Customer expectations have changed dramatically. Given the all-digital, ever-connected world we now live in, it’s easy to see why some companies — especially those that have found success in the pre-mobile era — can’t keep up with the competition. In 2018, providing customers with a positive overall brand experience must be paramount. Choices are abundant, and consumers no longer have...
Building a strong brand identity can be challenging. Whether you are new business owner or have been in the game for years, you should be thinking about the way your business is established in the marketplace. Thinking through the key elements of brand identity can help you succeed in acquiring new customers and retaining old ones. One of the most important steps is choosing a target niche. After...
So you’ve got your brand name out there, and are seeing strong developments in your sales and following, but how long is that going to last? With constant changes in social issues, culture, technology and popular opinion, staying relevant as a brand can be difficult. One minute you may find your brand name as the subject of everyone’s chatter, and the next, it’s followed by the...
Fifty years ago, customers had limited interactions with a brand. They might have seen a TV advert or caught a full-page colour spread in their favourite magazine, but that was it. Today, the world of marketing has changed beyond measure. Brands must navigate the tricky terrain of multiple platforms, from traditional marketing platforms such as print magazines and TV through to social media and...
Our global economy can be a double-edged sword for small business owners. Sure, it’s amazing to be able to reach customers all over the world with the stroke of a key and a click of a mouse, but it also means that your competition has grown exponentially. Our international market makes for international competition, so now you are competing for the same customers as other businesses in your...
Your business is running smoothly and you’re past the beginning stages. You have those parts down, but now you want to turn your small company into a recognizable brand. While it may seem complicated, it doesn’t have to be. Here are four realistic steps to create a high-quality brand. Determine Your Brand Values If you haven’t created a business plan yet, now is the time. You...
How do consumers make decisions on which services or products to purchase? According to Nielsen, 84 percent of consumers say they either completely or somewhat trust recommendations from family, colleagues and friends about products and services. Meanwhile, research from Ogilvy, Google and TNS found consumers are 1.5 times more likely to choose brands that engage them on their passions and...
As an entrepreneur or a solo-preneur, you’re faced with an uphill battle. You need to find a way to stand out from the rest of the people in your industry with something unique and exciting. You have this idea, a brand and a story that you want to tell the world, but how do you bring it to them? The answer is social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, these platforms and more are teeming with...
A professional sports team could survive without its mascot. After all, Mr. Met doesn’t win a World Series. But could you say the same about a well-known brand? Brands like Coca Cola and Old Spice stay in business because of their products, sure, but often it’s precisely their brand mascots that tend to keep their names in the limelight and keep people talking about their ads...
In a Web 2.0 society, personal branding is intrinsically linked to the Internet, especially when it comes to personal websites and social media profiles. As the face of your business or service, it makes good marketing sense to build an authentic, personal relationship with your audience. However, when doing so, you need to keep in mind that you’re giving out information to a lot of people...
Cori (that's me!) is a wildly hire-able freelance writer as well as the creative brains and dubious brawn behind this blog you're reading right now, My Name is Cori, & Salt, Light, and Faith. Oh and you might also call her an author. Visit C.B. Stone Books for more.