Companies face predictable revenue plateaus at $1 million, $5 million, $10 million, $25 million and so on. Break through the plateaus with clear goals. Every quarter focus on developing a key area of your business to get to the next level.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are sticky brands. Jim Gilbert's Wheels and Deals is a 20 year overnight success. They've grown into the largest independent used car dealer in New Brunswick, and one of the largest in Eastern Canada. And their customers love them!
What separates one accountant from the next? Not much, they all deliver similar services. The same is true for lawyers, insurance brokers and financial advisors. When everyone looks the same it's hard to make a referral. Relationships are not enough to differentiate your brand.
No one ever said business has to be fair. Tilt the odds in your favor. Choose a playing field or a niche where you're guaranteed to win. Every company that grows a sticky brand makes strategic choices of where they will play, how they will win, and how they will tip the odds in their favor.
Marketing Budget ROI: Measure Strategies vs Tactics
Determining your marketing ROI, or return on investment, is always a challenge. Was a trade show or a sponsorship worth it? What about your brochures or business cards? Are they worth the expense? Measuring each activity is isolation is problematic. Look at the big picture, and measure the strategic results.
Customers come for the products, but stay for the results. The Central Group has innovated beyond their products with sticky value-add customers. As Rick Eastwood, President of The Central Group explains, "We're not in the business of selling displays and packaging. We're here to help our clients get their products out the door."
Dissatisfaction is the great divide between action and inaction. Are you pissed off enough with the status quo that change is not an option? Use this short equation, D x V x P = △, to determine your company's ability to make change.
Your founding vision will have a great deal of impact on your future brand. Are you building a business that will grow through the generations, or are you building a business to sell? ProVision IT is built to last, and their founding philosophy is embedded in their culture and systems.
"If you build it, they will come." It's an appealing idea, but it’s not going to happen. Growing a platform starts with good ol' fashioned sales. Fancy marketing campaigns and promotions are not the starting point for building a platform. It starts with sales. If you sell it, they will come.
Companies with sticky brands are strong. They have strong balance sheets, they're profitable, and they build strong client relationships. Customers come back again and again, because they appreciate the services and the overall brand experience. They have the habits that make them stand out, attract customers and grow sticky brands.
Every growing company tries and abandons strategies: products fail, partnerships fail, business ventures fail. Change is necessary for growth, but not everyone will see it that way. Not everyone is going to agree with the changes, and some may get malicious. Manage people with an axe to grind after your company changes direction.
Not all niches are equal, and some niches aren't even niches at all. If everyone offers similar service, it's not a niche. A niche strategy has to adhere to 3 components: 1, customers self-identify with the niche; 2, specialized expertise or capabilities; 3, market density to support a business.
{"Jeremy Miller has put together an excellent roadmap for companies to successfully name companies, products and services along with the naming landmines to avoid and the naming opportunities to aggressively conquer."
David Brier
{"This beautifully designed book spells out the journey that will take you to the Promised Land: a Sticky Brand name."
Kevin Roberts
{"Jeremy Miller’s brilliant book will help you solve the biggest problem in marketing today."
Al Ries
{"A beautiful, captivating and useful book!"
Mark Schaerfer
{"Jeremy has written a masterpiece. Combining story with visuals, he brings the process of naming your product or business to life. Everyone is creative and this book provides a roadmap to designing the perfect name."
Donna Miller
{"Action-oriented. Beautifully designed. Inspirational. Brand New Name takes the pain away from naming."
Gino Wickman
{"When it comes to anything branding-related, Jeremy Miller is the foremost expert. When it comes to naming anything—from a hashtag to a business—he has created a process for you to plan, brainstorm, and test your ideas. Brand New Name should sit on everyone’s desk as your only brand naming bible."
Gini Dietrich
{"I wish this book existed when I was creating our brands! Jeremy’s process makes sure you start your business with a winning name."
Brian Scudamore, founder & CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and O2E Brands
{"Don’t try to name, or re-name, anything without this book! Brand expert Jeremy Miller lays out a proven, step-by-step process that anyone can use to create an unforgettable brand name. Miller’s approach is strategically inspired and brilliantly simple."
Denise Lee Yohn
{"This is such a badly needed book! Part inspiration, part how-to, Brand New Name shows you exactly how to create a brilliant name/brand for your business, product, service, initiative – anything that needs a name."
