Branding techniques

This is an idea that doesn't get mentioned much, and does need some attention. It's a necessary force in big business, but it's impossible to do when you're doing affiliate programs or MLMs because you can't brand those products. You can brand your website, but the risk here is that while your target audience might become more aware of your products, they might not remember that YOU are the one sellling them and they might buy elsewhere.

There are several components that can be used in branding: names, typography, color, graphics, and blurbs.

I'll give you an example: one business that I had to give up when we had our house fire was my self-publishing business (it takes money to print the books and to get them to the market and the uninsured portion of our loss ran to $80,000. Every penny we had went into immediately paying off debts rather than building for the futire.) I had a brand name (Laughing Coyote) that went on everything and a single graphic (coyote running, carrying the sun in its mouth) and a particular typeface that I used for that image. A few comic shops that catered to small press carried my publications but most of my sales came from conventions (with the debt, I couldn't go to conventions.)

But the small banner at my table alerted folks to my presence, and people who had bought one of my comics in the past instantly spotted my table even if they couldn't remember the book or it had gotten lost or couldn't remember me.

Branding helped me grow my audience (people knew that I loved to write and draw G-rated humor) and because the logo was simple, folks could tell their friends "just look for the book with the running coyote on the cover."

If this had been in the age of affordable color printing (this was nearly 13 years ago, by the way), I would have also picked a particular color to use in a spot on the cover.

The issue is coming up again because I am in a position where I am starting to go to conventions again and they are scheduling me for book signings and I need a book to sign. I'm currently looking for a printer and am in the process of designing the "look" of my books so that I can take advantage of branding.

All the titles will be in a certain typeface, type size, and there will be a particular layout AND a certain color associated with the logo. Logo will be on the front, back, and spine (just like Bantam does with its rooster.)

About gifts -- think about the times you received something and then bought from the vendor later on. You're right that this kind of advertising can be memorable and affordable. The University of North Texas (which has gotten a lot of my money) uses color and typeface to brand everything and gives away a lot of items that you'd find in Dennis' catalogs.

One of my favorite little gifts is the bags of jellybeans every time I order something from Purciful's Toys in Lubbock (I love the site and every Christmas they get an order from me.)

> If you had a website and you printed that on all the great little
> useful gifts with your picture ( if possible) wouldn't that work

Oh yes. But include an advertising slogan or jingle there and you might want to use a graphic. That way, if the item (a pen, say) gets lost or handed to someone else, there's that "curiosity factor" that might drive the person who finds the object to your site.

> If you wanted traffic to your site wouldn't this work?
> I'll work out the costs factor

I think it would, indeed. And don't forget that your business card ALSO needs to be branded.

(sigh) I do have to go think about this stuff. I've got to set up a website for my academic publications and that will ALSO need to be branded. Yes, really.