Branding: What Not to Do

Here's a little story about what not to do as you carve out a name for yourself in the world of internet business.

Don't use a miscellaneous email account as your primary web contact address.

Some silly copywriter did this when she thought she was going to start working "freelance corporate" for staffing agencies.

This copywriter chose the name "seniorcopywriter" for her contact email because, in the corporate world, copywriters come in three sizes: Junior, Regular (actually referred to as just "Copywriter"), and Senior. (It's sort of like the sizes of Starbucks coffee cups, but not.)

Since she had left her last corporate job wielding the lofty title of Senior Copywriter, I guess she thought that would be a fairly direct way of advertising her capabilities.

What she did not realize was that she was about to embark on a wild internet mega-marketing adventure, and that corporate had seen the last of her and her copywriting seniority.

So, now when people go to her website, they see the email contact address as "Seniorcopywriter" and probably wonder what kind of self-titling weirdo she is.

And when they come across her email address in some unexpected place, they make no connection between it and her website, which is called Wordfeeder.com.

If you haven't caught my drift yet, I'm using this story to illustrate the point that highly effective branding is planned and purposeful. All of the elements of your business should "match." Your website, company name, logo, tagline, email address, and basically everything you create thereafter, should be aimed directly at your target audience. Everthing should coordinate perfectly-- like Jackie O's wardrobe.

Someday, this copywriter who shall remain nameless, will get around to changing her email address to something more appropriate. But since it's seemed to bring her good luck, for now she superstitiously keeps it as is.

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

Find out how crisp, targeted copywriting can make a world of difference for your business. Dina Giolitto is a Copywriting Consultant with ten years of experience. Visit http://Wordfeeder.com for free tips on branding, copywriting, marketing and more.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Branding Information:

Related Articles

Branding Guru - Brand Identity Guru
Branding TodayHave you ever had a good brand experience? How about a bad brand experience? Is there a difference in your mind? How many people do you tell about a positive brand experience? How about for a poor brand experience?One poor brand experience will not destroy a firm. One poor brand experience per day, however, can ruin a company in the long run for sure.
Is It Legal? - Indecent Naming With Tradition
When Mitsubishi launched a new car with the name "Pajero" on the Spanish market, it became obvious very soon that the name chosen was not optimal because it immediately was the subject of jokes due to its homophony with a Spanish expression related to masturbation.The same happened to Ford's model "Pinto" (Portuguese for male genital) in Brazil where it was quickly renamed into "Corcel"(horse).
The Big-Pay Off -- Brand Value
Many CEOs and marketing directors find their time wasted evaluating marketing opportunities instead of acting on them. When every possibility is followed, a meandering trail of hit and miss effectiveness is the result.
Managing the Corporate Brand - a Reputation Perspective
Adored, respected and coveted by customers and organisations alike, corporate brands represent one of the most fascinating phenomena of the business environment in the 21st century. Their importance is unquestionable.
Into The Limelight
To stand out in a cluttered world, become a recognized expertThere are millions of small businesses vying for our attention. Yet, because the marketplace is more discriminating and skeptical, it's hard to get noticed.
Brand Building 101
Building your brand into a brand leader isn't easy. There are 2 areas that can really help you grow your brand, passion and consistency.
Brand Value - Brand Identity Guru
Successful Guru marketers have a secret weapon that they use every single time they communicate about their businesses. It's one of those intangibles that are easily misunderstood.
Brand Strategy - Brand Value - Brand Identity Guru
Developing brand strategy is extremely critical. The most important asset your company has is its brand.
A Lesson in Branding from Paris Hilton
I have never been a fan of Paris Hilton.I see her parading around in her odd-looking clothing choices, leading her loyal following of giddy anorexic schoolgirls around by their noses, and I think, "Skank.
Logo-ize For Instant Identification & Increased Awareness
The task of creating an indelible impact on the memory of your target market is arduous but can be made much easier with a well thought out logo. The word comes from the ancient Greek where it was used in philosophy and theology to mean "the divine reason implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and giving it form and meaning.
Brand Warfare is More of a War than You Think
We will discuss Brand Marketing for a minute. In this discussion we would like to talk about brand line extension and how to do it correctly.
Franchising is Virtually Fraud Free
The number of complaints to the Federal Trade Commission on Franchising do not indicate ramped fraud in the franchising sector. The FTC before Congress gave a report showing that the number of complaints was fewer than one tenth of one percent, lower than any other industry.
I Hate My Logo! What You Should Get For Your Money and Why
This is not a how-to design a logo. This is a guide to educate you on how an experienced designer can help you through a project whose outcome you will need to live with for years.
Trademark Your Business - Lessons Learned
Small business owners learn many lessons the hard way - throughthe school of hard knocks. I recently experienced my own toughlesson concerning the importance trademarking my business name.
Naming Names... How to Name your Business
Sometimes the best inspiration comes from hearing about the deconstruction of other company's names. For you, I am happy to share how I came up with "Slice A Day :: your slice on marketing".
Create a Niche: Stoke Your Market With Affiliate Branding
Propose success, demand performance, and brand your market with appeal. In a world of costly business start-ups, expensive design tools, and rugged competition you can still beat the system.
Branding Strategy - Brand Identity
Today, in many organizations around the world, branding is treated as a cosmetic exercise only, and regarded merely as a new name, logo, stationary and possibly a new advertising campaign. But, to associate your "brand" with such superficial cosmetics is like saying that people are really only the sum of their name, face and sometimes their clothingBut branding is a thoughtful discipline that strongly belongs to the long-term strategy of an organization; brand strategy is, or should be, business strategy, and vice versa.
The Brand Called You
The best brands always try to do the right thing, so that their reputations will remain unsullied. But beyond that they grow, evolve and get better with time, while maintaining their special qualities from the past.
Brand Image - Brand Identity - Brand Strategy - Brand Identity Guru
Consumers perceive and accept many brands within a certain trade group in different ways. By personifying a brand (How would you describe brand X if it were a person?) we can find out, that for instance consumers perceive brand A as a young, impulsive, lively, attractive, energetic woman full of ideas.
Don't Get Caught In the Trap: The BIG Difference Between Personal and Business Branding
When you're all alone in the privacy of your home office, surrounded by your computer, your phone and your business idea, have you ever asked yourself, "Where's the line between me in my business and the business in me"? With hundreds of thousands of home-based businesses starting every year, and few ever flourishing, the topic of branding has become hot, hot, hot. And thanks to experts touting the need for a personal brand in sole proprietor businesses the confusion is growing.