Wal-Mart, brand killer? Maybe not.

BrandChannel.com has an article that discusses the prospect of Wal-Mart as a brand killer.

Some claim that Wal-Mart is a brand killer because of its enormous buying power and ubiquity. Wal-Mart can buy for less because it has such power and therefore sell for less than any competitor. Wal-Mart represents such a wide distribution channel that some brand managers think they cannot afford for their brands to be left off the retailer’s shelves.

So the brand managers think.

If you are a brand manager, you must stop to ask yourself, "Does my brand belong in Wal-Mart?"

Many people realize that Wal-Mart is not always the smartest choice. It is not the trendiest. It is not the most exclusive. It is not where you are likely to find the highest quality. It is not the place to go if you are hoping to find products that deliver a bit more than you expect. It IS the place to go if you are looking for a functional product at a low price.

Think about your brand in those terms. Do you consider your brand a commodity item where you can compete almost exclusively on price? If so, then maybe Wal-Mart is a good channel for your brand.

If your brand, however, is highly differentiated from its competition and promises superior value, then perhaps your brand does not belong in Wal-Mart right next to a generic alternative selling for less money. That might actually hurt your brand.

Just because you can get your brand in front of millions of shoppers per day does not mean it is the right thing to do for your brand.

That being said, there will always be room for other retail outlets to find ways to successfully compete against Wal-Mart with highly differentiated brands.

Certainly, there is room for all and the symbiosis will only be a benefit for all consumers.

What's up with the teeth?

And while we're on the topic of oral health, Ken Magill over at Direct Magazine mysteriously got subscribed to an e-newsletter about toothpaste thus proving once again that just because marketers can talk about something and they can do so cheaply and directly using the Internet doesn't mean that they should.

(Free Clip Art Provided by Artclips.com. Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved.)

The $30, 000 toothbrush

Mike Wagner at www.OwnYourBrand.com tells an interesting story about how a forgotten toothbrush on a business trip and subsequent brand dereliction on the part of a hotel employee could result in losses of $30,000 to the hotel.

This should serve as a simple reminder to all brand owners that often it is the little brand promises that make a huge difference. All brand owners and brand managers would be wise to instill in their organizational cultures the importance of delivering on all brand promises every time. Even the little promises.

Often, your brand is in the hands of that employee on the front line who might be having a bad day, might not care or just doesn't understand the importance of delivering on band promises.

Do U.S. news media outlets have a branding problem?

It used to be that news outlets in the U.S. were viewed as fair, objective, politically-neutral and fact-based. Do they now have a branding problem?

Check out the article at:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070809222839.jzdcwmy8&show_article=1.

It seems that news media outlets have a branding problem. Their core values are perceived to be forgotten and it seems to me that yes, I trust news much less than I used to and many "news" articles are written and reported from an agenda-driven angle.

What do they need to do to fix their brands? Can they fix their brands at all?

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The relationship between brand values and organizational mission

One often sees organizations whose messages and brand values are so far removed from the overall organizational mission that, if viewed in isolation, they reflect no connection to the core values of the organization. This disconnect represents a missed opportunity to build stronger, more valuable brands and organizations.

This gap between brand communication and organizational mission can be understood by analyzing the traditional way brands are managed.

Many traditional brands are individually guided by managers who compete for resources and a greater stake in the power structure of the organization. When brands are managed in such territorial silos, it is far too easy for them to drift further and further away from the company's core mission.

In never-ending initiatives to make their own brands stand out and get noticed within the organization, brand managers are lured into adjusting and "refining" brand communications so they attract attention. These brand managers often fall prey to the temptation to create edgy and progressive brand messages that capture attention and stir passion-but do more overall harm than good because they fail to foster organizational goals or promote core brand values.

In contrast, the goal of solid brand communication strategy should be to support and echo strategic goals and communicate core brand values both internally and externally in a manner that resonates with all stakeholders and sells brand value.

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Self-branding/Self-introduction

Have you ever had a chance encounter with someone who could help you achieve your career goals? Were you satisfied that you made the most out of the opportunity to talk with that person?

If you are like most people, every once in a while you have an opportunity to talk with someone that can offer you a job or help your career in some fashion. Sometimes this meeting is a 30-second encounter at the coffee pot in the morning. Other times it is an introduction at an informal gathering or meeting. Still other times, you have the opportunity to introduce yourself to another person and rather than make the most of it, you avoid the situation altogether.

What stops us in these situations? Is it fear? Is it shyness? Often times, we take a pass on these great opportunities because they occur at times when we are not expecting them and they catch us off guard. There may be only a few brief moments to take action and we don't know what to do or say.

I would like you to prepare in advance for these situations. Perform the following exercise to help you take advantage of such situations.

Imagine that you are in the middle of a job search. You and a friend agree to meet for lunch one day. Your friend happens to work at a company for which you would very much like to work. You made arrangements to meet your friend at her office and then go out to lunch together.

As you are walking down the hall together, a person comes walking down the hall the other way. As this person approaches you, your friend stops and briefly introduces you.

"Dr. Hutchins", she says, "I'd like you to meet my friend". Dr. Hutchins happens to be the VP of the department for which you would like to work.

You shake hands with Dr. Hutchins---and then what?

I would like you to think about what you would say. Let's call this "The 10 Second Drill".

The 10 Second Drill is simple in concept, more complicated in practice. Develop a brief yet powerful way to introduce yourself that tells someone a little bit about who you are and what you can do to help them in 10 seconds or less. Come up with an introduction that "hooks" the other person, draws them in, and makes them want to know more about you. Make a lasting impression! Once you develop a strong introduction, practice it with your friends and ask them for feedback. Perfect your self-introduction so that it comes naturally to you when you say it. Consider the following examples:

"Hi. I'm Joe Smith. I love to help people get the most out of life by showing them better ways to manage their time".

"Hello, my name is Janet Johnson and I'm an expert in helping organizations make sure they hire the right people".

"My name is Robert Zimmerman and I have found new ways to increase revenue by designing successful online marketing campaigns".

These introductions all tell us a little bit about these people and what they do. These introductions also make us want to ask a few more questions to learn more about these people. That is exactly what a good introduction should do.

In the field of marketing, we talk about the importance of Unique Selling Proposition, or USP, all the time. The 10 Second Drill is really a strong introduction that communicates the unique selling proposition of your personal brand in just a few seconds. Think about this introduction in terms of it being a headline or just a few bullet points that describe who you are and how you can help others.

Think about how to best sum up yourself in this 10 second introduction. Practice "The 10 Second Drill." A strong and powerful first impression might launch your career or your brand to higher levels of success than you ever imagined.

Until next time...quick...I have to get to a meeting...tell me a little about yourself.