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You are here: Home / Archives for Branding

Branding

What’s in a Name?

Last Updated on June 18, 2019 by Kompani Group Leave a Comment

What’s in a *name?: choosing the right name for your business

OUR PROVEN NAMING PROCESS

Brands are living entities. They interact, they communicate, they inspire… just like people, pets, and other things we name. That means that the products, services, and companies represented by brands deserve a name with as much thought and meaning as we’d put into other living beings.

Our process recognizes the organic development of naming and matches it with solid research, thinking, and strategy to create names that matter. When done well, names will make you think, smile, connect with other ideas, and create a sense of belonging that you, your team, and your clients can all relate to.

[Read more…]

What’s Your Mantra?

Last Updated on January 5, 2021 by Adam Olen Leave a Comment

What’s my….what?  Your mantra, you know, the three or so words strung together in perfect harmony to describe the culture and philosophy of your company.  It can be clever, catchy, funny, bold, provocative, or even silly as long as people remember it and attribute it to your company. A motto, or mantra is an all-inclusive message that allows us to belong to something bigger than ourselves. It attracts our attention and joins us together. Your company mantra should be relevant, engaging and inspirational or thought provoking, depending on your business and the message you want to share with the world about who you are and what you believe, deeply and truly.
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Understanding terminology such as Brand, Brand Identity and Branding

Last Updated on March 20, 2019 by Jan Havmoeller Leave a Comment

What is Brand?

As competition creates infinite choices, companies look for ways to connect emotionally with customers, become irreplaceable, and create lifelong relationships. A strong brand stands out in a densely crowded marketplace. People trust brands, believe in their superiority, and even fall in love with them. How a brand is perceived affects its success, regardless of whether it is a start-up, a nonprofit, a for-profit, a service or a product.

Post note 1: Who are you? Who needs to know? How will they find out? Why should they care?

Post note 2: A brand’s three primary functions are: Navigation, Reassurance and Engagement

logo

What is brand identity?

Brand identity is tangible and appeals to the senses. You can touch it, hold it, watch it move, see it, in some cases smell it. Brand identity fuels recognition, amplifies differentiation, and makes big ideas and meaning accessible. Brand identity takes disparate elements and unifies them into whole systems.

Post note 3: Seeing is believing

Post note 4: Brand identity is an asset, not an expense

bcardsbrochure    web

What is branding?

Branding is a disciplined process used to build awareness and extent customer loyalty. It requires a mandate from the key decision makers and an intent to invest in the future. Branding is about seizing every opportunity to express why people should choose one brand over another. A desire to lead, outpace the competition, and give all team members the best tools to reach customers are the reasons why companies leverage branding.

Post note 5: Victory belongs to the most persevering

Post note 6: Process: Conducting research – Clarifying strategy – Designing identity – Creating touchpoints – Managing assets

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Trademarks – They’re Not Just for Names and Logos

Last Updated on July 30, 2015 by Kompani Group Leave a Comment

If you’ve had the presence of mind to trademark your business name or logo then congratulations – you’ve already taken the first step in protecting your brand’s assets. If not – let’s back up a second. Why Not? Many people mistakenly believe that trademarking is either terribly expensive or simply unnecessary, and neither could be further from the truth.

Claim What’s Yours.

Would you leave your name off the title to your house, your car, your credit card? Not that most legal entities would allow you to do so, but clearly you can relate to the idea of not wanting other people to claim what’s rightfully yours. If you’ve worked hard to build a business and a brand, would you want someone else to come along and steal your customer base by using the same name and a similar logo? Customers may not notice the difference right away and think that you’ve expanded… when in fact they’re patronizing another company. What’s worse, if you’ve got a great reputation with your customers and this “copycat company” comes along and delivers a poor brand experience, you’ll be guilty by association. Trademarking your business name, logo, and identity are smart ways to avoid that problem.

How do I GET a Trademark?

Well, you can start by using an experienced branding company. At Kompani Group we research names and logo suggestions well in advance of any implementation to make sure no other companies exist that are already using the same (or a similar) name. We search locally, regionally, and nationally to ensure you’re as unique as possible. The more unique you are, the more likely your trademark application will be approved. We cross reference our research against the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which is the federal government body that assigns all ™ , ®, and ℠ marks. The ™ , and ℠ signify trademarks that have submitted an application for registration, while the ® shows that the application has been successful and the name/logo/or other brand element has been assigned to that one business entity.

While the application itself is not expensive, it takes experience to know about various categories and divisions that apply to your business. This is what makes it possible for Delta Airlines and Delta Faucets to both be in business – they are registered in different categories and there is little to no chance that anyone would confuse airplanes and faucets. So too, your restaurant idea name may indeed be the same as a kids toy, but it’s unlikely customers will think your food establishment is selling toys. An experienced branding firm can also help you consider what categories you may expand to over time so you don’t run into an issue if your restaurant does one day expand to a bed and breakfast, or even a resort destination.

How does a Trademark stop others from copying my ideas?

In the early days of your brand assets, consistently using ™ , ®, and ℠ show other businesses that you’re serious about your brand and that you intend to protect it. This is often enough to keep would-be copycats from attempting to pass off your brand assets as their own. After a year or so of consistent use, unless you’re in a competitive field for brand assets like pharmaceuticals, you should be able to continue using your brand without the additional marks. That’s because trademarking offers you defendable protection for your brand.

By trademarking your brand assets you’ve established a timeline in federal court of your use of the brand. This will make it very difficult (if not impossible) for any company to continue using your brand without your permission. You may even be entitled to financial compensation from the copycat to make up for any lost business or damage to your brand.

However, you may be leaving other important assets unprotected if you think trademark protection only extends to company names and logos.

What else can be trademarked?

Individual product lines, manufacturing processes, services, service techniques, and other proprietary assets of your business can also be considered intellectual property, and are therefore entitled to protection from other companies wishing to claim those assets as their own. So even if you’ve trademarked your company name (in this case let’s say ANYCO®), a competitor could “steal” your SilverStar Service Guarantee if you didn’t trademark it as well.

The process for filing for additional trademarks is the same as any other trademark. Begin with a search on USPTO.gov to see if your product or service is already in use or trademarked by someone else. If that’s clear then you can start evaluating whether you’re indeed trademarking a product, or a service.

Product… Service… What’s the Difference?

As far as legal protection is concerned, there is no difference between a trademark and a service mark. In fact, once the registration of your trademark is established, there is no visible difference whatsoever. Your registered product or service will have the ® symbol next to it when used in public. In the meantime, you’ll be using the ™ symbol for products and items, and the ℠ mark for services and processes. The only thing you must be able to prove is that your product or service is, indeed, unique to your business. Perhaps you hold a patent for a particular item. Or maybe you’ve revolutionized the quality control process in a way that’s different from all other businesses in your industry… those would be excellent candidates for trademarking.

Of course, we can help you identify those assets – and help you understand how to better navigate the registration process.

Contact us to get started protecting all your company’s competitive advantages.

Branding from the Inside Out

Last Updated on July 6, 2015 by Kompani Group Leave a Comment

When cattlemen first started branding cattle, they chose a mark that was uniquely theirs and easy to recognize – hence how the idea of the logo made it to modern-day marketing. But the more important thing to know about those very first cattle brands was that they were deeply personal to the ranches they represented. And that’s a lesson that applies to modern-day branding as well. Your company’s brand isn’t just a logo – it’s everything you stand for – every interaction you have internally and with your customers. It’s every piece of marketing material. It’s your internal training program. It’s the slogan on the company field day t-shirt.

Brands Begin with People.

Think of the most iconic brands in the world – Nike, Coca-Cola, Disney. Have you ever wondered how they’ve built such incredibly strong brands? Sure, they’ve spent a lot of money on advertising, media, and design to make sure they’re seen and recognized, but nearly everyone can agree there’s more to those brands than just their presence. People identify with these brands. Often, they’re fiercely loyal and devoted to those brands. Rest assured, it’s not by accident. The world’s strongest brands live their brand essence every day, every moment, and with every customer and client interaction – not because they have to – but because they can’t imagine doing business any other way.

And that’s the secret… Brands don’t direct how businesses operate. It’s the way businesses act that define who they are as brands. Nike didn’t just decide one day they wanted to stand for victory – they were already doing it through gear and apparel that was making a difference in the way athletes perform. Disney didn’t wish to be associated with magic – they were making magic happen every second a person walked through their parks, sat down at one of their movies, or played with one of their toys.

So How Should You Build Your Brand?

Begin by asking yourself what you’re already doing well. Then ask yourself how much benefit there might be in doing that one thing even better. What does your internal team believe in? What inspires them? What do your most loyal customers say about you? These are more integral to your brand than you might think. Why? Because trust matters when it comes to brand loyalty. If Coca-Cola positioned it’s brand as a health beverage – do you think it’d help sales, or hurt them? Even if someone knew nothing about the brand before, results can’t be denied. So if you can’t fulfill your brand’s promise you’re not doing yourself or your business any favors. Sure, you may get a modest initial lift from a new brand image – but when people feel duped, they’re not going to come back to the brand a second or third time.

Kompani Group Creates Compelling Brands

When we begin the branding (or re-branding) process we start by going deep. We’ll look inside your business and reveal things you may not have even known about yourself. It’s an objective third-party perspective on what your company is and what your company could be. We ask the questions that reveal all the answers you never knew you had… the result is a Brandmap.

Think about that for a minute – an actual “map” of your brand, just as though it was a technical schematic. You won’t just know “what” you offer potential customers, but also the all-important “how” and “why” consumers should choose you over a competitor. It’s quite literally operating instructions for how to build your brand, and it considers your industry, your competitive landscape, your product/service, and every way you communicate or interact with the world.

This approach has taken brand-new brands like Blooms by Heinau from start-up obscurity to a recognized brand that was recently featured on The Today Show. We’ve also helped an established clean energy provider refocus their brand on their key market – Solar. We not only renamed the company to DCE Solar, but also helped realign all their brand assets, logos, imagery, tagline, and more.

You can see some of our other results with Naming, Logo, and Identity on our website, our learn about our unique approach by accessing our brochure, today.

Your Chance to Brag a Little

Last Updated on October 18, 2017 by Adam Olen Leave a Comment

Effective SEO campaigns are built on content marketing. Press releases can be used as content for an SEO campaign, and they can include numerous mentions of the brand, products, services and anything else that the company wants to promote.

In bygone days, a press release was mailed, faxed or emailed to people in the news media for the purpose of announcing a newsworthy item. Members of the news media decided whether or not they would run with the story. Not every press release made news.

Now, we have online press release services. Some charge a sizable fee to publish the release and distribute it to a network of news sites. Others publish the release on their site for little or no charge. Posting a press release on a free or low cost site is a cost-effective way to add diversity to an SEO campaign.

Websites that post articles and guest blogs typically don’t allow much self-promotion. Press releases are all about self-promotion and branding. And, it’s really OK to brag!

Apple tops the list of the most valuable brand with an estimated brand value of 153 Billion dollars

Last Updated on April 5, 2019 by Jan Havmoeller Leave a Comment

The value of a strong brand is indisputable and often accounts for at least 50 percent of the total market valuation

While being remembered is essential, it is becoming harder every day. A strong brand stands out in a densely crowded marketplace. Translating the brand into action has become an employee mantra.  There is substantial evidence that companies whose employees understand and embrace the  brand are more successful.  What began as corporate culture under the auspices of human resources is fast becoming branding, and the marketing department runs the show.

Click Here To See Interesting Commentary From Cristiana Pearson at Millward Brown

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER – and a Great Way to Differentiate Your Business

Last Updated on April 5, 2019 by Jan Havmoeller Leave a Comment

At Kompani Group we believe in empowerment.  Whether it is our clients or our own team, we view it the same way. We always strive to arm all of our stakeholders with the best tools and the best information.  As B2B marketing evolves at break-neck speed it becomes increasingly evident that CMO’s are buying into this philosophy.  The game is not about jazzy ads, but about delivering meaningful information to the marketplace.  Our good friends at Desantis Breindel have written a spot-on white paper on this topic.  In keeping with their philosophy that “content is the gift that keeps on giving,” we are sharing it with you.

Give them a visit at www.desantisbreindel.com and follow them on Twitter

USA Datanet launches new web site at www.usadatanet.com

Last Updated on April 5, 2019 by Jan Havmoeller Leave a Comment

Get to Know USA Datanet. You will like their people focused culture

USA Datanet is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warwick Valley Telephone Company. This publicly traded (NASDAQ: WWVY) carrier, headquartered in Warwick, New York has been the provider of choice for businesses and residences for over 100 years. Warwick Valley Telephone is an Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC) in parts of Orange County, New York with Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) status throughout New York and New Jersey.

When Warwick Valley Telephone acquired USA Datanet, it added the full capabilities of an experienced, market-leading communications technology company. Together, the two brands scope of services include voice, data/Internet, video, e-fax, email, conferencing and mobile communication.

Powered by Technology

The Hosted IP Voice system by USA Datanet utilizes high-speed Internet Protocol (IP) connections to carry both voice and data communications on a single, broadband conduit. This allows for:

  • Secure, fast, reliable connections
  • Dedicated, T1-level Internet access
  • Transmission via private connections, not public Internet
  • Network privately owned and managed

Supported by People.

And while the technology is advanced, the USA Datanet advantage is the tireless personal service we provide to each and every client.

  • Expertly trained technicians and installation specialists
  • US-based customer service call center
  • User-friendly control panel available 24/7 online
  • Simplified vendor management – one contact, one contract

Wellient launches their new web site at www.Wellient.com

Last Updated on April 5, 2019 by Jan Havmoeller Leave a Comment

Wellient empowers you to take a proactive role in your daily health routine.  Working for you around the clock with personalized medication reminders, adverse interaction alerts, automatic prescription renewal counts, daily follow-up upon hospital discharge, health test monitoring, portable health records, emergency response in case of accident, medication price comparisons and traditional and non-traditional medical information tailored to what you say is important to you. Stay on track, be healthier, feel better, stress less and save time and money.  Wellient is easy and low-tech for you to use, but high-tech and robust behind the scenes.

By launching a comprehensive new platform of health management and information services, they are transforming your medical history into usable and potentially life-saving information. It is no secret that a bewildering and fast-growing amount of data is available on the Web. A filtering service focused on the most reliable sources of information is needed. A service that is built around your specific needs. We are out to help change attitudes and behavior in a friendly, private and easy way.

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