I am a damn near reverent fan of Al Reis and his daughter, Laura. I’ve read two great books on branding by them, The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR and The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding and I’m looking forward to reading their latest book, The Origin of Brands. Their website, ries.com, is a must for anyone interested in branding.
In an article that I copied from The Atlanta Business Chronicle (ironically, about branding the city of Atlanta), Ries spoke about the long, steady nature of a good marketing program.
The purpose of the marketing program is to reinforce and remind prospects of what you already stand for in their minds. It’s like a religious service. What did you learn Sunday that you didn’t know before? Not much, but you still come away from the service with a renewed faith in your choice of religion.
Marketing programs should work the same way. They should exploit ideas that have already formed in your mind and make them resonate. Over time, this repetition becomes a powerful force for achieving our goals.
The key words here are “over time.” Most brands build with the passage of time, often lots of time. What you say about your product today might be pretty much the same thing you say two years from now. However, the impact two years from now will be far more powerful. Why? Because if you are reinforcing in your prospects “what you stand for in their minds,” each message builds on the last. At some point these you will have staked out important real estate in their minds. Then they are much more likely to do business with you.
Posted by Harry Chittenden
Posted by robinsonbrandbuilders 
