Re: Branding, etc

From: Rob Frankel <rob_at_robfrankel.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 18:38:50 -0600 (CST)

RAMON RAY WROTE:
>I'd really like some comment from other o-a'ers!!!! How
>should I advise small businesses to advertise on the net? Am
>I in the right direction, or off the wall.
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, as long as you're asking....

RAMON RAY WROTE:
>I still hold that branding doesn't work that well for small
>biz/low budget banner ads.
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's because you're confusing branding with advertising.
They're not the same. Branding communicates why you're the
best solution for your prospects' problem. Advertising is
just raising the awareness of your brand (see long winded
sig below).


RAMON RAY WROTE:
>The problem for small biz - branding or just to get some
>quick sales - is that there's so many WEB sites out there to
>advrtise on!!!!
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Again, you're shooting at the wrong target. Anyone who's in
business for "quick sales" isn't in business, they're in a
crap shoot. Branding is especially important for small and
micro businesses, because these are the people who don't
have the bucks to piss away on onlique, multi-million dollar
campaigns designed by dopes with strange eyewear and stupid
haircuts.

A strong brand is easily articulated by prospects, which in
turn makes it memorable and compelling. That's where word
of mouth happens and we all know that the web is rooted in a
wonderful community based on creative anarchy. So a strogn,
compelling brand whips around the globe a lot more
effectively than does a pixelated come-on buried on some
obscure web site.

Yes, it is a longer cycle, but the results are almost always
more effective.

RAMON RAY WROTE:
>If a small biz really just has to use banner ads, I would
>suggest sponsoring a whole web site or section of one, to
>keep your banner or message up for several hours, days,
>weeks, or months at a time - not just for every xth visitor.
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Yes, I agree with you. The more you niche, the better you
do. People keep forgetting that while the medium is global,
their strategies and tactics don't have to include the
entire world.


RAMON RAY WROTE:
>DoubleClick has some powerful features that may help small
>biz also.
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Don't even get me started here. DC and the like are on this
planet to sell ads on their clients' websites, not to assure
the budget-challenged of targeted, effective advertising.


Rob Frankel

"Branding is not about getting your prospect to choose you over your
competition; it's about getting your prospect to see you as the only
solution." (sm) -- Rob Frankel, columnist, consultant, author
Big Time Branding (SM) http://www.robfrankel.com
Subscribe to FrankelBiz for FREE at:
http://www.robfrankel.com/frankelbiz/form.html
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Received on Fri Feb 26 1999 - 20:02:53 CST