Can creating a new brand possibly be that easy? Well, recently we proved that from a nameless product, we launched a full-fledged brand with identity, website, endorsement and a market for it!

1. Naming a new product is crucial to branding. Check all the abbreviations, connotations and associations, before registering a name.

2. The importance of graphics cannot be stressed enough and are key to good branding. Nobody wants to buy a product that doesn’t visually appeal to them; let alone a beauty or health item. Graphics need to be consistent and reflect your product’s image on every piece of material.

3. Create a website. This will be the heart for your brand, a go-to place for anyone needing information, pricing, availability and shipping details. The style of website will be consistent with the brand’s identity and graphics.

4. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook need to feed back to the website and again must reflect the identity of your brand. The content posted needs to be relevant, informative and interesting to your market.

5. If you can find a personality to endorse the brand or if you can align with a cause or organisation, your brand will receive greater integrity and kudos. If this is not possible, try to find a specific marketplace where you can promote your product. This could be via an event, through sponsorship, or at an expo or trade fair.

I recently went to a Soul Sessions afternoon that got me thinking about how to apply the newly referenced 2014 business paradigm, to PR.  Entitled Planet, People, Profit, we looked at how smart business models were evolving and how they became successful in the first place. And with the help of business guru Simon Sinek light bulbs flicked on among an enlightened, converted audience.

One resounding message the group took from the Session, was that success comes from the heart and not from the bottom line. It is not about dealing with a headcount that matters, but rather the heart-count. In other words, we must make our businesses and workplace a place of support, a family or community where we nurture and trust each other; not a battle-field where staff feel constantly threatened and insecure. Think back to the ‘50’s and ‘60’s when working for one company for more than 25 years was the norm, where a retirement speech and carriage clock presentation was de rigour! Enviable! Somewhere in between, it would seem we have lost these basic values that great companies were built on – trust, loyalty and passion.

PR is of course, built on trust. Without it, there is no goodwill, no belief, no loyalty. Trust has to exist between the Client and the PR, with the PR and their Media contacts and with the PR and the End customer. Without this circle of trust (sorry for the cliché, wasn’t that in a movie?) we cannot build a brand – never mind promote it!

Lead with the heart, not with the analytics and the results will flow.

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to indulge in a 9 hour lunch! Yes, I said 9 hours -  not a typo!

This was greatly assisted due to the fact that my friend who had been to a recent PR launch, had been exposed to a wonderful new strain of Moet – the White Moet which, of course, she had to introduce me to.

Needless to say one bottle became 2 and then even 3! Each lunching lady at that table is now a total convert to those bubbles, and all because Moet decided to sponsor that targeted PR event. Brilliant!

Word-Of-Mouth is undoubtedly the jewel in PR, and continues to be the most influential and valuable form of marketing, carrying with it that coveted authenticity. The beauty of this encounter however, lay in the immaculate execution and delivery. Perfect.

Finding and retaining a suitable ambassador for your brand can also be invaluable. Recently we have been working with Sara Leonardi-McGrath, the gorgeous new wife of cricket legend Glenn. She is a very accomplished and talented person in her own right and after discovering Suigo hair care, was delighted to be associated with us. This partnership can work on a number of levels, from in-store events, to interviews and endorsements.  Here’s a picture of Sara after experiencing the Suigo Natural Hair Spa. Glowing!
When you consider partnering with another, remember to think of outcomes first. Where do you want your brand featured? With what demographic and how can you create synergy?  It’s a bit like a marriage really – pick out the commonality, work out the value –

Here’s the formula:
1 + 1 = much more than 2!