Your Brand, Your Most Valuable Asset

Your Brand

Your Most Valuable Asset

Branding is a buzzword that brings forth close to 39 billion links on Google. In a competitive marketplace, having a powerful brand can drive success. Excellence alone is not enough to surpass your competition. Companies need branding and positioning to differentiate their business from others offering similar products and services.

Branding is more than just a label for your company. It establishes your identity, defines your product or service, and affects customer perception, all coalescing to pre-sell your business. Your company’s logo creates its visual identity, taking into account form, color palette, type style and layout. “The stronger brand is going to win in a competitive situation,” said Sam Yates, President, Yates & Associates.

When we see a pair of golden arches, the letters “LV”, and two hands side by side with palms up, we immediately identify McDonald’s, the designer Louis Vitton, and Allstate Insurance Company. Adding a tagline can create a powerful positioning statement.

Positioning statements can be used to reflect what your company offers that is of importance to your clients and customers. “Just do it,” “You can do it, we can help,” and “Drivers wanted” are the memorable taglines of Nike, Home Depot and Volkswagen.

Logos and taglines project distinct images essential to separate your company from others. “Branding has to be the backbone of your marketing plan, especially if you’re in multiple markets,” said Yates.

Classic branding campaigns raise awareness of a company and its product or service. When the economy is in a downturn, maintaining a visual presence is critical to making an impact, even though the payoff may not arrive until the economy improves. “Many companies are inclined to withdraw from the ‘brand bank’ during difficult economic times. However, doing so may be fatal for a company,” said Yates. Abandoning your brand is equivalent to abandoning your company’s future.

The bottom line: Ultimately, branding brings you the customer or client your company has earned. In times of economic downturn, maintaining market presence is critical to long-term success. Results happen over time, not overnight.

Yates & Associates provides a full range of cost-effective branding and marketing communications services that produce results. Let Yates & Associates help you grow your business.

For more information, contact Dorothy Kamm, Executive Vice President, Yates & Associates, (772) 225-1292; www.YatesPro.com.

Staying Connected With Public Relations

Staying Connected With Public Relations

What do CEO’s need to consider regarding marketing during a recession? Not trimming marketing dollars from your company’s budget during times of economic recession. “It is a proven fact that companies that cut back on marketing and promotion when economic times are tough ultimately end up neglecting existing customers and missing prospects,” said Sam Yates, President, Yates & Associates. “Trying to play catch-up and regain lost market share when economic conditions improve costs more in the long run than maintaining a consistent market presence,” added Yates.

Yates suggests redirecting money from your advertising budget to public relations activities. “Public relations is used to build awareness of your company, your brand, your products, and your services,” said Yates. Yates & Associates utilizes a variety of tools, such a promoting news stories, writing articles for trade and consumer publications, and staging special events and other types of media promotions to keep its clients in the forefront.

“We had a dedicated weekly newspaper ad that just wasn’t bringing us results,” said Kenneth Palestrant, M.D., founder of Physicians Immediate Care, one of the region’s premier providers of ambulatory and urgent health care. Their impetus to reconsider their marketing efforts came about when they were building a second clinic in western Port St. Lucie and planning its grand opening. Three months before the clinic was scheduled to open, “We turned to Yates & Associates to assist us with marketing so that we could focus on the building, outfitting and staffing of the new clinic,” said Dr. Palestrant. Yates & Associates not only tackled the planning and coordination of this event, but the firm also began positioning Dr. Palestrant as a medical expert with the media.

Within one month of opening, patient load was at the projected six-month level. Within 45 days, patient load matched one year projected level. Today both clinics are operating equally, and a third clinic is in the planning stage. This proved to be a turning point for Physicians Immediate Care.

“When we decided to withdraw newspaper advertising and hire Yates & Associates, we exceeded our goals and expectations,” said Dr. Palestrant. Seeing such quick results, Physicians Immediate Care decided to keep Yates & Associates on retainer. “We have learned that marketing is much more than just advertising. We have also learned that by selecting a qualified marketing firm, such as Yates & Associates, the return on our investment has been extremely rewarding,” summed up Dr. Palestrant.

The bottom line: In times of economic downturn, don’t cut your marketing budget in an effort to cut costs. For your business to retain its market share, you need to include public relations in your financial plan.

Yates & Associates provides a full range of cost-effective marketing communications services that produce results. Let Yates & Associates help you grow your business.

For more information, contact Dorothy Kamm, Executive Vice President, Yates & Associates, (772) 225-1292; www.YatesPro.com.