In some ways it is important to love your brand.  If you really love it, you will be excited and talk about it with passion.

But loving your brand (and maybe yourself) too much can also cost you a fortune.

With the closing of Woolworths, people are not sad about the closing of the best way to buy toasters.  They are sad because they have grown used to the brand name and the idea of something with a long history.  People that have long ago stopped shopping there are still probably sad to see it go.

Successful people know the importance of brand, and they also know that it is just a tool for making money.

The problems with branding come into play when you let your  love for your brand cloud your judgement.  A business exists to make you money.  A brand should contribute to that.  Business first, brand second.

- If you have a brand you love and you are still trying to figure out how to make money with it, your brand is costing you a fortune.

- If you are spending many months building the perfect website, best logo, etc to establish your brand, the brand is costing you a fortune. Launch earlier and test your ideas, then continue to perfect it.

- If you are loosing money but think it is going to turn around next year because of the strength of your brand, your brand is costing you a fortune.

- If you are spending time tweaking your brand instead of improving the business process, your brand is costing you a fortune.

Falling in love with your brand can blind you to the hard facts about business.  The only brand you should be in love with and committed to is your personal brand, because ditching it for another is rather difficult without some plastic surgery and moving to another city.

Scott White, the Big Kahuna of BIG – Brand Identity Guru – agreed to give us a few tips on making the brand more Buzz friendly.  For more information read his blog: http://www.brandidentityguru.com/wordpress and use his research services  if you want to pump up your brand.

Ron: Scott, What are 3 simple ways to improve a brand that most people can do themselves?

 Scott:

1. Social Media- get on Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace etc. It’s easy and free and you can pick up some great business.

2. Blog- on a regular basis, tell your story, be compelling and honest.

3. e-Newsletter – sending out an e-newsletter is simple and very inexpensive to do. Staying in front of your prospects is really important.

Ron:  What does a brand expert like you do that is different?  What could someone expect if they hired a professional brander?

Scott:  They would expect us to develop a brand identity and positioning that are different and unique. I’ve been out to see Fortune 500 company’s that can’t tell me their own positioning. Why are you better? What makes you different? Are you ready to live that brand?

Ron: If someone wants to create a buzz, what does their brand need to have to make success easier?

Scott: A definitive brand identity. If Volvo the auto maker stands for safety what do you stand for. It’s the toughest question a company can answer.

Ron: Who should contact you and how do they reach you?

Scott: Anyone responsible for their company brand should contact us. And we’re a small boutique branding agency of only 15 so call me directly at 508-238-4347 or email me at swhite@brandidentityguru.com. Ask for the BIG Kahuna!

Thanks Scott.  Remember, if your Brand is weak, employee evangelism will be much harder.  Check out there excellent website and blog.