Just a reminder that I will be speaking with Seth Godin tomorrow on “The Name Game,” on VoiceAmerica.com on the Business Network at 3:00 pm EST. If you would like to ask Seth a question, just post one here and I’ll do my best to fit it into the show. Or you can simply listen in and call in. If you miss the show you can also access The Name Game archives by clicking here.
For those who aren’t familiar with Seth, he penned the now standard bearing book entitle “Permission Based Marketing” back in the 90’s when everyone was treating the new internet media like it was TV… bombarding people with stuff they didn’t ask for. He was an early advocate for treating customers like people, vs. beating them over the head with mind numbing messages. This meant a fundamental shift in power… from that of the advertiser and TV stations, to that of the consumer, who now had more choice in the matter.
Seth went on to write a number of best selling books, including The Idea Virus, Purple Cow, Free Prize Inside, The Dip, All Marketers Are Liars, and his latest, Meatball Sundae… Is Your Marketing Out of Sync? Seth has a way of looking at things a bit differently, so this will be a rare opportunity to hear him share about just what it takes these days to stand out and get noticed.
After all, anybody that has the you-know-whats to name their company Squidoo is totally righteous in my book.
Seth Godin, internet marketer extraordinaire, will be our featured guest (Tuesday, March 4th 2008) on “The Name Game,” on the VoiceAmerica.com business channel at 12 noon PST (3pm EST). Join Seth and I as we discuss ways to transform the mundane into something remarkable. Seth, for those who aren’t familiar with him, wrote the book (or should I say “books”) on being remarkable, including Purple Cow, The Big Moo, Small is the New Big, The Idea Virus, The Dip, Free Prize Inside, and (my favorite title…) All Marketers Are Liars. Seth also penned the ground breaking book/concept “Permission Based Marketing.” This was back in the day when advertisers were still convinced the only way to reach their “target” market was to bombard it relentlessly with interruptive commercials. Seth’s career long approach to effective marketing has been one of building long term relationships based on inviting, entertaining, intriguing and engaging the potential customer.
If you haven’t had a chance to read Seth’s books, check out his latest one… Meatball Sundae …Is Your Marketing Out of Sync?” What a great metaphor for the way so many companies portray themselves… based on a little bit of quality, a touch of service, low prices, great selection, and on and on. It is very much like throwing every ingredient in a bowl and thinking it will taste good. Yet it is one of the most common branding issues, the failure to create a singular, recognizable identity.
So be sure to join us. If you read this post late, you can listen to the show on The Name Game archive page. If you can make it, join us Tuesday, March 5th and let’s cook up something that tastes right!
What better way to start the year than to reposition and rebrand your company and/or products to capture more growth! And who better to address the issues than marketing experts Al & Laura Ries. Al Ries co-authored the ground breaking book “Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind,” back in the ’80’s. He has since gone on to write and co-author a number of other highly acclaimed works including, “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding.” With daughter and fellow marketing guru Laura Ries, he penned the somewhat controversial “The Fall of Advertising & Rise of PR.” (Note: I was running my own full service advertising agency when this came out, and while the title hurt just to read it, I knew that it was inherently true. The tide had been shifting from top down, expensive advertising campaigns to a more consumer-centric model based on attraction vs. force) The duo’s latest effort is “The Origin of Brands,” so this pair is about as knowledgeable as they come.
If you’ve been feeling as though there’s a shift in your industry or perhaps you’ve outgrown your company’s original purpose (i.e. 3M is probably better served with their acronym than their original name, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing) then be sure to tune in this week. Also, feel free to post a question and I will do my best to ask it during the show. If you happen to read this blog after the Jan. 22nd airing, you can access it on archive by going to The Name Game page on VoiceAmerica.com. The show runs Tuesdays at 3pm EST and 12 noon PST. Pro branding advice for free… can’t beat that! And stay posted… we have yet another amazing guest to announce soon!
Make sure to tune into this week’s The Name Game on VoiceAmerica.com. (Tuesdays at 3 p.m. EST, 12 noon PST) I’ll be speaking with Pete Warhurst, President of PODS, a company I named about ten years ago, and one that sold last month for approximately $430 million. So from 70 storage boxes originally called “Portables” to a worldwide brand named PODS (Portable On Demand Storage) that defines its category… now that’s a good demonstration of the power of branding.
And since PODS is now the Kleenex of portable storage, and the word many consumers use to describe the actual storage units (much like people ask for a “Coke” no matter what type of cola is served) we will be asking Pete questions specific to creating and owning a word in the English language. Just how feasible and/or reasonable is it, to set out to own a word such as Apple, or Amazon, or Monster? It’s certainly not for the fainthearted, but it is doable if the timing, product and service is right. And we’ll discuss just when all those things align perfectly, and when you can actually attempt to own a word. It’s the naming equivalent of hitting a bases loaded home run, but that’s not necessarily what’s needed to win the game. Sometimes a bunt is all that’s required to score. So listen in as we talk with Pete and talk about his meteoric rise of the past ten years, and the role that branding played in his success.
Today was the inaugural edition of the weekly Name Game on the VoiceAmerica.com business channel. This will be a weekly internet radio series that will provide all sorts of company and product naming tips and strategies, as well as having industry leading guests commenting on trends in the naming and branding industry. The show airs each Tuesday at 12 noon PST (3 p.m EST.) Today’s show featured Tungsten client TeamLogic IT, with company president Chuck Lennon sharing how their IT franchise went through the naming process and how they came to pick the final winner. Chuck also revealed some of the ways the name was subsequently incorporated throughout the organization (i.e. their company cars were wrapped with the logo, their newsletter makes a play on the name, etc.) To hear the show it its entirety, simple go to The Name Game page on VoiceAmerica.com and click the link to hear the show. Alternately, you can also click the light bulb on the top of that page and have the show download as an icon on your desktop.
Next week we will be discussing specific naming techniques as well as interviewing Pete Warhurst, founder of PODS, a past client as well. PODS went from a newbie start up in Clearwater, Florida just ten years ago, to a major corporation that was just purchased for $430 million. So that pretty much speaks to the power of establishing a dominant brand. So be sure to tune in each week or listen to the archives for ideas, suggestions, real life case stories and inspiration into naming, branding and growing a successful company.
Since very few branding firms dispense free naming advice, this blog entry should shoot to the top of Google quite easily for that search term. But this is a genuine offer… free business naming help for the aspiring entrepreneur, business start up or even Fortune 500 corporation. Simply post your question in the comment section below and I’ve review them and provide a response either here, or on our new branding show, The Name Game, on VoiceAmerica.com
This new show will be airing each Tuesday at noon EST (3pm PST) beginning January 8th, 2008. You can listen to it online by going to VoiceAmerica.com and clicking on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel. It should also be available on archive, in case you miss it. So if you are struggling with some aspect of naming, (i.e. how to name a company, the best methods, best strategies, things to avoid, etc.) just leave your questions/comments here and I’ll do my best to answer them online or “on air.”
You’ll also have the opportunity to hear from industry experts on domain name issues, trademark issues, corporate identity and branding strategies. I’ll have more info on each week’s topics and featured guests as the dates approach. Meanwhile, if you have a question or concern about branding, I’ll do what I can to help… just name it!
Update: I now have a link to the archived podcasts of the show. We have everything on there from “How to name your internet based company” to trademark issues to naming strategies. So sit back and take a listen and see what you can pick up that might spark a creative flash of brilliance!
Update: 05/02/08 Since I’ve gotten so many posting and interest in this subject, and I can’t reply to all of them, make sure to visit and read the “how-to” naming articles I have posted on the bottom of our home page at PureTungsten.com. There are about 20 branding articles on everything from company naming to finding the perfect domain name. Also, under “Resources” you’ll find a number of pre-recorded Podcasts that we’ve archived. So take a read or take a listen, and get that perfect company or product brand name!
Just a reminder that I will be speaking with Seth Godin tomorrow on “The Name Game,” on VoiceAmerica.com on the Business Network at 3:00 pm EST. If you would like to ask Seth a question, just post one here and I’ll do my best to fit it into the show. Or you can simply listen in and call in. If you miss the show you can also access The Name Game archives by clicking here.
…Is Your Marketing Out of Sync?” What a great metaphor for the way so many companies portray themselves… based on a little bit of quality, a touch of service, low prices, great selection, and on and on. It is very much like throwing every ingredient in a bowl and thinking it will taste good. Yet it is one of the most common branding issues, the failure to create a singular, recognizable identity.
