8 Effective Branding Tips

 8 Effective Branding Tips

 

Branding is equally important for both small and large businesses. Many business owners perceive branding as just a logo and therefore believe it is not an essential component for their marketing success.

Little do they realise that many successful brands have effective branding, as it provides businesses with numerous benefits such as having a strong identity, personality and a point of difference, which are crucial factors to help you stand out from the crowd.

Here are eight effective branding tips on how to build a strong brand for your business.

1. Think analytically

Branding is not as simple as having a catch phrase or a logo. A brand that stands out from the crowd is one which is associated with the product's competitive advantage.

2. Maintain your brand

Repeat the same message on all your marketing material, in your emails and when you are face-to-face with your customers. For example, think of Nike, who has used "Just Do It" as a logo across all their marketing campaigns.

3. Target your market

Don’t aim to be the ‘one glove fits all’ type brand. The best results are achieved when you focus on your target market, creating a brand that is relevant and an 'image' that speaks to them. This also allows you to build strong relationships with your customers and improves your brand value.

4. Commit yourself to a brand

One rule of thumb is that when you have become tired of your logo, tagline and branding efforts, that's when they begin to sink in with customers. So, stick with it.

5. Create a unique value proposition

A unique value proposition is what makes you different from your competitors. The FAB Technique (Features, Advantages, Benefits) is the best way to start to design your value proposition so it really communicates to customers.

 

6. Speak with ‘One Voice’

Speaking with one voice simply means that your marketing communications and messages must be consistent across all mediums so your customers can identify and understand your product or service.

7. Having a dedicated marketing plan

Many companies come up with ideas to market themselves and establish a brand identity but have neither the resources nor a plan as to how they will reach their audience. You must have a well-thought out marketing plan in place before your branding strategy will work.

8. Aim to build a strong online presence

Every business of any size or industry must have a well-designed website. A website also forms a crucial component of your marketing strategy and establishes credibility of your brand. You can then start to use effective lead generation tools to build your brand awareness and drive more visitors to your site.

 

What does it mean to be a CHAMPION?

 What does it mean to be a CHAMPION? 

• Champions never give up

• Champions have courage and risk failure

• Champions have self-mastery

• Champions strive for life-balance

• Champions have vision

• Champions say, “I can, and I will"

• Champions surround themselves with great people

• Champions demonstrate courage, determination, persistence, and perseverance

• Champions embrace adversity as opportunities

“Champions will Always be Champions.” -- DRKKJOHAN

Former chief of Defence Force Mohd Ghazali passes away at 92

The BrandLaureate extends our deepest condolences to the family of Malaysia’s former chief of Defence Force Gen (R) Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ghazali Mohd Seth who died on Tuesday (Aug 24) at the Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur Hospital. He was 92.

“We share your grief at this difficult time with deep sympathy and condolences,” said DrKKJohan, the World President of The BrandLaureate Awards.

Ghazali was the 7th Chief of Defence Forces of Malaysia. He was also the recipient of The BrandLaureate Most Eminent Brand Icon Leadership Award in 2014.

Born on 4 February 1929 in Johor Bahru, Ghazali had undergone military training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1952. He had served as Army chief (1977–1981) prior to his appointment as the 7th Chief of the Malaysian Defence Forces (1981–1985).

Earlier, Chief of Defence Force Gen Tan Sri Affendi Buang and the entire armed forces personnel also expressed their sadness and condolences to Mohd Ghazali’s family along with their prayers

He was laid to rest at the Bukit Kiara Islamic cemetery later the same day.

Read more:

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/08/24/former-chief-of-defence-force-mohd-ghazali-passes-away-at-92

Burger seller owner of 70 hotels under the Zamburger chain

 Many hotel businesses are shutting down due to the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the country early last year.

However, one person managed to profit from it.

Burger seller Norizam Tukiman, 40, is now the owner of 70 hotels under the Zamburger chain.

He expanded his hotel chain by taking over 67 three-star boutique hotel including three in Indonesia, within a span of 15 months.

Norizam said he was able to buy over the hotels at a low price, as the owners could not cover the operating costs and pay the staff salaries.

Norizam started with only three hotels, two in Senai, Johor and one in Kota Warisan, Sepang, Selangor before expanding his business empire.

When questioned how he could take over a large number of hotels within a short time, Norizam said he used three business strategies,

“First is to buy the hotel, second is to buy the hotel 'business' with the hotel still owned by the original owner, and the third is through lease,” he said.

So, how did a burger seller become a mega-property owner? Read more:

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/burger-seller-now-owner-70-hotels-under-zamburger-chain

Top 10 Growing Brands in Japan 2021

 Top 10 Growing Brands in Japan 2021

 

Interbrand Japan, Japan’s biggest branding company based in Shibuya, Tokyo has announced the Best Japan Brands 2021 -- using its unique Brand Valuation method to convert brand value into monetary value.

This is the 13th year these rankings have been announced.

Here are the Top 10 Japanese growing brands, as announced by Interbrand earlier this year:

 

1.WORKMAN

With “high function, low price workwear for professionals” as its brand DNA, WORKMAN has established a new and unique brand position for itself by expanding its target audience to those who enjoy the outdoors and athleisure fashion.

 

2.Nitori

Nitori has built brand appeal with its slogan “More than just the price” in the international market by  offering  a convenient, seamless shopping experience both online and off with its Nitori App, which analyses customer data and strengthens the points of contact with customers.

 

3.Nintendo

Nintendo ‘s new game Animal Crossing: New Horizons enables players to interact with others in a pleasant world despite the forced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

4.Fujifilm

Fujifilm continues to transform its business structure using technologies developed in its film business, by expanding into the fields of healthcare, media recording, optical and electronic video, and imaging.

 

5.Rakuten

Rakuten has built a unique ecosystem that organically links members to over 70 services  in its  virtual network, a partnership with Shopify that brings new potential to e-commerce, the online Earth Mall With Rakuten which contributes to SDGs, and Rakuten Medical, which has commercialized the world’s first photoimmunotherapy for cancer.

 

6.BANDAI NAMCO

BANDAI NAMCO has also focused on experience-based entertainment centres, such as Gundam Cafés which opened across Japan to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Gundam franchise with the  slogan “More fun for everyone at home.”

 

7.Ajinomoto

Ajinomoto has concentrated its management resources on increasing corporate brand value, employee engagement, and market capitalization in its efforts to achieve its 2030 vision of becoming “a company solving food and health issues.”

 

 

8.Daikin

During the pandemic, Daikin has become the go-to company for ventilation and has experienced enormous business growth, and now aims to be a “global company that creates new value for the environment.”

 

9.Lion

As a leader in next-generation healthcare, Lion strives to improve mental and physical healthcare by creating new customer experiences and value in terms of health, comfort, cleanliness, and hygiene, with its mission of “redesigning habits to make them more fun, positive, and effortless.” the Japanese people.

 

10. Rinnai

In celebration of its 100th anniversary, Rinnai redesigned its logo in 2020. The company has also promoted the ideas of “Global, Generation, and Governance a brand chosen by customers

 

Ref: https://www.interbrand.com/newsroom/interbrand-best-japan-brands-2021-announcing-the-top-100-japanese-brands/

The 4 Stages of Brand Value Creation

 The 4 Stages of Brand Value Creation

WELL-managed brand systems are not just for decoration. They are value drivers that allow for companies to grow their brands even in saturated markets.

The secret of success in brand management lies in brand perception and value creation. As we live in a world of overabundance, consumers often find it difficult to properly assess the value of a  brand and what they have to offer.

A perfectly managed brand allows customers to join the dots and discover the brand value beyond just the price point, which develops into brand awareness and appreciation.

How does your brand measure up? Here are the four stages of Brand Management to gauge if you have the qualities to be a great brand.

1.      VALUE CREATION -- Building a brand starts with value creation. This is the prerequisite for effective brands and branding. Companies must offer compelling benefits to consumers beyond what the competitors have to offer – consistently and verifiably – to become a value-added brand.

2.      PERCEPTION -- Only what is perceived creates value. Such values can only have an effect if customers perceive them. Some companies are not even aware of their strengths and benefits, and therefore are not able to position their brand effectively – thus missing out on the benefits and advantages that comes with it.

3.      APPRECIATION – This a prerequisite for selling. As soon as the customers size up the brand, they must have a sense of its value vs price. What is it worth? How much am I willing to pay? And if the perceived value is higher than the asking price, then a potential sale can be made.

4.      VALUE ADD -- Finally, when the customer receive more than they spend,  a bond of relationship trust is built between buyer and seller.  This value surplus which usually goes beyond the price point, is the hallmark of well-managed brands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top 10 Superstars at Tokyo Olympics 2021

With more than 11,000 athletes competing across 339 events at the Tokyo Olympics, keeping track of each and every one can be a challenge for fans. Now that the Games have started, here is a list of 10 Olympians considered to be the best of the best in their field who you simply must know about. 1.Simone Biles Showing unparalleled dominance at the 2016 Rio Olympics with four gold and one bronze medal, Simone Biles returns to the sport’s biggest stage to defend her all-around, vault, floor and team event titles. The living gymnastic legend has won a record number of 25 world championships medals, including 19 golds. 2.Zhu Ting China’s “Queen of Volleyball” will captain the national women’s team in Tokyo and hopes to replicate the success from Rio 2016, where she scooped gold and the MVP title. She is also set to become the first Chinese woman to carry the national flag at the Olympics at the opening ceremony. 3.Kevin Durant History has shown that the US basketball team are guaranteed a medal in the Olympics –Although this year’s roster is missing many big names like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Love, it features Brooklyn Nets star Durant, the two-time Olympic, NBA and MVP winner, who is considered one of the best players in NBA history. 4.Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce As one of the world’s most celebrated track athletes, Fraser-Pryce has six Olympic medals and nine world championship titles under her belt – a testament to her timelessly explosive starts and textbook form. This 34-year-old Jamaican sprinter will settle for nothing but gold ahead of her 100m and 200m events, as well as the women’s 4×100m relay. 5.Chen Aisen This Guangzhou native returns to defend his Rio Olympics gold in the individual and synchronised 10m platform events. Aisen maintained his success by capturing the world titles in 2017 and 2019 and winning a World Cup gold in Wuhan in between. This time around, the 25-year-old will only be competing in the 10m synchronised event with Cao Yuan. 6.Allyson Felix Tokyo will be the fifth Olympics for the 35-year-old US athlete who won her 12th gold medal at the 2019 IAAF World Championships, surpassing the legendary Usain Bolt‘s record for the most track-and-field world championship titles. 7.Naomi Osaka This 23-year-old Japanese tennis star makes her Olympic debut in Tokyo in women’s singles. The world No 2 started the year with a formidable win at the Australian Open in February – her fourth grand slam victory. She won her first at the 2018 US Open against her idol Serena Williams! 8. Caeleb Dressel After Michael Phelps bade farewell to his record-breaking career after the 2016 Rio Games, Dressel led the way for the US men’s swimming team. This freestyle and butterfly specialist won two golds at Rio 2016, before clocking a remarkable 49.50 to break predecessor Phelps’ 10-year 100m butterfly record – twice – at the 2019 World Championships. 9.Karsten Warholm All eyes are on Karsten Warholm for the men’s 400m hurdles after he broke the world record in July, and the 300m edition a month before. The 25-year-old Norwegian is in tip-top shape and has held the No 1 title for men’s 400m hurdles for 106 weeks and counting. 10. Katie Ledecky The 24-year-old American swimmer boasts a stellar record of five Olympic golds and 15 world championships, making her one of the most decorated women’s swimmers in history. As the youngest athlete on the US Olympic swimming team in 2012, she surprised the world by taking gold in the 800-metre freestyle. She swept four more golds and one silver medal in Rio. Ledecky will compete in four individual events including the 4×200m freestyle relay.