Tis the season for a rebrand??

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This Fall, we are planning to bring in 2013 with some significant changes and additions in how we service you. We make it our mission to be your partner in building your business offering. It is only fair that we also expect ourselves to evolve – and it’s all to benefit you!

Although we are doing a little self-improvement, we haven’t stopped helping SMEs improve as well.  A new aspect of our offering (unveiling with the new site) has us excited to do more supporting start-ups such as our work with a great brand-to-be (not even born!). We are a proud partner in their efforts to enter a new mar ket and innovate a great offering.

What’s around the corner also assists us in further supporting existing SMEs. Take our 20 year-old (young adult!) business whom we’ve just completed a communications package following a VM Brand Check-up. Is their business good? Yes – but they want to keep things going in the right direction. We are their partner in a long term rebranding project designed to support their competitive edge, and stimulate their growth..

So, all this branding and rebranding activity has us thinking about the great effort that is ReBranding. Thinking about your business or brand? Have you branded (no, its not just for Fortune 500s)!!!? Do you need to ReBrand your offering? Here are a few things any business offering should consider when pondering this journey.

• Is it time?

Preparing for change is important in rebranding. Not just a change in product, service, or operations – you should also be prepared to change mindset and perspectives. In moving forward, maybe some things can’t be as they have been. Maybe a little backtracking is necessary to define and strengthen your structure.

The important thing about preparing for change is to accept that change is inevitable and the extent will vary with regards to your planning and strategy. Your market and competition will continue to evolve – sometimes changes are necessary to catch up, keep up or stay head. Or, as well like to sa - Make changes, or let changes happen to you!

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• The Mission is . . . . . .

Just as organizations eagerly communicate their mission and purpose, we believe every business should share and communicate a mission as well.  Not only is it good for you to have an overall business mission, but your rebranding efforts must also be focus driven.

 Maybe you need to rebrand your offering to tackle a problem, face a challenge, or make some much needed improvements. A great plan starts with a well-defined intent.  

• Deep Thoughts

Take a second and reflect. Or maybe we should say self-reflect! A little internal investigation goes a long way in navigating a constructive rebranding journey. How can you create productive change without asking those that count (experts, shareholders, employees, and consumers)? It is important to ask the right questions to get answers with value.

Are people satisfied inside and out? (How do you figure that out?) Are you pricing right? (How do you determine this?) Will you be guided to improve the existing? (How do you determine that?) Will it become evident that there is need to create what didn’t previously exist? (What is the best way to start?)

• Hmmm, what’s going on over there?

It’s also important to investigate your competition (yes you have plenty!). Taking a look on the inside should be followed by taking a look on the outside. This is not always easy for a business owner or organizational leader to do – but! – it is a necessary evil. Although it would be convenient to think so . . you are not alone in what you offer!

The size and depth of your market will vary according to your product or service. This is an opportunity to see what your customers and shareholders see. Getting to know your competition is the only way to achieve a competitive advantage that increases your ROI.

creativeunity.com

• Oh yea, can't forget about them

What about your customers? Yes customer feedback is invaluable to your self-reflection (as touched). However it is important to take a look at your target market (do you know who they are?) and closely examine your customer base (do you have one?). They’ve gotten you to this point and they are your ultimate brand ambassadors.

Do you want more money, better customer loyalty, and a feeling of sustainability with regards to what you are offering??? If so, your customer base should play a leading role in your efforts to revitalize.

• Zeroing in 

Certainly engaging your base will detail insight into your offering. Yes, 1-5 all relate to your offering. A focus on your offering should include an existing product or service profile. How is the product/service quality?

A focus on your offering will also involve an examination of how what you offer is distributed or administered. Do your operations support their performance? Are you distributing/administering through the best channels?

• Houston, we need a solution

Do problems have you considering a Rebranding journey? Problems are only bad if they aren’t worked. There are no easy solutions to problems that may have prompted a rebranding process. The true complication of business problems are that there will often be more than one potential path for solutions in moving forward. Which is best?

What solution will facilitate a most progressive outcome?  No matter the nature of the problem(s), defining and communicating their presence and impact is important to a productive rebranding plan and strategy. Thinking about what’s wrong, taking a look at what’s right, and envision where you want your brand to be.

guardian.co.uk

• Take 2 . . . . . . . ACTION!!

You can plan to rebrand, but you must enact a strategy to bring planning to life. Without an action plan all of your effort to prepare a successful rebranding will be just that – sprawling sections of black ink on a vast sheet of white 8x10. Will your plans, translate into action items, that when carried out bring you progress?

Who has what role? Where is the dialogue, who is it amongst? Are your employees ready to support change, are your partners ready to manage, will you be ready to lead the revitalization of your existing brand?

• Excuse me, can I get your attention?

All a brand will be is what a consumer perceives it to be. You may not control if someone commits to a buy or decides to develop a relationship with what you offer. Where do you have control?? You have control of your brand, your product, your service, and how you offer it to your favorite people! All you are is what you (and your offering) communicate yourself to be.

Every aspect of planning, strategizing, and coordinating further defines your brand and also details aspects of change and revitalization that need to be expressed to those who are most important.  How will you connect with customers and communicate the improved you?

* * *  Stay tuned to A World of Words for more information

on great changes ahead! So, how would you grade JCPenneys

effort to rebrand themselves? Tell us what you think by

taking our poll.  

Minor DC/AM

2012 by Votre Mot Professional Communications & Research. All right reserved. No part of this document, blog, and corresponding communications may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Votre Mot Professional Communications. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited by the following: see U.S. Copyright Office. Infringement will be pursued and is punishable within a United States court of law.



Spring cleaning: not just for the home!

 It is officially spring, and time for that annual ritual of cleaning up and cleaning out. Maybe you’ll dive into closets, venture into dark corners, or migrate north – the attic of course. 

We can look just about anywhere and find tools, assistance, and information at our disposal to successfully conduct a typical spring cleaning.  The Question: Do these tools and knowledge meet your spring cleaning needs in every facet of your SME operations? 

The Swiffer Wet Jet, Clorox Wipes, nor the Dyson Ball are the most ideal tools for the structural and operational spring cleaning for your organization, business, or brand.  Yes, your business offering needs seasonal rejuvenation as well!!

Votre Mot SME Spring Cleaning Guide 2012

Spring Cleaning for your business or brand should involve the same effort as spring cleaning the home.  Lucky for you our guide for SME Spring Cleaning involves less physical labor (in most cases!) and your years of experience preparing the home for all that is spring will be highly useful. 

As you partner in developing and caring for your brand – we couldn’t get you going without a little guidance. Here are three of the five aspects to a successful SME Spring clean.

1. Clutter

In preparing for you SME spring cleaning it is important to understand that your offering has three important environments. There is the physical environment in which you run the business where your offering and your customer meet and mingle. 

There is also the environment where all the hard work, preparation, planning, and executing may take place. Most importantly we can’t forget the environment that births your relationship and connection with your best friends – those who buy and participate! Consider these questions when tackling your clutter:

• Spatial:  Is there clutter in your physical space that needs a spring cleaning or spring exiting?

• Operational: Is there clutter that stands in the way of successful day to day operating?

• Functional: Is there clutter in your business messaging and advertising that distracts and confuses consumers?   

2. Chores

In the traditional spring cleaning that typically occurs within the home, you may get caught up on chores not yet completed or designated. For your SME spring cleaning, these chores reflect the need to address and possibly define tasks and objectives. 

These may be the action items awaiting a little kinetic energy or may be items that have simply become inactive (staled potential) in supporting your business operations and growth.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What tasks have I yet to tackle?
• What objectives did I previously set and never address?
• Have any objectives changed? Should some tasks be discontinued?
• Are my present business maintenance objectives (chores) addressing my business needs, business growth and satisfying your customers wants and needs?

3. Getting Involvement

Whether it is partners, employees, investors, or your left & right hands & feet, help always makes SME spring cleaning that much more effective.  We know some of you are ‘do it yourselfers’ so it gets done the right way - right (we relate!).

Many of you want that help but, it seems as though the others lack enthusiasm. Well, even if you think you can go at it alone or you struggle with productive participation there is good reason to establish involvement in your SME spring cleaning efforts.

• Time is $$$$$ - The larger and more time consuming your product or service has proven to be, the more time it may take to implement and complete your spring cleaning. More involvement means a shorter cleaning timeline. Remember you want to spend more time reaping the benefits of a rejuvenated offering.                                                                                             
• Input is invaluable - If you are an owner or operator with subordinates, guess what . . . You may not know everything there is to know about the current state of your business. Yes you run it (and hopefully well) but they may have insight in identifying hindrances and opportunities you’ll surely need to know to successfully rejuvenate. Spring cleaning could be a great opportunity for conducting surveys for feedback on internal operations.
• Strength & Conditioning - One of the more important longer term benefits to obtaining involvement involves its ability to create and foster a team oriented outlook for this project and beyond. Yes the effort of spring cleaning can stand to strengthen working relationships and also condition important figures to support future business efforts. 

Minor DC/AM

2011-2012 by Votre Mot Professional Communications. All right reserved. No part of this document, blog, and corresponding communications may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Votre Mot Professional Communications. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited by the following: see U.S. Copyright Office. Infringement will be pursued and is punishable within a United States court of law.

So, How Is It Going?? The Final Factor

Factor 7: What’s your website again?

Maybe you have found your way to us because you are looking to improve your brand communications. If you have made your way here and your offering lacks an online presence (blog, website, etsy, etc) well. . . . . what’s the hold up??

2010 statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce indicate that 77% of our fellow Americans use the internet.  During this year E-commerce sales averaged 165.4 Billion.  Two years later, we should speculate with confidence (smart phones, I Phone Apps, I Pad’s, on and on) that both of these figures have risin dramatically.

If you are without online communications, you only exist one dimensionally.  With this we mean that your potential is limited. If there were a ten commandments of SME business operations, we suggest that “ Thou must have a well-designed and professional website” would be inscribed in the top five.   

Your online communications can help mediate the potential affects the previous 6 factors have on your operations and success. If you are without e-presence most likely your competition has online communications (have you researched your market??) Therefore, you are loosing brand presence and or business to them. We don’t want that for you!! Votre Mot is here to empower you, your offering, and create messaging and content that connects you with your audience.

Let Us Write Your Success!! The Brand Doctor is Taking Calls!!

A great way to get started on your online communications or professional content is to make an appointment with us for a Votre Mot Brand Check Up. Don’t worry it is pain free and the results only hold opportunity for growth – that starts with you!    

 

2011-2012 by Votre Mot Professional Communications. All right reserved. No part of this document, blog, and corresponding communications may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Votre Mot Professional Communications. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited by the following: see U.S. Copyright Office. Infringement will be pursued and is punishable within a United States court of law.

So, How Is It Going? Location & Planning

Factor 5: Location, Location, Location?

Yet another item that can make or break your success. Location can be so important that a businesses with a lower quality offering may find more success nestled in a great spot (to be determined by offering and customer base, of course), while the entity with premier products and services misses out on the rewards and the opportunity to grow and succeed.

Just because a place may be “available for lease” doesn’t make it an automatic . . . GO!. That prime property or premier location may be just grand but – will it work for you and yours?? It must also be addressed that the issue of location no longer includes United States postal service recognized real estate.

Tell us about your E-Local? What is your market positioning (have you positioned your offering?) and what is your E-Presence?? While we explore this issue in greater detail for our final and number 7 reasons businesses often face failure, this is a significant realization.

At Votre Mot we know your location online may in many ways hold greater significance than your physical location. After all, so many lucrative establishments have found their best location to be .com, .org, and .biz U.S.A.!!!   

Factor 6: Don’t expand without a Plan

Although we touched on the issue of expansion in our first factor Bigger Than Reality Can See, we acknowledge that expansion, in some form, is a focus for most businesses. At Votre Mot we are about empowerment, empowering you to navigate you way through what hopefully leads to measurable success. 

A large part of our VM Branch Check Ups encompasses getting to know you and yours so we can be of maximum service and benefit to you.  Our SVPR Assessment is especially beneficial to you dreams and efforts of expanding your offering. 

Taking a closer look at your internal operations involves identifying Strengths and Vulnerabilities that every – we said EVERY – SME will have. Within this closer look involves a casual evaluation on your existing performance in the following areas: Marketing, Finance, Manufacturing, the Organization.,

Working our way from the inside out, Your Potential and Risks are often determined and mediated by all things external working their way in. At the base of your potential will be your customers’ needs and interests. The risks involve unfavorable items thrust upon your development and profits, in addition to the probability that these items will greet you face to face.

We bring all this valued knowledge together to maximize your professional communications. At Votre Mot it is imperative that in our quest to provide you with unique brand messaging, your written communications support, reflect, and market the quality of your brands offering.

Let our VM Brand Check Ups maximize your 2012 communications outlook!

** 2011-2012 by Votre Mot Professional Communications. All right reserved. No part of this document, blog, and corresponding communications may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Votre Mot Professional Communications. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited by the following: see U.S. Copyright Office. Infringement will be pursued and is punishable within a United States court of law.