The Art of Now: Why Re-branding and Getting Your Message Out Now May Be Just What Your Business Needs
“Life unfolds in the present. But so often, we let the present slip away, allowing time to rush past unobserved and unseized, and squandering the precious seconds of our lives as we worry about the future and ruminate about what’s past.”
—- Jay Dixit from “The Art of Now” an article that appeared in Psychology Today Magazine.
Doing it now can mean jumping into the game quickly.
We talk to clients every day who want to redo their branding and start a public relations program but they hesitate for a variety of reasons: “I haven’t budgeted for this project.” “I do everything myself and always have.” “I’m not used to having anyone work on my business but me.” “The economy is slow and I’m saving cash right now.” “I don’t have time to look into anything new right now.”
We’ve found through our experience that the idea of having an expert or outsider work on a company’s business is often a daunting proposition–especially for a small business.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself about your business and be honest with yourself about why you aren’t taking the next steps to grow your business?
1) Do you just like doing everything yourself? Do you just not want anyone to get involved with your marketing? This is where clients often get their most enjoyment from–marketing–because it is very creative. Where are you this year as compared with last year? Are you happy with the results? Just because you enlist an expert to help you grow your business more professionally doesn’t mean that you won’t be part of the process and contribute ideas and concepts —its just that these ideas and concepts may be executed in a more efficient, professional manner that produces results. Think: Your ideas, but better!
2) I don’t want to spend any money. Where are you spending your money now? Where are you spending your time? Is it in the same places and are you getting results from these habitual spending practices? Would fresh ideas and new approaches open up new markets and bring you new clients? How will you know if you don’t explore this option? What is your time worth? If your business is taking years to do their launch and another is handling it more efficiently with outside assistance and professional design, you may want to revisit the notion of handling things in-house or waiting to do your branding when you have reached a certain level of sales. You may want to factor what your actual (real hours that you spend each month on your business) hourly “wage” is based on the number of hours you work and you may realize you would do better delegating some responsibilities to others even if it’s for short bursts of time as with preparing for a major trade show.
3) Why are you doing everything yourself? Handling everything yourself is counter productive. If your business is a vanity project for you then keep doing it the way you are doing, but if you want to grow your business eventually to sell, to pass on to your children or to expand into a nationwide business, do you think it’s possible to do this all yourself? No one else does. One of the greatest things about being an entrepreneur is that you can enlist help and support and contract with folks to take care of some parts of your business that you may not be an expert in. If you need to be the expert and the “go to” person for everything in your business then you may want to start considering delegating. Until you learn this you won’t be able to grow your business.
4) The economy is slow and I’m saving cash right now. Yes the economy is slow, but this is where new opportunities are. Other weaker competitors may be downsizing and cutting their public relations and advertising spends, it may be a prime time for you to gain exposure in media and with your brand because others are operating in the “fear” mode while you are operating in the here and now and moving progressively forward you can take advantage of some great pricing out there for banner ads, radio, media coverage, trade shows and event participation. Locking in sponsorships with key events can position your company as a “player” in your category, but you can’t do this if you have your head buried in the sand thinking that some day money will fall from the skies and then and only then will you be able to think about advertising, marketing, public relations and branding.
5) Can I cope with the growth? Will this change my business and is this what I really want?
It’s as simple as making a flow chart and looking at your organization. Do you have the bandwidth to suddenly handle a surge of new business? Is your website capable of selling your product efficiently online?
Would an article in “O Magazine” suddenly send you into a panic? Would you need to rethink your brand strategy, your communications, the photography for your product and other aspects of your business? The time to think about these things is BEFORE you launch your brand, communications and vision out to the public. There are solutions for all your businesses’ needs. Step back and take a 4000 foot view of your business. This means getting out of the daily grind of thinking that you are bogged down in your own business dealing with operational issues. Focusing on growing your business will produce greater results. This includes: improving your company’s brand, image and visibility in the marketplace. If your website was done by your brother-in-law to save money, yet it can’t complete a sale online or provide statistics and metrics about visitors per month, it’s time to move on and get the website redone and correctly.
6) What will a new logo, brand or package design do for my business? I’m just fine the way I am.
A new logo and brand can do many things. It can help a reluctant buyer change their mind that your product is “ready for prime time” and finally submit that purchase order. If the product, brand, and press kit are professional looking you have a better chance of it meeting with a better reception with prestigious publications and TV shows. Real Simple, O, and Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and The View are sent hundreds of products and press kits. Yours needs to stand out and be professional. Your brand needs to speak to the types of customers you are trying to attract and the story needs to be compelling and interesting.
7) Why don’t you have the time to look into new ways to grow your business? Have you ever watched a new competitor on the horizon a little jealously because they are getting great press, their product is appearing on store shelves and you are hearing about them from people in your community? What is their secret you ask yourself? Often the launch of a new company or product that is successful is fully planned and integrated. When you consider that this new competitor may moving faster and gaining ground in your category it may be because they spent money on a worthwhile and effective campaign. While yours may be a three or ten-year-old-company it may take a long time to get that kind of visibility if you are spending your money and time in the wrong places. Getting somewhere faster can actually save your company money and man hours. Consider your brand as an investment. What is this investment worth? What should the investment accomplish? And how long will it take if you continue to handle things the way you have been? If your company’s website and communications materials aren’t optimized for Search Engines (Google, Yahoo, Explorer, Safari, etc.), you are missing opportunities and leads for your business. What is it worth to have pre-qualified customers find you and order your product? What is an ongoing commitment from a 100+ retail store chain worth to your business? Only you know the real answers to these questions for your particular business. Sometimes it just makes sense to budget and move forward instead of waiting, wondering and watching as other newer businesses start overtaking your category.
Sandra Evans is the Founder and Co-Creative Director of & Associates an integrated marketing, design and branding, public relations firm that specializes in producing results for clients. www.andassociates-ca.com
info@andassociates-ca.com
415 887 9230