Comments on: Branding vs. selling: Which is more important? http://www.directcreative.com/blog/branding-vs-selling-which-is-more-important Dean Rieck on Copywriting & Direct Marketing Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:10:32 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Janice Cartier http://www.directcreative.com/blog/branding-vs-selling-which-is-more-important/comment-page-1#comment-6949 Janice Cartier Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:55:36 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=112#comment-6949 I love that phrase, "brand is a promise...value and emotion." Then the design function has to serve it.... and sell. Seems like form and function are intricately laced, even in DR. I love that phrase, “brand is a promise…value and emotion.” Then the design function has to serve it…. and sell. Seems like form and function are intricately laced, even in DR.

]]> By: Simon http://www.directcreative.com/blog/branding-vs-selling-which-is-more-important/comment-page-1#comment-6944 Simon Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:31:22 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=112#comment-6944 Excellent debate here. I think it depends on the brand, how the DR is established. As a designer myself function and great ideas are the key. Having said that I would not expect Apple to release poorly designed DR..and they don't. A brand is not design. A brand is that companies promise to the world and its customers. A brand is a value and emotion. Design is secondary and form. I think that for many companies DR that is short of "aesthetics" but delivers the message works fine, but for others they simply must be consistent in the image they portray. Again you would not expect a text laden, multi coloured, drop shadow, lens flare piece of DR from Mercedes Benz. Just my two cents...but a worthy debate indeed! We live in a results world...a track record world...all about sales...all about money. Sad really. Search for a video called "Pale Blue Dot" from Carl Sagan. Puts things in perspective. Did for me anyway. Cheers. Excellent debate here. I think it depends on the brand, how the DR is established. As a designer myself function and great ideas are the key. Having said that I would not expect Apple to release poorly designed DR..and they don’t. A brand is not design. A brand is that companies promise to the world and its customers. A brand is a value and emotion. Design is secondary and form. I think that for many companies DR that is short of “aesthetics” but delivers the message works fine, but for others they simply must be consistent in the image they portray. Again you would not expect a text laden, multi coloured, drop shadow, lens flare piece of DR from Mercedes Benz.

Just my two cents…but a worthy debate indeed!

We live in a results world…a track record world…all about sales…all about money.
Sad really.

Search for a video called “Pale Blue Dot” from Carl Sagan. Puts things in perspective. Did for me anyway.

Cheers.

]]> By: Janice Cartier http://www.directcreative.com/blog/branding-vs-selling-which-is-more-important/comment-page-1#comment-4747 Janice Cartier Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:36:23 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=112#comment-4747 Wait. Branding is NOT designing? What about that purple cow and all that? Branding is making sales? Wait. Branding is NOT designing? What about that purple cow and all that?
Branding is making sales?

]]> By: Dean Rieck http://www.directcreative.com/blog/branding-vs-selling-which-is-more-important/comment-page-1#comment-4741 Dean Rieck Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:06:03 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=112#comment-4741 Mark: I've always said that the best way to build a brand is to make sales. People get "branding" and "designing" confused. Mark: I’ve always said that the best way to build a brand is to make sales. People get “branding” and “designing” confused.

]]> By: mark http://www.directcreative.com/blog/branding-vs-selling-which-is-more-important/comment-page-1#comment-4739 mark Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:58:18 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=112#comment-4739 Years ago I worked as an account director in a DM Branch of a major ad agency. the Mainstream Part of the agency won the businessof a copier company in a competitive bid and offered our DM services as an aside. The mainstream agency spent a fortune on research to benchmark the brand image, a fortune on production and media another fortune on researching the results of the branding campaign only to find the brand had backslid and the prospective clients so called Decision Makers were now confused as to what the company actually did. Meanwhile we busily created cheap and dirty DM tests in industry publications that the REAL decision influencers actually read. Sales blossomed. I was able to infiltrate EVERY division of the company because we got results.... measurable results that the Marketing and Sales Managers and Sales People (all of whom were paid on commission) could actually see. The little DM "aside" became the Major part of the ad agency's business with this client. We built their business on targeted selling of FAB (Features Advantages and Benefits)and making it easy for the purchaser to BUY. The BRAND IMAGE became clear again. The company became more successful and more competitive. Their clients had better more reliable products and everybody won.... including me and my agency. DM ROCKS for sales and Branding. Years ago I worked as an account director in a DM Branch of a major ad agency. the Mainstream Part of the agency won the businessof a copier company in a competitive bid and offered our DM services as an aside.

The mainstream agency spent a fortune on research to benchmark the brand image, a fortune on production and media another fortune on researching the results of the branding campaign only to find the brand had backslid and the prospective clients so called Decision Makers were now confused as to what the company actually did.

Meanwhile we busily created cheap and dirty DM tests in industry publications that the REAL decision influencers actually read. Sales blossomed. I was able to infiltrate EVERY division of the company because we got results…. measurable results that the Marketing and Sales Managers and Sales People (all of whom were paid on commission) could actually see.

The little DM “aside” became the Major part of the ad agency’s business with this client. We built their business on targeted selling of FAB (Features Advantages and Benefits)and making it easy for the purchaser to BUY.

The BRAND IMAGE became clear again. The company became more successful and more competitive. Their clients had better more reliable products and everybody won…. including me and my agency.

DM ROCKS for sales and Branding.

]]> By: Mark http://www.directcreative.com/blog/branding-vs-selling-which-is-more-important/comment-page-1#comment-4346 Mark Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:55:57 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=112#comment-4346 Dean couldn't agree more. I would add that I have been involved with several companies that have "brands" "reputations" that have been established over 100 years. When you work with companies like that you quickly "get" that the "brand" is already well established and there's not a whole lot you can do to change it. The best you can do is try not to really screw it up. The customers have had over 100 years to see what you stand for. Pretty colours and graphics aren't going to change it. You can build on it, reinforce it but you can't change history. Dean couldn’t agree more. I would add that I have been involved with several companies that have “brands” “reputations” that have been established over 100 years.

When you work with companies like that you quickly “get” that the “brand” is already well established and there’s not a whole lot you can do to change it. The best you can do is try not to really screw it up.

The customers have had over 100 years to see what you stand for. Pretty colours and graphics aren’t going to change it.

You can build on it, reinforce it but you can’t change history.

]]> By: Janice C Cartier http://www.directcreative.com/blog/branding-vs-selling-which-is-more-important/comment-page-1#comment-4315 Janice C Cartier Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:49:23 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=112#comment-4315 That makes sense. ...thanks Dean. That makes sense. …thanks Dean.

]]> By: Dean Rieck http://www.directcreative.com/blog/branding-vs-selling-which-is-more-important/comment-page-1#comment-4314 Dean Rieck Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:41:43 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=112#comment-4314 Janice: No idea what deal Vince has. Most of the time talent is paid a flat fee. Janice: No idea what deal Vince has. Most of the time talent is paid a flat fee.

]]> By: Janice C Cartier http://www.directcreative.com/blog/branding-vs-selling-which-is-more-important/comment-page-1#comment-4313 Janice C Cartier Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:28:45 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=112#comment-4313 LOL. I bet they call him Vinny...okay business question: Does he get paid a percentage of the "take", or for just doing the spot? Thanks. ;-) LOL. I bet they call him Vinny…okay business question: Does he get paid a percentage of the “take”, or for just doing the spot?

Thanks. ;-)

]]> By: Dean Rieck http://www.directcreative.com/blog/branding-vs-selling-which-is-more-important/comment-page-1#comment-4311 Dean Rieck Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:12:16 +0000 http://www.directcreative.com/blog/?p=112#comment-4311 Janice: Shamwow has been selling for a while now. The guy's name is "Vince." He has a quirky delivery, but it works. Here's a link to the video so you can enjoy it any time you like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwRISkyV_B8 Janice: Shamwow has been selling for a while now. The guy’s name is “Vince.” He has a quirky delivery, but it works.

Here’s a link to the video so you can enjoy it any time you like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwRISkyV_B8

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