RISMEDIA, August 31, 2010—Ever wonder why businesses use online video? That was a survey question recently posed by PermissionTV.com, and the results may surprise you. By far, the number one reason cited by over 70% of respondents was increasing brand awareness.
Advertising experts tell us that developing brand awareness is critical in today’s marketing. So you may ask what exactly is a brand? Simply stated it’s something that conveys the personality and image of your company or product. Its primary goal is to trigger immediate, positive recognition and set you apart from your competition.
Modern day examples of visual branding are numerous. McDonald’s golden arches or Apple Computer’s display of an apple on their products are prime examples. Phrases can also be used in branding. Remember United Airlines urging you to “fly the friendly skies;” American Express reminding you to “don’t leave home without it;” or All State Insurance assuring its customers that they’re in “good hands”?
If you don’t have a brand, and aren’t sure where to begin, ask yourself a simple question. If you were to stop a hundred strangers on the street and ask them the first thing that comes to mind when they hear your company’s name, what would you want them to say? Quality, integrity, experience? Or how about value, creativity, or friendly service? The list could go on and on, but identifying the image you want to publically project is a great place to start. Reviewing your company’s mission statement, if you have one, might be a good first step.
And if you’re a bit embarrassed because your company hasn’t identified what your brand or value proposition really is, don’t despair. You’ve got lots of company. For brokers and agents, it usually centers on things like customer service, experience, market knowledge, reputation, teamwork, and a host of others. If you’d like to know how to use video to reinforce your brand, whatever it is, join us next time and we’ll pass along some helpful suggestions. Thanks for watching!
Stephen Schweickart is the co-founder of VScreen. For more information on this topic, visit VScreen’s blogsite at http://www.vscreen.com/blog/.
