Branding Mistakes - Brand Identity Guru

1. It "sells itself." I don't need to market.

Okay, you might have a solid product or service. You might even routinely satisfy your customers. They might even send their friends and family to you. But wait. Is that your product or service selling itself? No (that is, unless your widgets have learned to speak). That's one of your customers playing out-of-the-goodness-of-my-heart salesperson for you. Yeah, word-of-mouth is nice, and if it's happening for you, congratulations! It's a sign of a great product or service.



But relying on it exclusively can hurt you. Yes, six degrees of separation and all that, but counting on those connecting conversations to consistently mention you, especially down the line, is a bad gamble. Word of mouth needs help. A kick in the butt: a reminder to your customers of their good experience with you and an enticing offer to potential new customers to give you a try. Providing this kick is what a well-conceived branding and marketing strategy should do. At Brand Identity Guru (www.



brandidentityguru.com), we've got some BIG boots.

2. "One of these things...looks just like the other"

You might sell red cars, and Johnny Big Wheel down the street might sell a similar blue car. But what's under the hood? Even better question: what's under the hood that makes your better than the blue car? This is the essence of differentiation in the marketplace, and if you're not playing up the things about you that make you different—and better—than your competition, your marketing is driving nowhere.



At Brand Identity Guru (www.brandidentityguru.com), we know how to steer a marketing campaign that leverages differentiation to build your brand and increase your bottom line.

3. Liar, liar, your business is on fire and up and smoke

If you think word-of-mouth is powerfully working for you, it's just a fraction of the punch a bad buzz can pack. The best way to a bad buzz? Over promising and under delivering. It will kill you. That's why it's important to be truthful in your marketing. Say what you can do.



Not what you wish you could do, or might be able to do. If you must err, do so on the side of under promising and over delivering.

4. One-trick marketing is like a no-trick magician

It won't do anything, and people won't pay to see your show. To get your message to resonate in a 21st century market, you need to make your appeal in every corner the market looks. Print advertising, direct mail, online, telemarketing, public relations, and in person. In every place, a consistent brand image and message.



5. Microsoft Word clipart is for junior high book reports, not corporate identities

A logo is the face of your company, so it must be unique and memorable. Not available for millions to place into whatever bake sale flyer they're working on at the moment. But a corporate identity is more than a logo. It's your company's unique value proposition and its products and services…all instantly recognizable on sight of your logo, name and tagline.

6. Don't be visually absent

Talk can be cheap if it's not paired with a strong visual presence.



Well-conceived visuals connected with your market makes your message stick, no matter the medium. Brand Identity Guru is an agency that can drench any marketing effort with huge vats of sticky visual honey, even if you're currently bone dry.

7. The typewriter and telegraph are cool machines, but not to use today

A business owner by nature has to have a little bit of Evil Knievel in him, but when it comes to technology, he or she is often more of a cowardly lion. That's understandable. You got into your business because you know it, like it and can put food on the table with it.



Not because you like to tinker with every new business technological innovation that comes down the pike. However, cutting edge technology can be a powerful profit-generating tool for your business, especially when it comes to marketing, and Brand Identity Guru (www.brandidentityguru.com), can help you find your technological sweet spot to get your message out.

8. If an employee's 14-year-old son designs your website, it will be painfully obvious

A website must have a nice look, but that's a small part of a good web presence.



You have to give your prospect information they need and close the sale fast. Otherwise, they'll surf on by to a competitor's website. In today's digital marketplace, your website must be an integral part of your overall sales strategy. Not just a token presence. More than ever, prospective customers are researching their buying decisions on the web. If your site doesn't substantiate who you are and your offerings, educate, inspire and finally motivate your visitors to buy, your online presence isn't strong enough.



Brand Identity Guru (www.brandidentityguru.com), knows how to strengthen it.

9. You have a website, but don't tell anybody

Having a website is pointless if no one sees it. That's why it's just as important to drive traffic to your website as it is to have one. How do you do that? A great way is through traditional advertising like billboards, print ads, signage and printing the web address on all your marketing collateral. Online, there's search engine optimization, banner ads, online advertorials, keyword purchases, links and cross-promotion strategies.



A good mix of online and offline traffic strategies along with solid branding will drive traffic to your website.

10. "I don't need to be in the paper"

On the contrary, editorial coverage carries more credibility than any kind of paid advertising you can do. Getting it, however, is difficult. Only a well-conceived public relations strategy that targets media outlets your prospective customers frequent will get the job done. But it's not just about writing press releases. It's about providing relevant information to the media outlets you're trying to get into and cultivating relationships with key editors and journalists.



If you're successful, you'll see your name in print and a bigger number on the bottom line.

11. Branding done yourself is branding done badly

Given the choice of doing branding yourself and not doing it at all, you may be better off not doing it all. There are few things worse for a business than an "amateurish" image, and that's usually the result with DIY branding. Even if you know how to do some graphic design work or are a decent writer, good branding takes strategic know-how and the finesse and time to get it just right—things only a good branding agency like Brand Identity Guru can offer.



12. If you think your employees aren't part of your brand…
You're wrong.

Your brand is the face of your company in every interaction with the outside world, and your employees interact with it quite a bit. On the phone, on sales calls, at schmoozing and networking events, or in informal settings, you must train your employees to represent your company in a way consistent with its brand image. Doing so can ensure you have an army well-groomed brand ambassadors out there.

13. Failing to track your branding campaign's success can lead to future failure

If you don't make your market's reaction to your branding effort your business, your business will suffer mainly because you won't know where to go next.



Successful branding is a constantly evolving process, and if you don't learn from your mistakes, you'll continually repeat them—and make more! On the other hand, once you know what your most successful strategies are, you can build off of them. Any branding agency worth its salt will be able to effectively track the success of your campaign.

14. Don't forget the clients who got you here, keep good relations

As businesses grow, they sometimes forget the little people who contributed to their success.



Don't. Those who got you here can be an invaluable resource to you even if their business isn't as important as it was. Since they've known you for a long time, they can offer valuable counsel as to the future direction your company, such as offering their opinion on new products or services. They can also continue singing your praises as another satisfied customer. Plus, you never know when a little fish might eat a big lunch and become a big fish to you again.

To measure how strong your brand is copy and paste: (http://brandidentityguru.



com/bightml/brandmasterpiece.html). Then click "Take the brand strength test". This is a short survey that measures the strength of any company's brand. It's a great tool to see where you are today.

Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru (http://www.brandidentityguru.com), a leading brand consulting and market research firm located in Easton, Massachusetts, USA, near Boston.

Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation.



Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.

Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Simon (America's largest shopping mall manager) and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies.



Scott White is a very enthusiastic speaker and has the gift of being able to explain the principles of branding in a compelling and entertaining manner so that people at all levels can understand.

Home Mortgage Refinance Tips

There are several reasons why people would want to refinance the mortgage on their homes. The most popular reason would have to be - to save money, if possible, every month.



In order to pay less than before while living in your home, you could lock the lower mortgage rate and stretch out payments, if, however, you qualify for a lower rate. And once you plan to refinance your home, you will may be faced with a variety of options as to what sort of new loan you can have.



One tactic people use is to shop the loan around to some banks to see what the lowest rate and best deal is for them. Refinancing your mortgage can certainly free up a lot of capital but you have to be careful though. Some unscrupulous lenders may advertise a lower rate, but once you work out the math, the lender may have already added so many points and fees to your refinancing that you are actually paying more than some of the other advertised rates.



When you do a home mortgage refinance, you may reduce your monthly payments substantially especially while we are having a low interest rate just like today.



You may have bought your home during the time when the mortgage rates were really high and you are already locked into higher payments. Since mortgage rates nowadays have been hovering around 6% and lower, you may want to do the refinancing now and cut your monthly payment. As we know, mortgage rates rarely stay the same for a long time.



Most of the people who are deep in credit card debt, or who may have recently filed for bankruptcy, may want to home mortgage refinance to pay off their other debts and free some of their home equity.



This is actually a good strategy considering that other debts have higher interest rates.



Though there are some lenders who work hard just to provide you with an excellent mortgage refinance solution, still there are many lenders who will try to make a ton of money from you on your house refinance mortgage loan.



Do consider checking your credit reports to ensure that there are no errors. If somehow you find any, then fix them before you go securing your home refinance mortgage loan solution.



You obviously don't want any surprises on your credit report that will impact your ability to get the best rate on home refinance.



People who refinance their homes often come out better than before, but as usual, it pays to shop around a bit. Find the best deal your can get for your home mortgage refinance and you may be able to have a lot of spare money every month.

Building Your Dream Home - Part 1

For most of my adult life I had thought about someday building my Dream Home. Several years ago I finally got the chance. I had purchased a lake front lot with a small cottage on it. My initial intention was to use the property "as is", and someday raze the old cottage and build a new home in its place. After a couple of weekends in the musty old camp I came to the conclusion that I needed to speed up my timetable.



Part of the dream in building my own home was to act as the General Contractor and to personally supply a great deal of sweat equity.



I accomplished both of these goals, however it was not easy. There were many roadblocks and bends in the road along the way. In the subsequent parts of this chronology, I will review my experiences in hopes that others may gain from my experiences.



Determining the Home Style and Size



After making the decision to raze the cottage and build a new home, I had to first determine what type and size of home to build. My lot was limited in size and required careful planning to ensure that I would meet all of the setbacks governed by the town I lived in.



Although I had these concerns, I decided to forgo the Architect route. I deemed it too expensive and probably not necessary for the style of home I wanted to build. Instead I picked up a handful of Home Plan magazines and surfed the internet for home designs. I also picked up an inexpensive software package for designing homes and floorplans. After a week of reviewing home plans, I found one that met most of my requirements in terms of a floorplan. The footprint was smaller than I wanted, but I concluded that I could redraw the floor plan accordingly using my newly purchased Home Design Software Package.



The Home Design Software package was not as simple to use as the instruction manual implied, however after a couple of weeks I had a floorplan with all the dimensional information.



Assuming the role as the General Contractor



As I had indicated earlier, one of my goals was to assume the role as General Contractor on this project. I quickly learned that banks frown upon lending construction mortgages to everyday homeowners and to folks who have little professional building experience.



I got around this issue by deciding not to use the banks for financing. However, from what I learned later, it may have been possible for me to assume a construction mortgage if I had quit my day job and applied for the loan as a "full time General Contractor". Indeed, I would have needed to complete a full proposal to the bank with all costs and subcontractors identified, but this is necessary anyways.



As the General Contractor I developed a build schedule and task list. Some of the top items included: Identifying subcontractors, pulling permits, and having a septic design approved.



Carefully Pick your Sub-Contractors



Identifying the right subcontractors is the most important task a General Contractor performs. Poor selection of subcontractors can lead to delays in schedules, cost overruns, poor workmanship and strife between the various subcontractors on the job. Prior to hiring subcontractors, it is important to visit their current jobsites. Review their work on existing jobsites and mingle with the other subs to judge the working relationship. In addition get two or three reference checks on the subcontractors.



If there are poor workmanship, personality issues, or references move on. Do not settle for second rate subs, even if it means slipping your schedule or costs goals, as you will more than likely suffer even larger schedule slips or higher costs by hiring the wrong people.



Pulling Permits



Once you have selected and hired your excavator, chief framer, and foundation company, review with them your plans. Make sure you walk the site with them, and carefully stake out the house footprint, paying careful attention to lot setbacks, septic tanks, leach fields and well location.



Once all are agreed upon with the house plans and the location of the home, contact the building inspector and review with him/her your plans. You will need to submit a very thorough package to the building inspector prior to getting approval. There are frequently town and state forms that need to be filled out regarding wetlands, and home thermal analysis. In addition, detailed engineering drawings of the proposed home may be required. In my case the Framer was able to assist in developing additional sketches of the house plan to ensure structural compliance to local, state and federal building codes.



If I had used the initial home plans I had obtained, those would have been sufficient. I also could have contacted an architect with my selected plans to provide additional details, however it was not necessary in my case.



After about a week and several hundred dollars later I had the permit to build a new home.



Septic Design



My home required its own septic system on site. As a result, I required a septic design and an associated permit for the new home. I recommend pursuing this as early as possible in any new home project as this can take up to 2-3 months to complete as both town and state approvals are required, not to mention site and engineering work.



Without knowing exactly where the septic system and tank will reside, it may be difficult to locate the exact position of the home and in many cases the building inspector may not approve the building permit until the septic design permit has been obtained. I was fortunate in that the property already had a small septic system on the lot, so the building inspector gave me approval. I was at financial risk, however, in the event the new septic design was not approved or needed to be repositioned from the proposed location.



Fortunately that was not the case and I was able to move forward on razing the cottage and beginning site work.



To Be Continued …



In Part 2 of "Building Your Dream House", I will cover razing an existing building, performing site prep work, and pouring foundation walls. Stay tuned…

Lowest Mortgage Rates

For most Canadians, a home is the biggest financial choice they will make in their lifetime. Nevertheless, consumers across the nation are likely to analyze dozens of investment potential for their portfolios than to examine their mortgage options. There is a huge range of selections, open, closed, fixed, floating, long or short amortization, down payment choices, and certainly, the rate itself. However, when financing a home, the majority of Canadians do not comparison-shop to confirm they are getting the lowest mortgage rate and best terms to be had.



This blunder can cost homeowners thousands of dollars over period of their mortgage. Making the precise mortgage choice can have an enormous financial impact over the long term. Several Canadians have an investment counselor to assist them sift through their options. At present, most Canadians are turning to mortgage brokers to assist them make better mortgage choices.



The job of a mortgage broker is to identify your mortgage requirements, search for the best choices for your condition, and steer you through the lending procedure.



A mortgage broker does not work for any lender and is independent, and has up to date loan rates for a broad range of banks and other lending institutions. There was a time when mortgage brokers were seen just as a last option for homebuyers with bad credit record. However, times have altered, and homebuyers in all categories are learning they can take advantage of the expert guidance of a mortgage broker. An excellent investment counselor can earn you thousands of dollars.



However, an excellent mortgage broker will save you thousands of dollars by getting you lowest mortgage rates. A mortgage broker can help in several ways.



Brokers have contacts with several rival lenders and can frequently access special rates. Derived from the number of mortgages brokers closes every year, they have the power to bargain for special rates and discounts from lenders, which can be passed on to their customers.



Mortgage brokers

Customers' Homes At Risk Due To Bad Advice

The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has issued a report which has shown that hundreds of thousands of Britons are falling further into debt, ending up in court and facing the repossession of their homes due to irresponsible lending practices, inaccurate advice and in some cases, downright fraud.



The CAB's report; Set Up To Fail: CAB Clients Experience of Mortgage and Secured Loan Arrears Problems (December 2007) has revealed that some mortgage brokers are issuing loans, named aptly 'liar loans' or self certification loans, to people with inadequate credit ratings and poor financial acumen, without them having to prove their incomes.



Many people interviewed in the report said that they completely relied on the broker to guide and advise, and most of them were not told the severity of the consequences they would face is they fell behind with payments. As well as criticising brokers, the report says that the regulatory authorities and Labour government are not doing enough to protect vulnerable home owners from such scams.



The chief executive of CAB, David Harker said: "The cavalier behaviour of some brokers and sub-prime lenders is seriously undermining home ownership and hitting the most vulnerable borrowers hardest.



Our research suggests that many aspiring homeowners have been mis-sold unsuitable and costly home loans that are doomed to fail from the start.



"Many sub-prime lenders are flouting the rules on responsible lending by granting loans when it's clear the borrower will not be able to afford to repay it from the very outset, then getting tough immediately things go wrong. Far from providing housing security and a valuable asset, home ownership has proved a fast track to debt and homelessness for many vulnerable borrowers on low incomes.



"



The report from the CAB was based on a case study of 1,200 customers from 360 advice centres nationwide, the organisation was involved in 57,000 cases of mortgage and secured loan arrears from 2006-2007. The CAB also said that as many as 770,000 people had missed at least one secured loan or mortgage payment in the previous year. Brokers sell secured loans through purchasing secured loan leads from other companies or following up leads from their own websites.



Another revelation made by the CAB report is that the number of rejections for secured loans from high street banks and mortgage lenders is rising, this is resulting in people seeking credit with other, less reputable companies.



Mortgage payments of one kind or another, are claiming more and more of people's monthly income. A third of people involved in CAB's study paid more than 50% of their income in mortgage and secured loan payment, and for 12% the repayments amounted 70% of their salary.



Recent months have seen a huge increase in house possessions, this is partially due to the credit crunch and house price slumps alongside rising interest rates. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) reported a 75% rise in house possessions last year to the staggering figure of 30,000.



The many difficulties faces by homeowners is reflected in the recent growth of the debt collection industry which has quadrupled in size since 2003.



This evidence shows that "homeowners in a financially and emotionally vulnerable situation end up selling their houses for less than they are worth, in return for a tenancy that offers little security of tenure.



" Shelter, a UK housing charity, is cited in the report, highlighting that people are increasingly using credit cards to pay their rent or mortgage.



Shelter's chief executive, Adam Sampson, said: "Clearly, this is a huge problem which will only become more widespread as housing costs continue to rise. We would urge anyone struggling with the cost of their mortgage or rent to seek independent financial advice. The number of people hit by the credit crunch, interest rate hikes and unaffordable housing costs are rapidly rising.



"

SDS Applications Ltd Continues Expansion of Web-Enabled Solutions for Packagers

SDS Applications Ltd, a leading provider of mortgage processing technology, today announced that The Finance Centre is to use the โ€˜SDS Maps' software for its mortgage application processing.







Based in Warrington, The Finance Centre is one of the UK's largest dedicated sub-prime packaging companies and has been delivering sub-prime deals for over 12 years.







โ€œThe Finance Centre is committed to providing the highest quality service to brokers and technology is an integral part of our service proposition.



โ€ said Wayne Smethurst, partner of The Finance Centre. โ€œWe selected โ€˜SDS Maps' because of the wide range of cutting-edge technology that it provides, which will enable us to ensure service excellence well into the future. By creating an automated solution for quotations, illustrations, application entry, tracking and processing, โ€˜SDS Maps' provides us with a springboard to continuous improvement in how we meet our introducers' needs."







'SDS Maps' provides an end-to-end solution for automating the entire mortgage pre-completion process.



The system features workflow & task management, status tracking, document production, powerful system maintenance facilities and on-line support services.







โ€˜SDS Maps' will allow introducers in any location to access the system through a browser interface. Introducers will be able to see all their cases in a summary view, begin online mortgage applications, create illustrations online and submit applications for processing. Because the system is 100% browser-based, there is no software to install.



Introducers just point their browser to the appropriate web address and begin using the new functionality.







โ€œWe are delighted that The Finance Centre has selected the โ€˜SDS Maps' system. It's a great fit with their business goals of increasing new business whilst improving customer service and lowering overall costsโ€, said Barry Yager, SDS's Commercial Director.







The application is currently in the user-testing phase and is due to go live at the end of May.















About The Finance Centre







The Finance Centre was established by Wayne Smethurst in 1991, as a secured loans brokerage.



In 1996 the business entered the mortgage packaging market and Wayne was joined by fellow partners Andrew Brown and Ron Taylor in 1998.







The Finance Centre has focussed on the sub-prime mortgage market and now provides a nationwide packaging service to brokers throughout the UK. During the past year The Finance Centre has trebled its turnover and has ambitious plans for continued rapid growth in the future. The Finance Centre is one of the few mortgage packagers to receive ISO 9001 Quality Accreditation.



The business is based in Warrington.







About SDS Applications Ltd



SDS Applications Ltd is considered one of the mortgage industry's foremost providers of mortgage lending software solutions. The company offers an integrated suite of mortgage processing solutions for lenders and mortgage packagers.



SDS MAPS is now used extensively throughout packaging community and is fast becoming the โ€˜industry standard'. SDS clients include The Finance Centre, Solent Mortgage Services, County Mortgages Group, The Mortgage Operation (TMO), Enterprise Homeloans, GMAC RFC and several regional building societies, with implementations at more leading companies to be announced over the coming months.



--- ENDS ---







For further information please contact:







Justin Belcher







SDS Applications Ltd





Tel: 01494 778863



press@sdsapps.co.uk







Or visit the Internet site at www.mortgage-systems.com

Save Money on Your Mortgage Loan

Did you know if you borrow $100,000 for a mortgage loan, you may pay back as much as $300,000? Yes, its true, and you may pay more than that depending on the interest rate and the number of years it takes you to repay the loan. The amount is even higher if the terms of your loan require mortgage insurance.







There is a solution if you are able to pay something extra each month even if it is a small amount. Let's say you borrowed $100,000 and for your first payment, you paid the regular monthly payment of principal and interest in the amount of $825.



00. As a reasonable example early in the term of the loan, $800 may be applied to interest and $25.00 is applied as principal. Your outstanding balance is now reduced to $99,975.00 and the interest for the next payment is calculated on that amount. If you had paid an extra $50.00 with the payment, the $50.00 would have paid two more scheduled principal payments and you would have saved two interest payments. Using the above figures as an example you would have saved approximately $1,600.00. That's right - $1,600 in interest that you would never have to pay.



In addition the interest amount due next month would be calculated on a lower balance.







The terms of the mortgage require a monthly payment of the full amount due for the monthly principal and interest payment. Most mortgage documents allow additional principal payments (also known as curtailments) without penalty; however, you should verify this with the lender or review the loan documents. If there are no penalties, you can save several thousand dollars over the term of the loan plus you don't have to spend thirty years paying off your loan.



As we saw with the example above, a payment of an extra $50.00 resulted in savings in the interest. (The actual amount will vary depending on the loan amount and interest rate.)







The earlier you start paying additional sums during the life of the loan, the better. In the early years, the largest portion of your payment is applied as interest with a small amount going to the principal balance. Those small amounts will be easier to pay as additional principal payments and you will see substantial savings in the interest payments that you will never have to pay.



As the balance is reduced the scheduled interest payments will be lower as the interest payment is calculated on the outstanding principal balance.







The principal balance will slowly start decreasing and before you know it, you will see a substantial reduction. It would be a good idea to ask your Lender to send you an amortization schedule so you can track your savings. This schedule shows the breakdown of the amount due for principal and the amount due for interest each month.







By reducing your principal balance faster than scheduled you will be able to request cancellation of your mortgage insurance, (MI or PMI) if your loan has insurance.



Lenders require this insurance on loans with a loan to value ratio (LTV) of 80% or more. As your principal balance declines, the LTV will decline quickly as well. The Lender should be contacted for more information on canceling mortgage insurance as early cancellation could save you a substantial sum. This is in addition to the interest savings.







So remember, if you want to save money on your mortgage loan, check your loan documents for any restrictions, request an amortization schedule, and ask about the requirements for cancellation of mortgage insurance.



Enjoy Your Savings