"Your product's brand is its reputation and personality all rolled into one. Branding is critical to any successful marketing effort. Strong evidence is the premium paid for branded products versus their generic equivalents. The price for fancy brand jeans further emphasizes the point. A brand needs to convey an aura and feeling. It also needs to inspire trust. There are several simple rules which you can follow to protect the trustworthiness of your brand. The first common sense rule is to always honor your promises. If a product or service provided by your company has an associated assurance or guarantee it must be fulfilled. A broken promise will not only lose a customer for life, but it will also create a vocal detractor in the marketplace. Many companies attach a self imposed penalty for not living up to a promise. For example, a printer might have a policy that if a deadline is missed than it provides free newsletter printing or booklet printing to make up for the shortcoming. The second rule is not to use over the top verbiage in your offers. Claiming that your product is the best in human history will only engender suspicion. You should strive to convey the benefits of your product or service with plain English. Make it believable. It is also advised not to engage in tricky pricing schemes. If you are offering newsletter printing for $100 for a given size batch, then you shouldn't make it $200 with a special ""one time"" 50% discount. Communication is always key. Keeping the lines open with customers goes a long way in retaining trust in your company. No doubt you've experienced dealing with companies who proved very hard to reach or receive calls back. This does not inspire trust or confidence. There are many ways to keep touch with customers. Booklet printing can be a cost effective way of touching base while displaying new products or offers. If a customer doesn't hear from you, then they are much more prone to defect to your competition. Seeking word of mouth buzz is a great tool. Encourage your customers to spread the word. This form of marketing is cost free and highly effective. Loyal customer programs help greatly in this regard as do special sales with invites sent to frequent customers only. Another great avenue to community goodwill is charitable participation. Having your product associated with a charitable cause is both a good thing to do as well as an effective branding tool. As in any relationship, trust is paramount between a company and its customers. Follow these simple steps to create and protect that trust and your product's reputation. Your brand will flourish and hence your company."
About the Author:
The author is affiliated with a company that offers booklet printing (http://www.printplace.com/printing/booklet-printing.aspx) and newsletter printing (http://www.printplace.com/mkt/newsletter-printing.aspx)
Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:32:15 - 100%
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