7 Branding Secrets: Ready or Not?

Every company has a brand (how people think of them) whether they created it through design or accident. By creating your brand through design, you shape the way you wish your company to be viewed by customers and potential customers. This will remove some of the uncertainty concerning what others will expect from you and say about you. The power of a brand can't be over-estimated. The Golden Arches are known worldwide.

However, many people confuse a logo with a brand. The logo is a very small portion of the brand effort, especially during the startup phases. Later, once your brand has been repeatedly communicated, in multiple ways, with consistency, the logo can begin to embody the overall brand. But, it will never be the brand.

Do you know what makes your company or its products unique? If you don't you can't begin to establish a brand identity by design. There are seven elements to remember when designing your brand.

One: Know Your Customers Better Than You Know Yourself

Customers buy for their reasons, not yours. If you want to sell them your product, you MUST sell to their concerns, not your own. Every piece of marketing copy must FOCUS upon them. If you don't speak their language, you don't get their money. With branding as with selling, if you don't understand your customers, you won't build a brand of which they want to be a part.

Let's say you were trying to sell a snowboard. To effectively sell a snowboard to a fifteen year old requires an entirely different conversation than selling the same item to his mother. How you brand your product in these two different customer bases is entirely different if you wish to be successful. If your product could be sold to a fifteen year old or a 40 year old, you'd better decide who you are going to focus your branding efforts upon for the greatest success.

Crawl within your targeted customer's mindset. Understand what they think about the product, what they want from the product, and the alternatives they have to the product. Now that you know what the customer wants, you need to understand your competitive environment and your competitors.

Two: Understand Your Competitive Environment & Competitors

Your competitive environment has a major impact on how you brand your products or your company. For instance, retail is a highly competitive environment. There are companies that deal in the high end of the market and those who don't. WalMart has chosen to compete in the low price arena of retailing. They work hard to build a brand of "low price, friendly company". They obviously do it well. All one has to do is look at their financials to draw that conclusion.

You need to understand your competitive environment as well as WalMart understands theirs. But how can you do that effectively, without WalMart's budget?

Start by asking your existing customers, "If you weren't working with us, with whom would you be working?" Identify the companies to whom you most often lose business. Learn as much as you can about these competitors, including how customers perceive them, what makes them unique, and why they win the business they do.

Three: Define Your Brand Personality

Brands are like people. They have personalities too. People choose brands based upon whether or not the characteristics of the product or company brand fit them. My mother wouldn't be caught dead in a WalMart. I love a bargain, so I love WalMart. Two customers. Two different perspectives regarding the same business.

If you have defined your ideal customer well and understand your competitive environment, you can select a brand personality which will appeal to your audience. Think of your brand personality just like any personality. It will have traits. Choose two or three personality traits to develop for your business. Will your business be youthful, fun and irreverent? Will it be conservative, sophisticated and elite? Once you have defined the two to three personality traits that define your business, they must be visible in everything you do. All advertising, your website, your emails, everything must be consistent with your brand personality. This also includes your collateral materials, the people you hire, and even the way you answer the phone.

Your brand must come through loud and clear at all times. With a brand also comes a promise. WalMart promises the lowest prices and friendly people. Your brand will have a promise too.

Four: Make A Brand Promise

Talk with your customers. Understand how they see your business, and what your brand means to them. Find out what is important to them about choosing a business like yours and what benefits they get from doing so. Make sure your brand promise is important and valuable to the customers you want most. Once you understand your customers, you can create a brand promise. Serta, the mattress company, has a promise of "We Make The World's Best Mattress". Maytag has the lonely repairman, reinforcing the promise of dependable service and called the "Dependability People" with the headquarters located at #1 Dependability Way.

Your brand promise should be stated clearly, in concise language so everyone in your organization and your customers understand the promise, just like Maytag's and Serta's promises. Then, you must bring the brand to life through a brand strategy and action plan.

Five: Define Your Brand Strategy

Think of a brand strategy as defining the limits of your approach and the outline of your methods. Later, we will design the tactics to make it happen.

You now understand your customer and your competitive environment. Your strategy comes out of that information. Where will you position yourself? Just as WalMart uses stand-alone stores rather than join established malls, you must decide how to approach your environment in order to successfully brand your company or your products.

You need to develop a brand that is distinct from your competitors. Many people mistakenly think that by emulating a dominant brand, they will succeed. In reality, you don't have the resources necessary to duplicate their strategy. Seek out a niche of the dominant business' market. You can successfully determine that niche by asking yourself, "Where are they vulnerable?"

If your business specializes in a specific product area, such as sports equipment, build a brand of energy, strength, competition, and youth. If your advantage is consulting or ideas, make sure your brand is innovative, exciting, and cutting-edge. If you are the lowest price option, make sure to look conservative with money. If your products are more robust, like a John Deere tractor, build a no-nonsense, industrial-strength feeling into the brand.

Your branding strategy will set the overall limits of your branding "playing field", now it's time to design the game plan.

Six: Identify Your Branding Game Plan

Moving to action, you need to define the specific actions you will take to create your brand. They must be the tangible demonstration of your company's values and beliefs. They come directly from your brand personality, brand promise, and brand strategy.

Southwest Airlines is a great example. Employees dress casually and have some fun in the way they greet passengers. The company's symbol on the NYSE is LUV and the name of their in-flight magazine is Spirit. These actions reinforce Southwest Airlines' brand personality and brand promise every day. Think hard about every planned action and its possible ramifications in your competitive environment. Many companies make the mistake of taking actions inconsistent with their brand personality. Don't make that mistake.

If you focus on women, then focus on activities that women support like breast cancer research and childhood disease. If your focus is on young males, then make your actions bold and worthy of bragging. The hardest part of your branding process will not be designing your tactics. The hardest part is being consistent in supporting your brand.

Seven: Be Consistent in Action

A brand builds over time. A brand becomes successful after years and years of consistent action. My grandmother used to say, "The proof is in the pudding". This is a very descriptive way of saying "in the end, it's the result that matters". Keep that in mind as you move forward in building your brand. An excellent method for helping you maintain consistency in your branding efforts is to pick a brand personality indistinct from your own personality. In that way, it won't take as much acting or thought to be successful. Your brand will become a natural extension of yourself.

A Final Thought

In today's business climate, the world is highly competitive. It is important to differentiate your brand. A sound investment is defining and communicating what is truly special about your business. Your brand will bring you financial results through loyal and happy customers. Your brand will tell the world why they would be crazy not to do business with you.

Countable & Non-countable Nouns - Free English Lesson

This is a standard topic to teach in ESL/EFL classes. Beginner teachers do not do a good job of it and I have seen students get mixed up or confused in Korea and Kuwait. In essence, a teacher's job is to classify and explain two lists of words...

COUNTABLES

apples

cookies

bananas

loaves

people

cubes

cups

packets

boxes

bags

cans

cartons

steaks/chops

slices

spoons

bowls

kg/km/g

NON-COUNTABLES

rice

sugar

salt

sand

flour/powder/dust

jelly

oil

water

juice

chopped vegies

stew

spaghetti

meat

milk

gas

soup

butter

soil

After teacher reviews the two lists with the class the students get the hang of it. Then ask the the class to classify the words into groups by circling them in coloured pen. They will need help. Basically, non-countable nouns are very small things like grains and flour and dust, as well as liquids/fluids and wet or messy or finely chopped foods. Countable nouns are big enough to be seen and counted easily and individually or things in containers like packets, boxes, bags,cans or standard units like kilograms. Note that sugar and ice can be be cubed and made countable.

Ask students to provide more examples of nouns and add them to the board.

The next step is to introduce the following English words which are generally used with countables OR non-countables.

*Some rice (non-countable)

*A spoon or plate of rice (countable container)

*Some soup (general non-countable)

*A cup or bowl of soup (more specific amount and in a countable container)

*A few apples, bananas, steaks, people etc. (countable)

*Many oranges/children (countable)

*Several mangos (general countable)

*A bit of flour/sugar/oil/dust (non-countable)

Note that we can say SOME people and also SOME dust. This special word, SOME, is not definite and can be used with both countables and non-countables.

After introducing this subject to a grade 11 Kuwait class I thought the students had a pretty good understanding. But then I gave homework asking students to use:

A few..., Some.... , A little... , A bit...., Several..., Many.... each with three examples of food. Some students made zero mistakes and others botched it badly. It was necessary to go over examples again and show that these words have to be used carefully and sometimes exclusively together with countables/non-coutables.

Finally I told a little canibalistic joke they liked. I said we can use the expressions "a bit and a little people" only if we chop them finely.

I hope somebody finds this useful.

The Most Common Hemorrhoid Causes And How You Can Treat This Uncomfortable Condition

There are a number of common hemorrhoid causes, and the condition affects millions of people each year. In most cases, it resolves itself over time, but various treatments are available to treat more stubborn flare-ups. Knowing why they occur is your first step towards preventing a case of hemorrhoids.

One of the most prevalent hemorrhoid cause is constipation. When you are constipated, oftentimes you'll during bowel movements, which puts too much pressure on the rectum. This causes the small sacs of blood vessels around the anus and or in the rectum to swell. Moreover, when you are constipated the stool is often hard and dry. When you have a bowel movement this stool can cause a rip or tear on the rectum or anus, which causes swelling and uncomfortable external or internal hemorrhoids.

There are other common hemorrhoid causes as well. Factors such as diet and exercise as well as fluid intake all contribute to development of this condition. Your diet can be too low in fiber, which affects bowel movements and causes constipation; you may not get enough exercise, sitting too long and not moving around enough. Regular dehydration, which is a lack of fluids in the body, can also be a hemorrhoid cause.

Some of the most obvious indicators include blood in stool or on the toilet paper, itchiness, pain, discomfort, or the visible appearance of little lumps around your anus. In certain cases you may not see anything at all if your condition is internal, but it could prolapse and become visible.

Hemorrhoid causes all really boil down to one thing. That is too much pressure or an injury to the small sacs containing blood vessels that surround your anus as well as existing inside the body in the rectum. What many don't realize is that hemorrhoids already exist in our bodies. It is the name for these sacs around the anus and in the rectum. However, the condition, also known as piles, refers to the swelling mentioned above.

Pregnant women are frequent sufferers of this condition. This makes sense if you think about the increased pressure to that area of the body during pregnancy. Moreover, one of the most extreme ways to put pressure around the anus and rectum is to give birth. Therefore giving birth itself is one of the most surefire hemorrhoid causes. But not always, and often if they do develop during pregnancy, they can resolve on their own, or be resolved naturally without taking medication.

Natural remedies can be a great option for mothers who are hesitant to take unnecessary medications into their bodies while pregnant. Surgery is most usually not necessary or recommended for pregnant women with piles.

As you see, hemorrhoid causes can be many, as well as their possible solutions. Solution to the causes can be as important as solution to the condition, and preventative care is always important. Try to remember that if they do develop, you are not alone, and early treatment can prevent future pain and discomfort.

Millions of people all over have this ailment, and there are many options available to you depending on what your preferences are. Many people like to avoid high costs, hospital stays, and long recovery time. In this case natural treatments are the best solution, as many of these involve the same ingredients that make up expensive conventional medicine. New alternative surgeries also offer the desirable fast healing time, lack of bleeding before and after treatment, and outpatient services which avoid missed work and leisure.

All About Chinese Checkers

Chinese checkers is a very popular board game that can be played by two to six people playing individually or by pairs. The game was said to have been originally based on a game called "Halma." Both games are distinctly similar except that there are some minor differences.

For one, Chinese checkers is placed on a hexagram-shaped board or a board that is shaped like a star. The game allows up to six people to join the game while the minimum number of players is two. The players are all allowed to have ten pieces of coloured marbles and unlike the game Halma, the distance between players is considerably a lot less.

There are other versions of Chinese checkers such as a children's version where only six pieces of marbles are allowed and there are versions which allow players to use about fifteen pieces of marbles.

The objective of the game simple: one must be the first to race his pieces across the star-shaped board into "home." Home is described as corner opposite of the hexagon's starting corner. The player is able to accomplish this by using single-step moves or moves that allows his marble pieces to "jump" over other pieces. He can also try blocking and capturing other pieces. One needs a great deal of tactics and quick decision making skills to highly succeed in this game.

Many people might think that this game originated from China because it is what its name implies. But many historians beg to disagree. They do not believe that the game is connected to China and that the game itself was believed to have originated from the West, specifically in Germany and was named "Stern-Halma." It was only given the name "Chinese checkers" to make the game appealing to the people as it sounds more exotic.

The game was patented and commercialized in Germany in the year 1892 and was called Stern-Halma. When it was introduced to the United States, it was called "Hop-ching Checkers" and a few years later it was called "Chinese Checkers."

The game became popular and many people have tried it out. Ever since, this has been among the most well-loved board games of all times. For those who love to play this game but do not have a star-shaped board or marbles, worry no more because there are now online versions of the game in various online gaming websites. You would definitely enjoy hours and hours of fun by playing Chinese checkers online.

Five Steps to Effectively Managing Your Boss

In some recent polling I've done with clients and web site visitors alike, a frequent question I get is "what is the best way to 'manage' my boss?" Truly understanding your boss is obviously an important part of any woman's job. But learning the best way to 'manage' your boss - now THAT's a real skill that takes practice, keen observation skills, good "soft" skills, and the willingness to put your ego aside for the purpose of getting what you need from them.

Have any of these things ever happened to you?

Your boss says for you to be more assumptive. So, you make a decision and implement it with your staff; your boss says you should have asked him/her first. You are given an assignment by your boss. You take copious notes on how he/she wants you to handle the assignment. You finish the assignment exactly as they coached you. When you hand it in, your boss says you are off the mark and it's not what they asked for. Other management peers of yours are regularly "held up" to the group by your boss as the perfect example, even though you know they are not working as hard or as smart as you are.

There are many other examples of bosses who need to be managed by you, but you get the general idea. So, what are some of the best ways you can ingratiate yourself with your boss and get your job done properly at the same time? I believe there are five main areas of focus you should get really good at:

Really get to know your boss so that you can help THEM. What are their weaknesses? What are THEIR goals? What are their preferred communication styles? Help your boss manage his own time better. Another way of saying this is don't waste their time with your neediness! Be gutsy; make some decisions without their express approval sometimes. You might get "jerked back" for your decision, but trust me - managers would MUCH rather be pulling their employees off the edge of the cliff than constantly pushing them toward the edge. Praise your boss. Let them know when they have behaved in a way that has really helped you learn something. Don't give them "crap" data - give them executive overviews. Your boss has asked you for the year-end numbers? Don't just dump a 72-tab worksheet into their e-mail. Take the time to assess the data, and prepare an executive summary for them - that way, they can tell in a glance what the numbers say, and if they want to drill down, they can do so later at their leisure. Don't hover. As a former manager, I can tell you that nothing is more annoying than employees who "hover" their boss. It's usually either a sign of insecurity, or a lack of understanding of the job - and neither one is a good scenario. That's not to say that I don't encourage an "open door" policy, but don't be that one dumbass employee who ruins it for everyone by constantly hanging outside the boss' door. I promise you will look stupid and will NOT win any points with your boss.

Now - sometimes, you will become really proficient at these five critical areas of "boss management" - and you still won't get what you need out of your boss. Why is that? Because sometimes - your boss is just an ass. Period. And really, that's a WHOLE other article itself!! But at least you will know you tried your hardest - and this should give you solace as you search for other opportunities to work for someone who is willing to create a mutually beneficial relationship with you.

Darjeeling Tea

If you're a tea drinker, you've no doubt sampled a Darjeeling tea. Darjeeling is one of the most popular teas in the world, and it is grown only in India. Darjeeling has been around for many years, but even today, it is a best seller.

Darjeeling tea is produced only in the Darjeeling region of India. The Darjeeling region is an area of high altitude: 4,000-10,000 feet above sea level. In this part of India there is a mist in the air almost constantly. This mist, combined with the high altitude ensures that the tea trees are always cool and moist. This moisture, combined with the soil's excellent drainage produce tea leaves that have a very distinct flavor. It is often described as a muscadine flavor, leading Darjeeling to be known as the "champagne" of teas. Darjeeling is a lighter tea than many black teas, which is why the English consider it to be one of the best afternoon teas.

The tea from the Darjeeling region of India is so popular that it has even made the area popular with tourists. Each year, thousands of people ride the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway up into these mountains to see the beautiful tea gardens.

When you taste a good Darjeeling, you'll taste definite fruity notes, along with nut and florals blending beautifully with that muscatel flavoring that comes only from this part of the world. And, only Darjeeling has that particular astringency. It's one of the things that make the flavor of Darjeeling so unique. And, as a special treat, a really good Darjeeling offers an exquisite bouquet, as well, often with the smell of a fine wine. But, finding a really good Darjeeling can be difficult.

Darjeeling is one of the most popular tea blends, and the demand often exceeds the supply. For this reason, the Darjeeling you purchase from many tea purveyors is only part Darjeeling, having been mixed with other types of black tea, but labeled Darjeeling. If you read the label closely, you'll see the true mix; usually about 50%.

The rest is filler - mostly dust from poor grade Darjeeling or other black teas. In fact, it is estimated that each year, about ten thousand pounds of Darjeeling tea is grown, but over forty thousand pounds of tea is sold each year as Darjeeling!

Tending a quality tea garden is a year round job. The first work of the year begins in March, when the tea plants are pruned one last time before the first pluckings begin. Then, in April or May, the tea begins being harvested. Typically, tea made from the first plucking of the year will be the best for the entire growing season. This is because the tea leaves are the most tender during the spring.

Once the first harvest is plucked, the tea is processed. The black tea leaves will be fully fermented and processed according to grade.

During the rest of the year, the tea garden must be tended to keep it at its best. The plants must be weeded all throughout the summer along with harvesting additional crops of tea. Tea plants do most of their growing during the autumn, so the plants must be fertilized during this time.

Around October, the tea plants will be pruned in preparation for the winter. Then throughout the winter, the tea gardener must pay special attention to any tea plants under four years of age, ensuring that they are protected from the cold.

Darjeeling tea is easy to find. Exceptional Darjeeling is a rare treat. If you've never had really high quality Darjeeling tea froma quality supplier, you're missing out on one of the world's greatest tea experiences. Don't skimp when it comes to Darjeeling.

Christmas Gifts for Women

Christmas gifts for women are available in many kinds. Jewelry, stationery, electronics, vases, gift baskets, apparel and clothing items, show pieces, watches, gardening tools, and embroidery kits are just some of the things one can give a woman on Christmas. And Christmas decoration items are another favorite gift option, since the entire family can use them. Personalized Christmas gifts are also appreciated.

Many websites like ChristmasGifts.com retail gifts especially for Christmas. ChristmasGifts.com sells everything from personalized photo frames to apparel and accessories for Christmas. A Christmas gift is given keeping in mind your relationship to the woman; whether you are a co-worker, boss, parents, children or partner of the woman will guide your choice of a Christmas gift for her. Gourmet hampers like fruit or coffee baskets are excellent as formal gifts for bosses or employees. Jewelry, showpieces, and ornaments are perfect for your friend, mother, sister, or partner. A unique gift like a wheelbarrow loaded with scented candles, body spray and chocolates is something your partner will love.

Christmas ornaments, collectibles, and decoration pieces are wonderful gifts for all occasions. Since Christmas is a time for the entire family, the entire family can enjoy these gifts. AllOccasionGiftShop.com has porcelain nativity figurines available for $20. Birdhouses shaped like Santa's workshop are also very popular. Christmas-Decorations-Gifts- Store.com sells many unique gifts items. It retails porcelain/glass/acrylic angel figurines, which range in price from $5 to $60. It has a breath taking range of glass and crystal ornaments, ranging from a chain of crystal snowflakes to bells hanging in a row.

Women cherish personalized Christmas gift items. For example, PhotoCutouts.com turns photos of your loved ones into life-size cutouts. The cutouts can also be 3" by 5" in dimension, and be given to the woman to be used as Christmas decorations for the Christmas tree.

Christmas is a perfect time for being generous. It is a time when families get together and celebrate. A gift chosen for a woman on this occasion should bring her joy and leave her with many wonderful memories for years to come.

Physics Book Review - Learn More About Light and Holography

There is more to light that meets the eye, but it is exactly that which meets the eye which intrigues us the most. Welcome to the science of holography, spectral imaging, and holographic projection. If this topic and subject interests you as much as it does me, then I'd like to recommend an extremely informational book on the topic. The title of the book is:

"Principles of Holography" by Howard W. Smith, published by Wiley- Interscience, New York, NY, 1969, 239 pages, Library of Congress Number: 69-16129, SBN: 471-08340-2.

The author of this book was a senior research assist at the research laboratories for Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester New York, and his R & D department were on the leading edge of this technology back then. As you know the Eastman Kodak company was quite serious about innovation and they had put forth billions of dollars to hold their market share back in the day. At the time this book was written, it was probably one of the most comprehensive books on the topic of holography.

Today, of course there is so much more to know, but many of the basics are here, and this is a good book to start if you wish to learn about this topic. If you want to learn about the history of holography it's all here also. Likewise, all the mathematics that go along with holographic image projection and holography is here also. The book describes the basic arrangements for holography including plane holograms and volume holograms, along with the general theory for each.

There are lots of mathematical equations for the projection of light, Temporal Filters, linear motion, and oscillatory object motion imaging. You will learn about how to illuminate with the beam, and what happens when you adjust the bandwidth, or the recording medium. There is also an analysis of third order aberrations, and the book even gets into Lasers.

Indeed, I've read quite a number books on holography, and I've even written a book on the topic titled "Holographic Projection Technologies of the Future - Killer Applications" and so I know a thing or two about the topic. I can tell you this is probably one of the best books ever written on the subject, and to think that it was written in 1969 just completely blows me away. I therefore recommended it to anyone who is serious about the research in spectral imaging or holographic technology.

Everyone should be interested in this topic because within the next five years your iPad, iPhone, smart phone, or tablet computer will allow videoconferencing by way of holograms. That technology will soon be here, and many of the world's largest companies are right now bringing that technology to the forefront. They are designing chips which will allow this type of communication, and the equipment to run it. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and take it seriously. If you have any comments, concerns, and/or questions or case studies please shoot me an e-mail as soon as possible.

Critical Illness Insurance 06 - Understand Underwriting Requirement of Critical Illness Insurance

Usually, there is a pre-screening questionnaire that will be completed and this questionnaire contains a list of uninsurable medical conditions. The use of the pre-screening questionnaire helps eliminate applications from those who are sure to be rejected.

The application for critical illness insurance is similar to an application for life insurance however, there are more questions about the applicant's family medical history.

In situations where the applicant fails to meet all the underwriting guidelines the company may offer the insured the non-standard rate. In these cases the insurer may:

1. Add a surcharge to the regular rates to reflect the increased risk for that applicant.

2. Issue a policy which contains specific exclusions , such as pre conditions exclusion, certain illnesses or conditions can be excluded

3. Basic Plan coverage only to the applicant

When underwriting a critical illness policy, the insurer will review the following areas:

1. Family history

Hereditary factors have a strong influence on the applicant suffering certain diseases in resulting of disqualification of the applicant if one or more family members has been diagnosed or has died from a covered disease.

2. Personal health

a) Previous instances of hypertension will be closely reviewed since there is a close relationship between hypertension and the suffering of a critical illness. b) Height and weight Underwriters have established guidelines as to which height and weight combination are acceptable for the issuance of the critical illness insurance policies. c) Physician's statement d) Other reports, such as medical examinations, blood tests, urine test,etc. e) Occupation, avocations and driving habit because these can have an impact on the incidence of critical illness occurrences.

Ex: a professional driver may be more exposed to accidental dismemberment or paralysis than a person who drives only occasionally.

3. Financial information

The amount of coverage available under critical illness insurance can be a million dollars or more. Therefore, the insurer must determine what amount of coverage is reasonable. Many insurers will normally allow coverage up to 5-7 times of the applicant's salary.

I hope this information will help. If you need more information of the above subject, please visit my home page at: