When an IT staffing company came looking for a hard core name… they got one! The company name needed to reflect the mission-critical status of IT staffing. The name?

KOREone

The Solution: While we normally refrain from misspellings, in this case the hard “C” sound of “Core” naturally lent itself to a “K”. Plus the special treatment allowed for more trademark protection and a matching domain name.

Combining “KORE” with an evergreen word such as “One” resulted in a strong name that evoked a sense of competence, dedication and focus. The word “One” also implies leadership and direction, as well as a single source of supply. The unique combination of Kore plus One provided a distinctive brand name, positioning the client as a forerunner in the industry. Finding the right name to fit specific brand criteria just happens to be one of our “Kore” competencies. If you’re looking for a strong brand name, we’re the one!

As companies grow, product lines expand and market conditions change, business owners often find themselves with a company brand image that no longer reflects who they are or what they do. Perhaps they started in a niche market, or with a very specific product, and built their entire company identity around it — and the business now serves a different, bigger or more diverse customer base.

What to do?

A sure symptom of this brand misalignment is the constant need to explain or clarify what the company really does. Or when an owner pines “We’re more than just (fill in the service or product category.) At this point, a new brand strategy is obviously in order, but it begs the question “Do I need to reposition my company or completely rebrand it?”

Reposition if the company name is right but the message and/or image are wrong

Apple has successfully repositioned itself as a digital lifestyle provider

Repositioning a company makes sense when the company brand name is well established and not in any way misleading. In other words, it’s not so much an issue with the identity as it is with the image and reputation. Apple expanded beyond its original core product line of computers, but that didn’t require a change in their name. They simply dropped the word “Computers” and shifted the message to “Think Different.” They no longer position their brand as a “computer company” but more as a cool digital lifestyle provider.

Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure felt restricted by their brand image as strictly a racing school. It affected their approach to advertising, marketing and product development. After carefully determining their core value proposition, they re-emerged with the tag line “Full Throttle Living!”  The emphasis shifted from the cars to the actual experience. And that experience has since been expanded to include World War II re-enactments and real firefighting drills. They now position themselves as a lifetime adventure company that simulates a day in the life of an adrenaline-charged professional. That’s a big departure from a racing school, and that’s the power of repositioning.

Old Spice has made a concerted effort to reposition its brand from a stodgy aftershave product line to a cool, contemporary array of “fragrant man goods.” Thanks to its viral video marketing, a whole new audience has embraced this once, old-school cologne.

Rebrand if your company name causes confusion

Rebranding comes into play when the original company identity has grown outdated, confusing or outright misleading. The owners and staff can all agree on the brand’s current position and message, but the customer can’t get past the name itself. CompUSA struggles to brand itself as more than just computers. Radio Shack remains mentally tethered to an old technology and a dilapidated building. Burlington Coat Factory sells more than just coats. At some point, the cost of clarifying a brand becomes such a drag co-efficient that it makes more sense to start with a clean slate.

Would 3M be recognized as a global leader in innovation if it had remained The Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company? Popular consumer electronics company LG rebranded twice, from the original legacy name of Lak-Hui Chemical Industrial Corporation to Lucky_Goldstar, and in 1995 to their current moniker of LG with the tag line “Life’s Good.”

KFC rebranded to freshen their look and shed their "fried" image

Kentucky Fried Chicken rebranded to KFC to simplify their brand image and de-emphasize the fried aspects of their foods. They are now able to offer grilled chicken without an apparent contradiction in the name. Rebranding eliminates the need to  spend valuable ad dollars declaring “We’re more than what we say we are!” And in this economy, that might save even more than money, it might just save the business.

Repositioning and rebranding keeps a company current, relevant and profitable

Both repositioning and rebranding serve the goal of greater brand clarity. Repositioning highlights a company’s emerging role and redefines its new territory in the marketplace, (often while keeping the legacy name in place, e.g. Apple) Rebranding addresses the outward facing identity of the company, typically the name and visual components, and helps to alleviate and/or correct misconceptions about the direction of the business (e.g. 3M and KFC).

Both rebranding and repositioning offer unique and specific benefits when applied correctly. Clarifying the brand identity and market position allows potential customers to place the company in the right mental “box” for easy and accurate recall. This type of intuitive branding reduces customer confusion, improves bottom line performance and positions your company for continued success. With careful consideration, rebranding and repositioning will have your customers remembering and revisiting you more often.

How about your company? Have you considered or attempted a rebrand? If so, share the ups and downs of your experience so others can benefit.

Times have changed.

With the recent Panda update, it’s apparent that Google hates hermits. From all accounts, their new metrics include a good dose of engagement factors, (e.g. the amount of time spent on site, the number of pages viewed, the number of comments posted, the amount of social interaction, your company’s web “footprint” etc.) In short, your brand’s ranking is overall measure of actual human activity, involvement and interest – on and off site.

So what does that mean for brand marketers? 

More than ever it pays to treat your brand like the person that it is – dress it up, take it out, introduce it, network, say hello, return a gesture — smile! In essence, if you want to be treated like a relevant business, you have to act like one. You can’t “stay at home,” shut off the lights and expect customers to knock the doors down. Seems sensible enough, yet a good many companies remain complacent with static web sites, little to no social media presence and stale, outdated blogs. And if the company welcome mat is not out, Google is a lot less likely to stop by. And that’s one visitor you want to have over as frequently as possibly.

What to do?

1. Make an effort to get out more

No one says you have to be all things to all people. So pick the social site(s) that would help your company most. For B2B companies, that would most likely involve a committed presence on LinkedIn. For B2C businesses, both Twitter and Facebook deserve consideration. Consider a simple e-newsletter to your loyal fans. MailChimp provides a fun and easy service for just that purpose.

2. Integrate social elements into your web site

Consider a YouTube video on your home page for demonstrating a product or service. Include a newsletter sign up for easy updates. Enable comments on your company blog that you can moderate and respond to. Consider a Twitter stream on the bottom of your page to demonstrate activity and conversations about your company brand. Keep your conversations current and relevant. Create a Google email alert for topics in your industry so you can easily tweet, blog and post in real time.

3. Invite people over more often

It’s not enough just to cover the basics, e.g. an about us page, a list of services and a contact form. Add informative articles that you would want to read. Make sure to add compelling photos, adequate spacing and bulleted items to make them easy to read. Bolden key points and summarize often. Keep the conversations short, simple and engaging. Link your awesome articles to related ones on your site. Keep the readers interest and be the perfect party host.

4. Put some action in interaction

As search engines evolve and become more intuitive and human-like in their results, company brands will need to keep pace with both their message and momentum. They will need to behave, act and respond in a more three dimensional manner. This means meeting, greeting and engaging customers with fresh information that passes the “sniff” test.  No stale sales copy. No tired mission statements. Be sure to make full use of sight, sound and emotion to connect with customers in a meaningful way.

With so many disruptive technologies in marketing, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, pull down up the shades and sink your head under the pillow. But now is not the time to put on your feety pajamas and climb into bed. Making the effort to reach out and stay connected will pay big dividends as web marketing becomes more integrated and intertwined. Those who adapt to these opportunities will find new ways to connect with customers, and discover new “neighbors” they never knew they had. Those who chose to do nothing will most likely find themselves “home alone.”

1. A company name change should be prompted by need

Most successful rebrands come about because the need is apparent. The old name could be outdated, outmoded, inaccurate, misleading, etc. In this case, there was nothing wrong with the Netflix name in the mind of the consumer.

2. The new name should be better than the old one

Taking a slightly misspelled name like Netflix, (one misspell) and twisting it up even more to Qwikster (two misspells) just doesn’t make sense. The new name loses all reference to movies and shifts the emphasis to speed. Getting DVDs by mail is probably the slowest way possible considering the availability of Redbox. They really aren’t quicker, they are more convenient, (but Convenientster.com was probably taken.)

3. The new name should be tested

Branding a new company is one thing, but rebranding an existing company means there is more at stake. Brand name validation/research would be in order for a company this size. And these services are available in a matter of weeks, not months. I’m guessing that Qwikster would not have risen to the top of a brand testing panel.

4. The new name should go through a soft intro

In this case, it would have been good to plant the idea of speed and convenience in the mind of the customer so the name change would seem more intuitive. Netflix could have said, “We’re moving faster to serve you better, and we’ll soon have a name that reflects it.” At least it would appear there was a brand strategy — one that is proactive vs. reactive.

5. The new name should have all the web pieces in place

There’s nothing worse, when rebranding a company, then to make a big splash and not have all the internet players in place. In this case, the @Qwikster Twitter name was in use by someone using a pot smoking Elmo avatar. This is probably not the best spokesperson for a new company brand.

Rebranding a company provides a great opportunity to enhance the company’s brand position and message, (if done correctly.) If not, you could find yourself in proverbial “qwiksand.”

Let’s say for instance, you want to brand your financial services company, and you consider the following names: Express Loans, Sonic Loans, Jet Loans, Zip Loans, or Lightspeed Loans. Those might all qualify as potential company names, but the real question should be, “Is speed our core strength?” Perhaps you really excel at customer service or finding the lowest rates or customizing loan packages to fit a particular need. Creating a sound-a-like company name would not provide the long-term benefit of branding your business to reflect your true expertise. In this case, you would continue to attract customers looking for quick loans at the last possible minute. If that’s not what you enjoy doing, you and your staff will be miserable. That type of company branding creates a disconnect between your outward brand message and your internal core strengths.

To find your true value proposition, think about your best customers — the ones that just love you and refer you to everyone they know. Why do they choose your business over your competition? What is it about doing business with them that you enjoy? Dig deeper and discover the “pivot point” around which your goods and services revolve. It could be any number of attributes, such as innovation, responsiveness, attention to detail, dependability, reputation, value, experience, etc. Focus on the ones you do best and prioritize them. Then build your company branding based on the attributes that best define your organization.

By first identifying what makes your business “tick,” you can then look for company names that not only meet your short term goals, but also ones that position your business for long term growth (even if your products and services should change.) OnStar resonates with customers because it implies continual guidance and direction. BestBuy conveys value for the money (and their product line constantly evolves.) If your clients, or potential clients, were asked to sum you up in one word, what would it be? Would they even be able to do so? If so, is it the positon you want to be known for in your industry? It doesn’t make sense to call your company “Advanced” if you don’t use the latest technologies. Or “Superior” if you are not the best in class. Think it through until you get that “Ah-ha!” moment, your reason for being, your true pivot point. Then, and only then, begin to build your company brand name, supporting tag line and brand message.

Branding a company can be a daunting challenge, but don’t allow short-term deadlines create long-term consequences. Map out the space you want to own in your industry. Be clear and specific in your mind so that when it comes to naming your company, you choose from names that promote your real strengths, build your brand message and ensure your continued success.

Moving beyond the introduction

According the SBA.gov, over 600,000 new businesses start up each year. With such a competitive environment, it’s not enough to have a catchy or creative company name. By branding a company, you give your business an entire story, not just a title page. It invites potential customers to go beyond the outside jacket and look “inside the book.” Then they will read more, see more and learn more about what you do. Branding a company creates a higher level of engagement by providing a compelling message that starts with the name and ends with decisive action — a desire to join in, sign up, request a quote, or purchase a product. Company names comprise the cornerstone of branding, but they are not the entire building. That is why so many internet start ups fall short, creating zany brand names with little to no continuity to them. They announce themselves with a shout and then have nothing left to say. Company branding, like any professional business service, requires a degree of thought and expertise in order to achieve the desired outcome – attracting the right audience with the right message to achieve the right response.

When in doubt, test it out

So before jumping at the first clever name, try practicing it as part of an elevator speech. Can you follow it up with an intuitive and compelling tag line or catch phrase? Does the name provide you with an entire marketing lexicon of words that support your brand message and your brand positioning? Does it segue easily into a deeper conversation about the benefits your company provides? Or does it stop cold, leaving the listener with a puzzled “huh?” that requires lengthy explanation and clarification. If you are pondering your company identity, then by all means aim high for a great company name, that “title” to your company book. Just be sure to follow it up with a great story, a real page turner, one that your fans can’t put away. That’s when you go from a company name to a company brand. If you do it, and do it well, you may just find yourself on the next bestseller list!

The simple answer is “No!”

Having a presence is like sitting in the corner at a cocktail party and observing the crowd. Sure, you can say you were there, but you will have had little to no impact on the conversation. And it’s not just a matter of Tweeting out volumes of words either. Your brand message must communicate authentically and consistently to be effective, to warrant a share of the discussion, to make a lasting impression. To ensure your online success, it’s important to follow these common sense guidelines.

1. Determine your objectives

Before engaging in social media, first determine your goals. Are you trying to inform? Inspire? Educate others about your industry? Announce job openings? Blast a sales special? All of the above? It’s important to think before you speak, to develop an overarching goal that you want your social media to serve. In most cases, using it as a sales tool to announce discounts will do little or nothing to advance your company’s brand image, and even less to endear yourself in the eyes of potential customers. So think about your motivation for being online, and stay true to that goal.

2. Establish your voice

Once you know your mission, determine the tenor of your conversation. Is it fun and lighthearted? Or is it insightful and revealing? Just like people, companies have personalities. And unless you want to be viewed as a corporate Sybil, it’s best to speak with one voice. Don’t post a link to an industry specific article, a hilarious YouTube video and then post a Gandhi quote. You will simply appear reactive and incoherent. If you want to use humor, and it fits your brand image, then by all means do so. But remember, your brand is most credible when its congruent with its core message.

3. Communicate regularly

This is one of the most difficult objectives and also one of the most important. Nothing speaks louder than silence. If you commit to having an ongoing conversation with your customers, you need to be there when they speak with you. Thankfully there are a number of tools available for planning, scheduling and monitoring your social media, services such as HootSuite. But don’t just put your social media on cruise control either. It’s vital to keep an open ear to hear what others are saying about your company. So while it’s great to plan out your updates, but sure to monitor mentions and respond in a timely fashion.

4. Watch your appearance

This is social media, and so appearance plays an important role. And just as you plan your wardrobe for the week ahead, it’s vital to make sure your brand image has a clean, consistent presentation across all social platforms – one that your customers have come to know and expect. What does that mean? It means having matching Twitter, Facebook and YouTube backgrounds with the same company logo, type fonts and colors. it means investing in design so that your online newsletter doesn’t look like a ransom note. In short, give your online social media the same attention you would a company brochure or marketing piece. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it also needs to look like you care. Don’t be that guy that wears one blue and one black sock to the office.

5. Measure and evaluate

This is not as rigid as it sounds. We all want something from our social media efforts, e.g. feedback, insights, new leads, top-of-mind-awareness, etc. So whatever you are looking to achieve, set up benchmarks to see if you are achieving these goals. And don’t limit it to the number of Likes or followers – look deeper to the number of retweets, customer questions, degree of interaction, etc. Again, refer back to #1 and determine ways to measure if you are in sync with your brand message, your overall mission.

It’s not enough anymore to simply occupy a seat on the social media bus. If you want to extend your company’s brand message, it’s vital to communicate with a clear, consistent and compelling voice. If you do, you will not only win the continued confidence of your loyal customer base, but gain the attention of potential new clients who share your values. And that type of branding speaks louder than words.