You brought the questions...

And I had some answers, for the audience at my seminar at the Business Network lunch in April.

It was the first time I have used the format of asking the audience to put together the agenda before the event, but I think it worked really well. There was something in it for everyone. There was an interesting range of questions. Some people wanted the big picture, others had specific issues that they wanted to cover, but there are two things I wanted to share.

Why is it valuable?
I had about 15 questions on specific issues submitted, either via email, or when I called the attendees before hand for a chat. Of those, only one asked how brand can increase revenue. All the others were good questions, with good answers (that will benefit the companies concerned). But only one question was looking at what return should a company expect, from their investment in brand.

I think the reason for that (or one of them), is that businesses don't see there brand as a tool for generating revenue. They see it as a communication tool, and therefore (by default), a fundamental part of the marketing and sales process. But I think few businesses recognise just how many opportunities your brand can give you to increase revenue.

If you want to know more about how your brand can do this, take a look through some of our Brand Tips, that look at the value of brand from a number of different perspectives.

Ah, so THAT'S what you do!
The second point came out at the close of the seminar. Two people gave examples of situations where customers hadn't appreciated exactly what their company could offer. One company faced the challenge of people assuming they were too small to undertake a certain type of work. The other company had the completely opposite experience - a customer assumed their need was too small to be of interest to the company.

Positioning a business can be a tricky balancing act - trying to please everybody. But that's often the problem; a company will try and please everybody. You can't do it. The danger is you leave everybody - including yourself - confused about what you can do and what you're best at.

So the lesson there? Two things; Understand exactly who your audience is, then develop a really clear message for them.


There was a lot of really interesting debate and discussion at the seminar, so I'm going to take the best bits and use them in our Brand Tips for the next couple of months.

If you've got any questions about your brand and what it can do for your business, I'd be happy to have a chat on 01392 248107, or you can email jonathan@alderandalder.co.uk. You might also be interested in our Brand to Deliver seminar series. The next free event takes place on Tuesday 25th May. More information will be available soon, right here.