Brand Talk : Getting Started.

I am currently on the Ask the Expert panel on the tmsme.biz website and the most frequent question I get asked is- How do I brand my company or my product?
Many people think branding is harder than it is and many think it is easier than it really is. What it is, is somewhere in between! Those that think it is hard, often get so stuck in the planning stage and the channels available to them that they never get off the ground. Those that think it is easy, often have a DIY approach which may work well depending on the type of company or product you have. DIY approaches often fail when you are selling anything premium or when your company has reach a certain level of growth that requires the branding to look more organised and sophisticated.

The biggest mistake people often make is thinking that branding is too expensive for them and it is not worth getting a professional to do it.

Ladies and Gentlemen - The Ritz-Carlton Brand

A while ago I wrote an article about 'Living the brand' and one of the examples I chose was the Ritz-Carlton. Their credo of 'Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen' struck a chord in me. I had experienced the brand when dining or attending conferences, never as a guest.

But I made a careful note that I would one day, and my resolve toughened last week.

I was on a business trip to Shanghai, and I dropped in at the Ritz-Carlton for a nice coffee break after visiting the Apple flagship store in Pudong. The coffee was lovely, the service thoughtful and impeccable. Around 6.30pm, one of us said we were hungry – the staff advised us that their ciabatta sandwich would be 50 per cent off at 7pm.

Now get this.