Many small businesses have a limited understanding of marketing and advertising law – which is perfectly understandable – it is complicated, intricate and simply mind-boggling. However, one area of law that ALL businesses should understand is Intellectual Property, particularly trademarking. Many businesses think it’s an unnecessary (and large) expense (no doubt it is, but it should be regarded as a business investment, like purchasing a new piece of equipment), especially if they are a small – with intentions only to remain a small operator. Let me give you an example of why it is so important.
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I often keep an eye out for examples to use to explain marketing concepts in terms that business will understand and be able to implement in their own operation. Positioning is one of those things that is very difficult to exemplify. After noticing some new advertising by land development giant Satterley, it alerted me to an excellent and simple example of positioning, and how to create and own your own differential in a crowded market place.
Passing the local HBF branch on the weekend, I noticed a change in their branding. The big, bulky, capital letter HBF brand has been replaced with a flowing, lower case version, accompanied by a distinctly feminine and friendly, corporate style.
Humans are wired to pay attention to colour. From the black and yellow stripes on a bee’s body, to the heavy grey clouds of an impending storm, colour gives meaning to our environment and our experiences within it.
Nothing should shock me any more. I’m considered a resident of the Home for the Bewildered; honoured by punks who address me as ‘Grandad’; checked out by females who look like Whistler’s Mother and generally treated as if the autumn of my life has turned distinctly snowy. Yet contrary to popular belief, age does not insulate you against disbelief or observed stupidity. Just yesterday, I read about a caring business owner who in response to a customer complaint, promptly banned the customer from his store, abused her, used foul language to describe her complaint and harassed her all the way through the car park to her car.
Surely choosing the colour, or colours, for your brand can’t be that hard. Pick some nice hues, ensure they don’t clash, finish things off with nicely positioned photography or wording, that’s it isn’t it? Unfortunately, when designing brands, people all too often overlook the importance and significance of colour, ignoring or maybe just not understanding the implications of poorly chosen colours.
If you took aim with a shotgun at a bulls-eye shooting target 30 metres away, steadied your breathe and fired, you would never get every ‘ball shot’ to hit the bulls-eye. Many of the ‘ball shot’ would stray off their mark and fail to make any significant impact on the target. Is this starting to sound like you last mass media advertising campaign?