You’ve always known a strong brand could make all the difference, right? Look at Coca-Cola^®, McDonalds^®, NASCAR^®, and Starbucks^®.

Disney’s Wedding Belles

The latest and perhaps most unique example of a brand pulling through ancillary revenue is Disney’s themed wedding dresses; just the thing for a generation weaned on cartoon classics produced by the animated empire. The dresses, from collections based on the characters Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, and Jasmine, take brides one step closer to a fairy tale wedding.

Never underestimate the power of a strong brand. That’s why companies list brand value as a line item asset on the balance sheet. It’s worth the effort to build value into your brand and think strategically about how it plays out when considering the wants and needs of your target markets.

It’s rudimentary, but when it comes to marketing your product or service, define the features, but sell the benefits.

Will it improve a business’ bottom line?
Will it enhance the user’s physical or emotional well-being?
Why should your customers care?

If you don’t know what your current or potential customers need or want, simply ask them. They’ll be more than happy to tell you.

To develop a successful marketing campaign, tailor your messaging to establish the benefit customers will derive from your product or service. Then take it to market.

Have a tailored campaign story to share?

In the post 9/11 world, the airline industry was in dire straits. Cost cutting was rampant industry-wide, but Continental Airlines took a different tack. They bought up gates, accelerated expansion efforts begun in the late 90s, and put additional focus on serving customers. CEO Gordon Bethune described his actions this way, “Now is not the time to take the cheese off the pizza.”

Business has recently enjoyed a very strong market, but if and when it takes a downturn, remember Mr. Bethune’s lesson: It’s possible to increase your market share—even in a declining market—by satisfying the needs of your customers.

Choices abound in this market-driven culture. Organizations—companies and institutions of higher education—spend large amounts of time and money developing brands, inventing products, creating programs, and looking for the next killer app. It can all unravel if the client, student, or customer is not cared for.

As technology becomes even more pervasive, maintaining personal relationships is even more critical. To achieve the best results, make sure you’re coupling strategic branding campaigns and marketing initiatives with a company-wide attitude of superb customer care that reaches every touchpoint.

Each of today’s Alexa 10 most popular US websites involves social networking and/or a peer review function:

1. Yahoo
2. Google
3. MySpace
4. MSN
5. eBay
6. YouTube
7. Amazon
8. Wikipedia
9. Craigslist
10. Facebook

Now more than ever, visitors to your site expect to be able to generate content to voice opinions and exchange ideas.