marketing Association defines brand as “a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” Your brand’s essence is so important when differentiating your offer to your target audience. And gaining the trust of the group you need to reach is imperative to continue to build a solid, long-term relationship.

In the 2019 Most Trusted Brands Report, the United States Postal Service was determined to be the most trusted brand in the nation. Additionally, Amazon, Google, PayPal, and The Weather Channel rounded out the top five brands in this report. Each of these companies has expanded and revamped its brand over the years; let’s take Google as an example.

Brands Do Evolve.
Two Stanford University students created what is now the world’s most-used search engine in 1996. According to HubSpot, Google’s algorithm was initially called “BackRub,” as its search engine searched through the internet’s backlinks. And while a logo is a component of an organization’s entire brand, it says a lot about the organization. Behold: an early Google logo and the logo as of press time (sources: Digital Trends and Google). Imagine if Google didn’t constantly evolve its brand.

In our fair city, two of the most recognized brands recently went through updates of their own. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority recently debuted a new slogan to updated “WHHSH” with “What happens here, only happens here.” This famous tagline is very much a part of the overall brand that the LVCVA portrays about the uniqueness of visiting Las Vegas. With the new slogan came an overall marketing strategy that encompasses our special, world-class destination.

Also, our local chamber of commerce is now referred to as Vegas Chamber, reflecting the values that this organization holds true with a brand very focused on the “Vegas-ness” of the city. This author appreciates the vivid and clean design of the new logo and associated brand, which inspired the theme of this month‘s column: what are some best practices for planning and executing a rebranding campaign?

To Rebrand or Not to Rebrand…

When considering a rebrand, several factors come into play within the strategy and debut of the new or enhanced brand:

Research. Before undertaking a rebrand, market research is crucial. Questions like “Does my target audience strongly identify with my current brand?” and "In moving my brand essence in a different direction, will this group still recognize the value of my current brand?” It would even be beneficial to know if the target audience thinks a rebrand is needed; focus groups, surveys, and data would be helpful at the start of the process.

Differentiation. Again, a brand identifies how a good or service is distinct from others. When considering a rebrand, how can you truly showcase your value proposition to differentiate you from others? Having this strategic intent of setting an organization apart is imperative. And it’s also important to share this compelling brand story and value proposition in the right mix of both traditional and digital channels.

Communication. The average human needs to encounter information multiple times for it to make an impact. In communicating a new brand, it is critical for those within the organization to understand the reasoning behind it and how it will impact the day-to-day business. After the internal strategy comes external communication. When Southwest Airlines refreshed its brand in 2014, it was still consistent with the airline’s message of low fares, ease of travel, and even fun. As the rollout took place, the rebrand felt as though it were still in the same brand family and value proposition.

And that should be at the heart of any brand, whether it’s creating a new brand from scratch or rebranding a classic company.

This post was originally written by Shan Bates-Bundick for the Vegas Chamber’s March 2020 Business Voice magazine. Click here to view the original article.

A Love Letter to the Marketing Plan

Happy February! As my valentine to you, I wanted to chat about marketing planning. Many traditionally finalize marketing budgets—and hopefully, marketing plans—in the previous quarter. However, if ending the year strong, the busy holiday season, and settling into the new year took time away from your planning process, there is no time like the present!

Before we go into some of the essentials of crafting a strategic marketing plan, I wanted to rehash some of the themes in my past Business Voice articles. Think of these pieces as conversation hearts to munch on while you’re spending time on your communication initiatives and goals for the year. Remember:

• The American Marketing Association defines marketing as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”

• Marketing is all about the mix—the right grouping of both digital and traditional communication activities—that is unique to every organization.

• A clear value proposition is invaluable for showcasing what your organization does better than anybody else.

Components of a Strong Marketing Plan

Even when a client has an existing marketing plan, I like to make sure some key pieces are in place. These include documenting essentials such as brand look and feel, as well as key messages to defined target audiences. The basis of the key messages (which can include taglines) is built on the foundation of a clear value proposition.

Once the brand essentials and value proposition are solid, then the annual marketing plan begins to take shape. What is the goal of your organization in this period? Is it reaching more customers? Is it promoting your mission to a wider audience? Whatever this objective may be, it is imperative to align it with the marketing plan. And the good news? The marketing plan is a living document. As the year progresses, goals are met, and strategies evolve, so does the plan.

So, you’ve determined your business problem/opportunity and the desired outcome. A strong marketing plan will have documented solutions; these are the tactics within the plan. For example, if creating awareness of your product is a big annual objective, the strategies within the plan will document the tactics, tools, and channels to increase the knowledge and credibility of the solution.

Speaking of channels, there is a wide variety of communication media available to share your brand message. Within your marketing plan, you’ll want to outline the planned use of both digital and traditional channels, such as website, blog, video, social media, email, out of home (also known as outdoor media, like billboards), print, television, etc. And within each piece, consider the metrics to measure success. These include Google Analytics, engagement numbers, impressions, shares, and open rates.

Taking the time to outline marketing initiatives may seem like a time-intensive endeavor, but it is a critical step in meeting annual organizational goals. With practice and leveraging it throughout the year, the marketing plan is at the heart of any strategic planning and can be essential in growing your business.

This post was originally written by Shan Bates-Bundick for the Vegas Chamber’s February 2020 Business Voice magazine. Click here to view the original article.

Ten Ways to Start the Year with a Bang!

Cheers to 2020! This new year already has some exciting buzz surrounding it: it’s a leap year, and you may have seen the meme about how many of the holidays this year take place on or around the weekend. Clichés in January—here’s looking at you, “New Year, New You”—abound, but there is something to the resolution to do better when we’re facing a fresh calendar.

Here are ten ways to start the new year with a bang:

1.       Attend the Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Preview Las Vegas on January 17th. With a new event location at the Wynn, plus a dynamic speaker in the NFL’s Roger Goodell, it’s sure to have an energizing agenda!

2.       Get curious. A business coach once advised to find out the why behind just about any topic. And doing so in a way that draws from a place of curiosity creates space for real, transparent communication.

3.       Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. Whether it be a referral, an introduction, or for a client to share his or her experience, it never hurts to ask. If you bring value to those you serve, others will be happy to recommend you to others or refer their contacts who need what you offer.

4.       Make the most of your Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce membership. President and CEO Mary Beth Sewald advises to know what your benefits are and that many organizations can select the benefit options that make the most sense for their business goals. “Do you need to go to events and meet people,” she says. “Or are you interested in HR tools or learning about the latest rules and regulations?” Mary Beth also shares that the Chamber is creating a Member Success Team; watch for details soon.

5.       Share your knowledge. Are you an expert in a certain field or industry? If you are, sharing information that is pertinent to your prospective or existing clients can be a worthy initiative. This can be done in a continuing education presentation or via a whitepaper that you share with your audience. As you do, make sure it’s valuable to them and worth their time.

6.       Use LinkedIn as a business tool. Have you ever considered reaching out to your potential clients via LinkedIn? Or keeping up with past colleagues or industry experts on the professional social media site? A personalized note with your value proposition can be an interesting way to harvest new relationships.

7.       Get schooled. UNLV has a fairly comprehensive continuing education certificate program, as well as many other higher education institutions do. Why not take a course on either something you’ve always wanted to learn—or a topic that you consider a weakness?

8.       Develop relationships the “write” way. When you check your mail, don’t you gravitate toward anything that doesn’t look like a bill or advertisement? I schedule “Thank You Fridays” in my calendar, and it’s incredible how much people appreciate handwritten notes.

9.       Get into the community. Serve. Network. Learn. Find an organization that helps a cause that you value. Are you an animal lover? Consider volunteering at the Animal Foundation. Want to support kiddos? Think of Make-A-Wish or the Discovery Children’s Museum. Are you a financial whiz? Share your expertise with Junior Achievement.

10.   Grow your leadership skills. A Chamber affiliate, the Leadership Foundation of Greater Las Vegas has several phenomenal programs for people looking to develop professionally—and even personally. This author can personally recommend the Leadership Las Vegas program, a ten-month program for experienced professionals to learn together and make a big impact in the community.

Wishing you a successful start to this year and decade!

This post was originally written by Shan Bates-Bundick for The Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce’s January 2020 Business Voice magazine. Click here to view the original article.