Is a "Re-Launch" right for your business?

If your business isn't new, how do you know if you should consider a Re-Launch? Jim and I would argue, you should always be in the attitude of a Re-Launch. A Re-Launch doesn't mean that we are going to throw away everything from the past. It doesn't mean we have to make drastic changes to our name, mission, or logo. A Re-Launch is a way of life. It's like the difference between loosing weight with a fad diet and a lifestyle change. A Re-Launch attitude is a new Branding "lifestyle". With this strategy we respect that in our business (death care), we don't have the opportunity of growing our business without taking current market share away from our competitors. Therefore, we are constantly trying to define our Brand with the families being served by our competitors. We suffer from the "lumped in" syndrome defined by recent consumer market research on funeral homes. If consumers think that all funeral homes pretty much do and offer the same services and products for the same price, we have to consider a campaign to let our community know about the services and products that set us apart from our competitors. No, a billboard promoting "Well Lit Parking & Air Conditioned Facilities", isn't enough. That is unless your funeral home is in a small village the middle of the Africa. That would truly be a unique to the market. When examining what is worthy of a Re-Launch, consider the following: the look and color of your logo, the tag line in your advertising and printed materials, the culture of your business in the eyes of your community, a new division that would market to a niche', or a reintroduction of the very "thing" that has made your firm successful in the first place. Remember, frequency of purchase will always be a challenge in our industry. If you have considered a Re-Launch of your funeral home, or are contemplating a niche' strategy, we invite you to call and schedule a time for us to share the successes and challenges of those who have adopted a Re-Launch Branding strategy for their firm.

Question: What is Marceline, Missouri

Answer: What is... The boyhood home of Walt Disney. Is your heritage part of your brand strategy? Do you included stories about your company's founder when speaking about your business? Have you considered storytelling to help build your brand? Recently, the management team from St. Louis Cremation and Heartland Cremation & Burial Society, Kansas City & Columbia attended The Disney Keys to Excellence workshop at the University of Missouri. During that workshop our group worked to benchmark our company's brand strategy with what the Disney Institute calls the 4 Keys to Excellence: Leadership, Management, Service & Loyalty. In combination, these Keys are used to define a company's Brand and ensure a relevant Market Position. The Disney Keys program, presented by the Disney Institute is held all over the US throughout the year. I have attached a link to the schedule for 2010. I would welcome the opportunity to attend and facilitate a workshop the day following Disney Institute training. I have attended three different workshops, and each time have come away with great ideas on how to strengthen my brand, build customer loyalty, and learn how to move my business closer to the hospitality model our customers demand. Call me at 816-313-1677 if you would like to discuss my experiences further. Disney's Keys To Excellence

If you are reading this article, you have already been exposed to the writings and subsequent discussions we have had over the years about the books written by Jack Trout & Al Ries, and in more recent years, Al & Laura Ries. For many of us, it began with a book called The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, by Trout & Ries. This book outlines the successes and pitfalls of businesses with whom Trout & Ries use to describe a set of concrete laws to follow for marketing. They warn early in the book's prologue, break these rules, and suffer the consequences. Since that first reading and discussion, The 22 Immutable Law's...has become a bible (small b) for our learning group. The foundation of any good learning group should be a common language. The most influential approach to our common language is the research done by Jack Trout, Al Ries and his daughter and branding partner Laura. We have continued to grow our common language by expanding our group study to The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, Positioning, and The Death of Advertising, and the Rise of Public Relations. All books researched and penned by Al & Laura Ries. It is easy for us to make a case for reading or rereading one or all of these books throughout the year. In the case of the titles, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing and The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, the reprints have included updates to the companies profiled in the books. These updates are important to show that the "laws" that they discuss in the original books, still apply to marketing today. If you would like the challenge of stretching your academic legs, apply the laws of either the books on Branding or Marketing to your company's brand position. For more information on consulting or training for your Brand or market position, click our TRAINING button at www.cremationconsulting.com. "How to Build a Successful Brand", is part of our ELEVATION series of training being offered this Fall.