We are all guilty of this to a certain extent. We all have our own preconceptions and make hasty judgements on other people and businesses.
You know when you are dressed in business attire that people take you more seriously in certain places than if you turn up in casual clothes.
Before you start actively blogging or using social media for your business, it’s important to put some measures in place so that you can monitor mentions of your company and your brands. This ensures that you can stay on top of your reputation management and respond accordingly if necessary.
Starbucks has dropped the name from its logo as the company prepares to expand its product range. The Starbucks Coffee name that encircled the green mermaid has been replaced in favour of a larger image. Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ chief executive, says the new logo “is more suitable” for the future of the business but still “embraces and respects” the company’s 40-year heritage. The company has already moved away from its core coffee offering by introducing branded tea, smoothies and food. It has also launched a music arm releasing records by Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan. Starbucks’ name-less logo matches those of brands including Nike and Apple.
Does your company name/branding enable or restrict you from entering new markets or competing more aggressively in current markets?
If you want to know when your followers abandon you on Twitter then this ones for you… They can hide no more! Qwitter lets you know once a day who jumped ship – it’s good practice to review your tweets to understand why they felt you are no longer relevant to them.
As most of us return to work after the festivities, its time to get started on 2011. A new year of opportunities and a chance to decide how it will turn out for you and your business.
Can you control this, especially in the current climate? I believe that you can to a certain extent. A positive attitude is vital and there’s a well known saying that if you think you can, you will and if you think you can’t, you wont! But really, planning is key. Think about all the contacts sitting in your phone, email address book and social networking sites. Which of them can you be of use to? How many of them don’t even know what you do? Who can you contact tomorrow? This week? This month? The hardest part of any business development campaign is getting started and I for one am very excited about 2011 – happy new year to you all.