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Maria - I want to shout this article from the rooftops--well at least I can tweet it and share it on Facebook. Your message is so on point and it is tragic when small business owners fail to recognize the money they are going to lose short and long term by not taking a serious and thoughtful approach to their branding. Love it! Thanks so much!!
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How Saving Money on Branding & Marketing Can Cost You
Why do some entrepreneurs think branding and marketing are any less important than bookkeeping or sound legal advice? Skimping now to save a buck can cost you more dearly in the end. Here's how to avoid some brand pitfalls.
Written Jul 12, 2010, read 3960 times since then.
We’ve all seen it – and maybe done it. We spend money on lawyers or accountants to build our business the right way, but when it comes to something like a logo or a website, we think, “Why, my neighbor’s teenage niece knows how to use Illustrator! Maybe she can do my logo for free.” Or, “I just need to get a simple website up. Let me just slap together a DIY template and get the page up and running.”
While these are steps you may need to take initially to get your business off the ground and money coming in the door, skimping on a well-thought-out and intentional brand strategy long-term can cost you way more in sales later on. This fundamental mistake is what inspired me to write my book.
Branding does not have to be some big expensive effort that only large companies can afford. If you run a small business, you need to spend time thinking about and conveying your brand as well – at whatever budget you have to spend. Brand is more than just your logo or website - it's your essence, your core. It's the experience people have with you, the impression you leave in their minds. So you need to really think about what you want that impression to be and ensure that you communicate it consistently in three important ways: visually, verbally and experientially. Only with consistent exposure to your brand promise in every touchpoint will customers connect with you and become rabid fans, thus increasing your profits long-term.
And while brand is more than the visual identity, your design look is still a key part of it. Buyers make decisions subconsciously and need to be attracted to your look and feel first before they will learn enough to buy from you. Just like dating, your appearance does not define who you are but it does factor in to initial first impressions. So why do so many entrepreneurs try to cut corners on the very first thing that potential customers will see?
Hiring unqualified people or designers who don’t ask you anything about your value proposition, differentiators, or target audience is not the way to save money. I talk to many people that threw away money because their brand strategy was not baked yet. Good design is a skill: it’s a skill that involves taking a message and communicating it visually, not just creating a pretty picture. You will lose more in lost sales by getting this part wrong than you will save on cutting corners.
And guess what? That brand strategy will do more than just inform your visual identity. It will serve as a compass for other marketing investments: partners, advertising, events. Basically any decision your company makes will be a smarter one if you start with the brand strategy first and use it as a compass. This helps you avoid throwing away money on what I call “random acts of marketing” and ensures that you only invest in activities that move your business forward.
If you need to save money, the best thing entrepreneurs can do is to first sit down and create a clear, strong brand strategy before any marketing, design or development takes place. This entails defining who you are, what you represent, what feelings you want to evoke, what value you provide, how you price things, who your ideal audience is, and how to best reach them. This requires sitting down and answering some key questions. People that don't do this first and launch into creating a website or investing in marketing programs are just throwing their money away. When you have no destination, every road looks like it leads somewhere. I break this down to ten simple questions in my book.
Know thy audience and thy brand strategy and you will know the best design options, communication vehicles and marketing tactics in which to invest. Translation: only pay for things that will move you forward and give you a return on your investment. Saving $1000 and then ultimately losing $10,000 in sales opportunities because you didn’t connect with your target customer does not seem like a good investment strategy to me.
Check out this published work by Maria Ross
Branding Basics for Small Business: How to Create an Irresistible Brand on Any Budget
By: Maria Ross
Published by: Norlights Press
ISBN-13: 978-1935254249
Amazon: $10.85
Learn more about the author, Maria Ross.
Comment on this article
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Posted by Maria Ross, Seattle, Washington |Jul 14, 2010 Thanks Norma! I know we all need to save money but I've seen such wasteful spend in other areas and then people leave it up to some random to create their logo, website or Facebook page. I bit the bullet and invested in a strongly branded Facebook Fan page with you guys at Socialbees because I knew I wanted it to look great from the start - and that has made all the difference to my brand strategy on FB. For me as a branding consultant, I better have a clear and consistent brand across all my touchpoints! Thanks....
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Posted by Ken Peters, Phoenix, Arizona |Jul 14, 2010 Maria,
Spot on. Treating branding as an afterthought will relegate your brand to an afterthought in the consumer mind.
Ever notice how the guys who think branding and design are where you cut corners to save money are the same guys with the most ostentatious offices… until they go out of business? :-)
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Posted by Robert Barzelay, Tel Aviv Israel |Jul 15, 2010 Very much to the point. The majority of companies, especially start-ups, take Marketing in general as a nice-to-have, but I don't need it. A founder-CEO-almighty once told me: "I don't need Marketing, I need sales. Anybody can Google and stroll around an exhibition."
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Posted by Christine Morris, Pottstown, Pennsylvania |Jul 15, 2010 Maria - I have to agree with everyone. Your article is great and very timely for me. I have been struggling with this very topic and feel confident that my choice to develop a plan around the brand I will be creating is the right one.
I will definitely be sharing your post with my list!
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Posted by Debbie Albin, Plainview, New York |Jul 15, 2010 Great article Maria! It aligns with something I always I always try to emphasize to my clients: design and branding should be viewed as an investment rather than an expense.
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Posted by Deb Pang Davis, Beaverton, Oregon |Jul 15, 2010 Maria ~
Kudos and you hit the nail on the head with this sentence:
"If you need to save money, the best thing entrepreneurs can do is to first sit down and create a clear, strong brand strategy before any marketing, design or development takes place. "
Excellent article and hope to connect with you. Deb
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Posted by Maria Ross, Seattle, Washington |
Jul 15, 2010 Wow - this definitely hit a nerve with people and I love it! I think the issue is that, because we are all marketed to all the time, there are people who believe it is easy and that they can "figure it out." But it's a skill just like any other. One wouldn't say they are an expert football player just because they watch it on TV all the time.
Robert, that CEO's comment makes my blood boil on so many levels! First of all, marketing makes sales EASIER if it's done right and paves the way for the cold call, the appointment or the purchase. And secondly, this CEO is nuts if he thinks that is the only kind of marketing that matters. Talk about throwing your money away. Good luck if you think just doing trade shows and Google are the only and best ways to be marketing your business. It's like a CEO saying, "I don't need an accounting department to track the money or make payments. I just need to earn the money."
Thanks everyone!
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Posted by Robert Barzelay, Tel Aviv Israel |
Jul 15, 2010 Well, Maria. This CEO is a physician with great ideas and a prolific inventor. But he already ran 3 companies into the ground because of his narcissistic attitude ("Shut up. You do what I say. I am the CEO."), and his unbelievable disgust of marketing (he made many more memorable comments about Marketing). I can write a book about this guy.
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Posted by Barbara Rogers, Golden, Colorado |
Jul 15, 2010 Maria - thank you so much for the great article. I too concur with with what others have already stated.
As a designer, I cannot believe how many times I have heard folks say my cousin's kid did my website or my niece did my logo etc etc... it is mind-boggling. I pride myself on educating my clients on the whys of things to give them a better understanding. I offer complimentary consultations to help assess their needs. So when I hear back from them and they say - yeah I just bought a cheap "skin" and threw up a website I just cringe. It sure as heck is doing little good for the biz identity.
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Posted by Andrea Bona, Alexandria, Virginia |Jul 16, 2010 Maria, Thank you for the great article. Not investing in branding and marketing, goes back to the old saying, you get what you pay for. Too many organizations skimp on branding and marketing and wonder why they aren't succeeding.
I especially like your remark "Good design is a skill: it’s a skill that involves taking a message and communicating it visually, not just creating a pretty picture."
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Posted by Maria Ross, Seattle, Washington |
Jul 16, 2010 Thanks Barbara and Andrea. And Andrea, one is never more clear that great design is a skill than when they sit staring a a PPT slide trying to convey all their text into something graphical and visualy appealing! Happens to me all the time. I am not a skilled designer and I count on such people to bring my brand recommendations to life for the client.
Yes, indeed one does "get what they pay for." Sometimes that is okay for your business and other times, cuting corners makes no sense at all.
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Posted by Ken Peters, Phoenix, Arizona |
Jul 16, 2010 Barbara
Every time I hear something like, "my cousin's kid did my website or my niece did my logo etc etc" I think a unicorn dies :-)
Maria
I hope this doesn't seem like hijacking your great article, but I'd like to invite you and your readers to peruse this post from my blog, which I think makes a great companion to the thoughts you've set forth here.
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Posted by William Thompson, Walnut Creek, California |Jul 17, 2010 I don't usually take the time to comment on a fellow professional's work, but in this case, Maria, your point was so well made that I must send on a salute. For every new client of ours, we take the time to emphasize the points you have made, at our very first meeting.
Every business owner should wake up each day thinking about branding and marketing, for it is the engine that propels their business. If one skimps by pumping low-grade fuel into their car, we all know what will happen to the engine - so don't do the same with branding by letting a novice control the way you appear to your prospects and customers. The penalties are almost certain.
For those reading this and starting a business, listen to Maria - and read her article again. Although it may seem basic, this sophisticated concept alone is worth thousands during your future.
William H. Thompson Thompson Group Marketing Walnut Creek, CA
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Posted by Maren Finzer, Seattle, Washington |Jul 19, 2010 You said this magnificently, Maria!
Sadly, I have story after story of those who did try to cut corners at first to save money, only to have to start over and do it right. And I'm the one who has to be the bearer of the bad and costly news!
I find that small business owners are usually fantastic at what they do, and hence the reason they went into business. But the branding and marketing component is foreign to them, and just not their strength. That's why they need us!
I look forward to hearing more from you!
Best, Maren
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Posted by Steven Matsumoto, Renton, Washington |Jul 20, 2010 Amen! Great article! I'm reminded of an article in Business week a year or so ago on this very topic. Sadly my own brother won't listen to me on this and used a templated site for his photography business and scoffed at the investment I made in using a professional graphic designer for our identity and professional web developer for our site.
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Posted by Maria Ross, Seattle, Washington |
Jul 20, 2010 Thanks everyone. Yes, the sad uphill climb we face from CEO's (or brothers, Steven - and I had a cousin who did this same thing and spent tons of money on a logo "on the cheap" that she has since scrapped) is , "Wiell, we're getting bus iness anyway so that is all just fluff." I often respond with, "So you're succeeding in spite of yourself - good for you. But how much MORE biz could you be getting, how much more efficient could you be and how much farther could you stretch your marketing dollar if you took the expert approach? If you don't intentionally know what is working, how can you replicate that success over the long haul? You want something repeatable, scalable and intetional to drive your message homw to the buyers who matter most. I love all the comments, everyone.
Gives me hope in my heart that people out there do indeed get it!
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Posted by Maria Ross, Seattle, Washington |
Jul 20, 2010 Ken, love hijacking - the more the merrier! I need to check out your post for sure.
This topic is exactly why I wrote the recently released Branding Basics for Small Business: How to Create an Irresistible Brand on Any Budget (2010, Norlights Press) www.red-slice.com/branding-basics-book. It was endorsed by some pretty heavy hitting marketing gurus (back cover) I think precisely for what you've all been commenting on here: the compelling business case to the bottom line of doing things right from the start, from the foundation.
Thanks!
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Posted by Kimberly Dow, Frederick, Maryland |Jul 21, 2010 Thanks Maria. I agree with everyone, your article hit it just right. I am continually working with my clients to consider their brand overall when I am creating a logo for them. Before I start any sketching, I am always sure to go through a series of questions that helps them think about and envision their marketing and brand image, and helps me to understand what that vision is.
"Good design is a skill: it’s a skill that involves taking a message and communicating it visually, not just creating a pretty picture."...I live by this rule and try to communicate it to my clients as well.
Thanks for such a great article!
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Posted by Maria Ross, Seattle, Washington |
Jul 22, 2010 You're welcome Kimberly. It truly is a skill, one I don't pretend to have myself. I am creative and have some great ideas but working with a great designer can offer you so many things you never would have imagined I love that moment working with a client when we both see one of my designer's comps and get goosebumps and scream, "That's exactly it! Perfect!' Nothing beats that.
I'm reminded of a line from the movie You Got Mail (bear with me, Rom Comedy haters) where Meg Ryan's character writes to her email pen pal about "wishing she could be that person who says exactly the right thing to someone at the right time." She laments the fact that she only thinks of the right comeback long after the conflict or insult has taken place. Working with great designers is, for me, just like having a scriptwriter to help you say exactly what you mean to say in exactly the way you mean to say it.
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Posted by Chris Mastaler, Pinehurst, North Carolina |Aug 21, 2010 ...Excellent blog, Maria - Loads of 'food for thought'.... I'm just getting started in a organic clothing website... I need all the help I can get for this...so, your blog was a wealth of super information and thought.... Thanks!
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Posted by Maria Ross, Seattle, Washington |
Aug 23, 2010 Thanks Chris....and ya'll can check out my company blog at www.red-slice.com/blog for more musings and advice if you like.
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Posted by Anna Marie Bush, Wharton, New Jersey |Jan 04, 2011 After years of being the "teenage neice/neighbor who knows how to use Illustrator" I can tell you that it's not the way to go. Now that I am in the marketing industry myself, I look back at those things I created and, although technically and artistically well made, see that they have little to no connection with the brand or the audience. Thank you for shedding let on the fact that just because someone CAN do something for you, doesn't mean they are the one who SHOULD.
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Posted by Anna Marie Bush, Wharton, New Jersey |
Jan 04, 2011 After years of being the "teenage neice/neighbor who knows how to use Illustrator" I can tell you that it's not the way to go. Now that I am in the marketing industry myself, I look back at those things I created and, although technically and artistically well made, see that they have little to no connection with the brand or the audience. Thank you for shedding let on the fact that just because someone CAN do something for you, doesn't mean they are the one who SHOULD.
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Posted by Kendrick Wilson, Asheville, North Carolina |Jan 06, 2011 Excellent article! I work for a website development company and I wish more of my clients/potential clients had this opinion BEFORE starting the process of developing a website/logo. I have been the "teenage neice/neighbor who knows how to use Illustrator" too Anna, and I know it's not the right way to go! Also, I have had tons of clients who tried using another company first (because it was cheaper and seemed easier) that wasted a lot of money on a bad site with no customer service. They now have great sites that they can edit/update themselves, and they can reach me or the CEO on our cell phones at ANY time! If only they had known this before throwing a bunch of money away on a bad site first...
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Posted by Maria Ross, Seattle, Washington |
Jan 06, 2011 Thanks Anna Marie and Kendrick (and hope I didn't offend either of you with the "teenage niece" remarks!) And Kendrick, I would say 1/3 of my clients are people who tried it the wrong way first and now are willing to invest the money into doing things the right way. But it pains me that they threw so much money away to begin with and it's all because people underestimate brand and marketing as a skill. Thanks ladies....
Published by Maria Ross
Branding Basics for Small Business: How to Create an Irresistible Brand on Any Budget
By: Maria Ross
Published by: Norlights Press
ISBN-13: 978-1935254249
Amazon: $10.85
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Updated Jul 12, 2010
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