Razorbranding Podcast

Asking its audience if they are “the best a man can be?” A few months back, we wrote a blog that talked about Nike’s use of Colin Kaepernick in their most recent “Just Do It” ad campaign. Instead of focusing on the controversy of whether Kaepernick was right or wrong in his actions, we instead chose to discuss Nike’s attempt to cash in on such a politically charged national conversation, and whether they even had the moral high ground to do so. Enter Gillette and their “We Believe: The Best a Man Can Be” campaign.

And how providing a strong emotional experience can build a stronger brand. When it comes to building a successful brand, it’s important to never forget the experience you provide. Whether you’re a small business or a giant corporation, if you fail to provide a positive user experience for your audience from beginning to end, then no amount of money or marketing will change the how the public views and values your brand. A good example of this can be seen first hand at Disney World, one of the biggest and most successful theme parks in the world. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: A BRANDING EXPERIENCE FROM THE MASTERHOW PAYLESS CHANGED THE CONVERSATIONTECHNOLOGY AND BRANDINGMODEL OF A BRAND And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

And how changing the conversation, helped increase the value their brand. Taking over a former Armani store in Santa Monica, a new high-end shoe company, held a private launch party this past Thursday night with key influencers and high-end early adopters to celebrate Italian designer Bruno Palessi. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: HOW PAYLESS CHANGED THE CONVERSATION TECHNOLOGY AND BRANDING MODEL OF A BRAND And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

The Good. The Bad. The Ugly. As a child of the 80s, I was fortunate to grow up during the evolution of the cell phone, the home computer, and the Internet. In the early days, cell phones were carried in bags, computers were slow and bulky, and to get online you had to sometimes wait 20 minutes for your modem to kick in. Today we live in a world that I could not have imagined when I was in college. Although I am still waiting for my rocket jet pack and personal robot to clean my house, I am constantly amazed by how technology has continued to not only changed our lives, but also change how we do business. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: TECHNOLOGY AND BRANDING MODEL OF A BRAND And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

If you haven’t had a chance to read the book “Scramble” by Marty Neumeier (author of The Brand Gap, Brand Flip, Brand A-Z, and lots of other awesome branding books), I hope this blog will be the catalyst that makes you pick it up. The subtitle of Scramble is “How agile strategy can build epic brands in record time.” For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: MODEL OF A BRAND And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

And why one cannot survive without the other For some people, marketing and branding is close to the same thing. There is some truth to this if your marketing is influenced by sound branding, but this is rarely the case. More often than not, marketing is developed without the use of consumer insight resulting in a one-sided conversation. Before we get to that, though, let’s break things down a bit further. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARKETING AND BRANDING WHY SO MANY BUSINESSES HATE ADVERTISING DISCOUNT BRANDING AND WHY IT NEVER WORKS And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

And why it doesn’t have to be that way I’m just going to throw it out there before I begin – I love advertising, and I always have. But I know for many businesses, advertising is a necessary evil. It is something that is either blindly pursued with skeptic hope that it might work or a burden on the bottom-line that they would rather do without. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: WHY SO MANY BUSINESSES HATE ADVERTISING DISCOUNT BRANDING AND WHY IT NEVER WORKS And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

How to maintain your brand equity through difficult times I think it would be safe to say that if you own a business, run a business, or manage a business, you have had a few sleepless nights even when things were going well. Sure, you follow the adage of “never let them see you sweat”, but inside, you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, particularly when things begin to slow and the projections you had for the month fall short of expectations. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: DISCOUNT BRANDING AND WHY IT NEVER WORKS REBRANDING FROM THE INSIDE OUT BRANDING, RELATIONS AND LOVE WHAT IT MEANS TO LOCALIZE YOUR BRAND HOW B2B BUSINESSES CAN BENEFIT FROM B2B BRANDING WHY HIRING AN EXPERIENCED BRANDING PROFESSIONAL IS SO IMPORTANT And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

Is it time to rebrand, or merely take a closer look in the mirror? To say it’s easy would not be entirely true, but every once in a while it benefits us all to take a good hard look at ourselves. Sure, it would be easier to live in a world of self denial, while avoiding mirrors like we were the long lost love child of Lestat. But in the end, there comes a moment of clarity when we realize the time has come to make some changes. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: REBRANDING FROM THE INSIDE OUT BRANDING, RELATIONS AND LOVE WHAT IT MEANS TO LOCALIZE YOUR BRAND HOW B2B BUSINESSES CAN BENEFIT FROM B2B BRANDING WHY HIRING AN EXPERIENCED BRANDING PROFESSIONAL IS SO IMPORTANT And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

How to work with your agency to get the best results. Say the word “relationship” and you’ll receive varied reactions. Some find themselves involuntarily spinning back to high school, where relationships were often one-sided, requiring you to stand in someone’s front lawn just before midnight holding a stereo that blasts messages of love and devotion. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: BRANDING, RELATIONS AND LOVE WHAT IT MEANS TO LOCALIZE YOUR BRAND HOW B2B BUSINESSES CAN BENEFIT FROM B2B BRANDING WHY HIRING AN EXPERIENCED BRANDING PROFESSIONAL IS SO IMPORTANT And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

And why so many National Brands still haven’t figured it out. For many national brands, one of the biggest challenges is how to find ways to connect with a local audience. For global brands such as Coke or Nike, this localization is of less concern due to the fact that they aren’t competing against established local brands. For them, their localization efforts come in the form of sponsorships and community involvement. Things can get complicated, though, when a company attempts to buy its way into a market that already has a “buy local” mindset in place. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: WHAT IT MEANS TO LOCALIZE YOUR BRAND HOW B2B BUSINESSES CAN BENEFIT FROM B2B BRANDING WHY HIRING AN EXPERIENCED BRANDING PROFESSIONAL IS SO IMPORTANT And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

Are they genius or insane? Time will tell. So, unless you have sworn off social media all together, gotten rid of cable, or decided to head out into the woods for a life of solitary meditation, you have heard of the recent Nike deal featuring Colin Kaepernick in its new “Just Do It” campaign. Depending on which side of the fence you land, you probably have some pretty strong feeling either way. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to jump into the fray and voice my own opinions on the matter, but that’s not going to happen. Instead, I will talk about what I know best, and that is branding.

And how B2B Branding can build customer loyalty and continued growth “My business is not retail focused, so why do I need branding?” Good question, now here’s the answer. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: HOW B2B BUSINESSES CAN BENEFIT FROM B2B BRANDING WHY HIRING AN EXPERIENCED BRANDING PROFESSIONAL IS SO IMPORTANT CAMP OZARK, EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS AND THE PROMISE BEHIND THE BRAND BRANDING FOR THE ENTREPRENEUR And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

And how not hiring an experienced branding professional can cost you. On this particular day I found myself sitting in a meeting with people that I considered both successful and intelligent. I listened carefully as they spoke passionately about their company and the products they produced. They had an intense pride for what they’d accomplished, who they were, and where they were going. I was inspired. Then, in the blink of an eye it all came to a screeching halt, as I sat there with a stunned look on my face. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: WHY HIRING AN EXPERIENCED BRANDING PROFESSIONAL IS SO IMPORTANT CAMP OZARK, EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS AND THE PROMISE BEHIND THE BRAND BRANDING FOR THE ENTREPRENEUR And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

How to use emotional connections to build strong brands When it comes to branding, there is nothing more important than forming emotional connections with your audience. In the end, that’s the essence of what branding is all about – a person’s gut feeling about a product, service or organization. Sometimes these emotional connections are carefully planned and organized, and sometimes they come organically from the most unlikely of places. One such place is located in the small town of Mt. Ida, Arkansas, and hidden there in the middle of nowhere is a place called Camp Ozark. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: CAMP OZARK, EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS AND THE PROMISE BEHIND THE BRAND BRANDING FOR THE ENTREPRENEUR And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

When it Comes to the Traditional Media, One-Size Does Not Fit All If you are sending out the old cookie cutter press releases about your company, your great “story idea” might get deleted along with the dozens of other press releases newsrooms get every day. So, how do you get the traditional media to pay attention? In this episode, Jaci outlines ways to get noticed. She covers how an idea should be presented, from the lead to putting the benefit upfront. Traditional media is a powerful tool. Approaching the media in the right way is worth your time and effort. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: GET COVERAGE IN TRADITIONAL MEDIA HOW TO KEEP YOUR PUBLIC RELATIONS FOCUS ON YOUR AUDIENCE 6 STEPS TO CREATING AN EFFECTIVE PR TIMELINE WEATHERING A PUBLIC RELATIONS NIGHTMARE And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

3 Techniques that Keep Your Public Relations Efforts Targeted on the People You are Trying to Reach Your team is a hard-working crew. They work tirelessly developing concepts, perfecting new services, and producing new products. It’s easy to think that hard work is just for your business, but it’s not. It’s for your audience. It can be tough to keep public relations laser-focused on your target market. In this episode, Jaci will take you through 3 proven techniques to help you connect to and focus on your audience. She’ll talk about ways to build relationships, how to ask for useful feedback, and how to correct a mistake if your idea was a bit of a miss. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: HOW TO KEEP YOUR PUBLIC RELATIONS FOCUS ON YOUR AUDIENCE 6 STEPS TO CREATING AN EFFECTIVE PR TIMELINE WEATHERING A PUBLIC RELATIONS NIGHTMARE And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

6 Steps to Creating a Quality PR Timeline Throughout the lifetime of your company you will need more than a few public relations campaigns. The best campaigns have strategic PR timelines that ensure success. In this episode, Jaci lays out the critical parts of a manageable PR timeline. She’ll go over why they are necessary, how to lay the groundwork, and how to manage expectations. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: 6 STEPS TO CREATING AN EFFECTIVE PR TIMELINE WEATHERING A PUBLIC RELATIONS NIGHTMARE And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso

The 3 Smartest Ways to Weather a Public Relations Storm Bad things happen to good companies. There are many ways a successful, reputable business can find itself in crisis and there are proven techniques to weathering the storm. In this episode, Jaci will walk you through the best strategies if you ever find yourself on the receiving end of some bad publicity. From being transparent and proper communication to using social media the correct way, she’ll show you how to handle the situation in real time. For information on these strategies, check out these Razor Branding Blogs: WEATHERING A PUBLIC RELATIONS NIGHTMARE REENGINEERING YOUR BRAND THROUGH SWOT ANALYSIS 3 MARKETING TASKS SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SHOULD OUTSOURCE And for everyday branding tips follow Jaci Russo on Twitter: @jacirusso