Greetings!

Happy January! 

This month has brought with it so many dramatic changes in our world.  I, for one, am extremely excited about the shifting and expansion that's occurring.  I hope you feel energized and hopeful too about the future, despite the difficult challenges many of us are facing, financially and otherwise.  My belief is that after breakdown, can come breakthrough, if we allow it.

I am currently embarking on a branding process for my company, Ellia Communications, that has been transformational for me both personally and professionally.  I've become crystal clear about what matters to me most in my business and life, and have stepped up to "name and claim it," as my brilliant publicist Patti Danos, likes to say. 

I know now that my unique value is in helping working women achieve breakthrough - overcoming crisis and challenge to create the life and work they truly want.

Because this branding development work has moved me forward so powerfully, I'd like to share with you an article about fearless branding and Creating a Brand That Matters, written by my branding consultant, Robert Friedman, Founder of Fearless Branding (www.fearlessbranding.com).  I hope you will find it instrumental in re-thinking your own personal brand, as well as that of your business or work.  Exploring what you stand for -- and claiming it -- opens up wonderful new possibilities and helps you gain clarity on the avenues in front of you today.  Read on for more...

I'm also very pleased to announce the first in a series of Career Breakthrough Coaching Groups I'm offering.  Beginning early February, I'll be facilitating a Career Breakthrough Master Coaching series in Westport, CT, offering a vital opportunity to gain support, new thinking and approaches, and collective insights into ways to jumpstart your career and work-life breakthrough so that you too may achieve the success and satisfaction you long for.  Please click here for more on the Career Breakthrough Coaching program.

Hope is in the air.  May this year bring you the breakthroughs you long for most. Thank you, as always, for your insights and generous sharing. 

Best Wishes,

Kathy

P.S. Because so many people have asked me what "Ellia" stands for, I'd like to share it.  Ellia represents two things I'm most deeply passionate about in my life.  It emerged from the french word "Elle" - meaning "she" - which signifies to me the wisdom, power, and vital impact of women the world over.  Secondly, it symbolizes the cherished blessings in my life - my beautiful children, Julia and Elliot.   Thanks for asking!

Create a Brand That Matters

by Robert Friedman
FEARLESS BRANDING

In this article, I'll talk about developing a powerful brand that creates a deep connection between your business and your ideal customers.  The examples that follow focus on the world's strongest brands but the fundamental ideas work for businesses of any size. 

Most small businesses do not take advantage of the full potential of their brand.  But you can.   By applying the strategic thinking I'm going to share with you, and by taking your business through a straightforward branding process, you can develop a powerful competitive advantage that will make your marketing more effective and increase your sales - often immediately.

Let's get started.  What is a brand?  What is "branding?" Does branding really matter if you've got a small business?

Let's start with what a brand is not:  A brand is not a logo, a name, a website, a brochure or even a product itself.

Your brand is how your market thinks and feels about your business.  You can be proactive and shape the market's perception. If you don't, they'll determine what your brand means. 

Back in the day, a brand was completely external.  A "brand" was used so that Rancher Jones could tell his cow apart from Rancher Smith's.  It was a way to tell two things apart that seemed essentially the same.  So, one way to think about brand is that it's a shortcut to decision making. But real branding is not just about differentiating what's on the outside.   Today, a brand is what a product or service stands for at its core.  Let's look at some examples:   What's the brand of "Tiffany?"  Simply jewelry?  "Nike?" Sneakers?  A swoosh? 

A Fearless Brand creates a deep emotional connection with its best customers.  For example:  Nike is a brand that helps its customers be a HERO in their own lives. It uses sports as a metaphor for life. Just do it.  Show up. Reach for your full potential.  It's bigger than sneakers and sporting goods. Tiffany brings ROMANCE into the lives of its customers.   Its jewelry and home furnishings are ways to achieve its goals:  not the goal itself. 

Of course, companies like Nike and Tiffany are concerned with generating profits and to do that they must sell products and services - just like you.  But the reason consumers are so loyal to these brand is because their brands provide meaning for their customers, not just stuff. 

Notice in the examples I just gave, each brand stands for and communicates one major idea.  Nike = Hero. Tiffany = Romance.  It's big. It's simple. It's emotional.  A few other brands do it, too.  Harley Davidson = Outlaw.  Polo = Aristocrat.  Apple = Creative.

That's what Fearless means:  Pick one idea.  One single-minded idea that immediately expresses the core value you provide. 

When you're fearless, you have the courage to put your stake in the ground and stand for something that expresses your unique value.  You offer something deeply meaningful to your ideal clients that can't find from your competitors.

But here's the good news.  Fearless doesn't mean being a daredevil.  When you're fearless, you're strategic.  You've done your homework.  You've identified the segment of your market that you can serve best. You stop being all things to all people.  In return, you speak deeply to those clients that really want what you have.  It enables you to develop strong attraction from the get-go, customer loyalty and, often, the ability to charge a premium price.

So, how do you do this when you're a small business owner and you don't have the resources of a global brand?

Emulate what works and learn from the masters.  You do not have to reinvent the wheel. From careful study, I've learned that the greatest brands all use the same formula to connect with their ideal customers and set themselves apart from the competition.

Here's the formula:  Great brands are differentiated in three essential ways:

1.     Functional:  This means you have to DO something different than your competitors.  What is that for you?

2.     Emotional:  The big idea we discussed above.  Start with what you do that's different.  Then, think about what that really means for your clients.  Speak to your customers' hearts and guts - not just their heads.

3.     Aesthetic:  The way to communicate your value is to create unmistakable language and images that reinforce your core idea. Think of "Tiffany Blue" unmistakable, right? Your brand can be that distinctive.

It takes a little work to get this level of clarity, but it pays off when your potential client quickly understands the real value they'll get from you.

Any small business can develop a powerful brand to create a significant competitive advantage.  There's a clear process to get there, and it's worth the effort. To find out more, see www.FearlessBranding.com.