A brand is a promise - you are the talent.

I read this in an article by one of my clients, Molly Harvey. Out of all the things in the article this was the phrase that stuck in my mind. Molly writes and speaks so brilliantly well it's hard to single out just one thing but this phrase shouted at me.

I suppose it made me think about our own branding and what it is telling and more importantly are we living up to the expectations the brand is setting. I hope so - I've always thought of myself as a bit of a perfectionist. In fact my work experience boy, Sean, described me as just that. He considers my standards are very high and aspires to be the same when he enters the real working world.

So what does your branding say about you and are you delivering on it's promises? Does it promise quality? People make a very quick judgement as to what they think of you - is your branding letting you down? Maybe it is time to take a fresh look at how other people see your company. And make sure you deliver on those promises.

The Meerkats

The current advert 'Compare the Meerkat' seems to be gaining a huge fan base. Alexandr Orlov even has his own facebook account and a there are such a lot of blogs and articles mentioning the ad. The people behind this sure have a hit on their hands and it's a brilliant example of simple but effective marketing.

We could all do with learning a leason from this - stand out from the crowd. A client of mine once gave the advice "Look at what your competition are doing and do something different." Simple but effective advice. We should examine our own business and look at what we do that is different from our competitors - then highlight that point to our prospective clients.

For example, Your Natural Beauty Store are not only cruelty free but operate in as ethical a mannner as is possible in business. They try to keep packaging to a minimum and use recycled paper and card where possible. One of their closest rivals delights in using lots of fancy packaging and including unnecessary marketing leaflets in every package. Not exactly a 'green' policy. So Your Natural Beauty Store need to highlight the 'ethical' in their business!

And to return to our Meerkats you can buy your very own stuffed meerkat from Great Toys 4 U along with other, more unusual teddy bears and soft toys made by the quality manufacturer Keel Toys.

So take a look at your business today and see if you can tell what's different - can't find something? Then talk to us!

What a 'European' Result

And I'm not talking about football either. One of the youngsters from my Taekwondo club has just returned from Belgium with a wonderful addition to his growing collection - a European ranking. Having got a silver medal in the Belgium International Open 2009, and at only 16, Ryan can now add a European medal to his existing British Medals. And next week he will defend his British National Champion title at the British Nationals in the Manchester Velodrome for the second year running. We wish him, and the other team members the best of luck.

What has this got to do with business? Well Ryan showed how determined he was to achieve his goal. He stayed focused and kept a positive outlook. He trained hard and equipped himself with the skills to win. That's what we should be doing in business. Are you focused and positive about your business goals? Have you allowed yourself to do the right training to equip you with the right skill set to succeed?

Disgusted of Wirral writes......

I was chatting with one of my clients the other day and was horrified to learn of the animal cruelty that still happens today as part of the beauty industry. With the advances in technology you would think we could find a way to test new products without the need to torture innocent animals.

I'm being a lot more cautious as to what brands I buy now as a result and will be switching a lot of the shampoo and conditioners I buy for my family to brands who don't test on animals. I think I'll be trying the John Masters Organics range from YourNaturalBeautyStore.com next. And I'll be looking for a new moisturiser too.

I'd love to know what you think about testing on animals - is it right or wrong? Please post your comments.