- A Most Unusual & Odd Request -

Stop wasting your marketing budgets on branding . . . and focus on lead generation for your sales team.

Provided to Paul DiModica by eMarketer.com under contract.

As you can see in the above study, Coca-Cola, Dell, Ford and Kraft Foods all are in the top 10 of popular brands. Yet, as of the writing of this newsletter, each of these worldwide conglomerates' revenues are flat or even worse, they are dramatically down.

Why?

Because brand identification does not
mean brand acquisition.

Just because a prospect knows who you are does not mean they are going to buy. So why do companies keep spending a disproportionate amount of their marketing budgets on branding when they cannot show a return on investment (ROI).

I know it's psychologically powerful to have some prospects know your company's name when you first meet them, but if your brand identification doesn't help the sales team, then it's worthless.

Is it ego, or a lack of understanding of how to allocate marketing budgets correctly that motivates companies to spend and spend on branding? Why do so many companies waste their investments on non-productive marketing investments?

What do salespeople want?

Leads!

What do transactional selling web sites want?

Revenue!

Take the Branding Return on Investment Success Test

1. Do you measure each of your branding investments for Return on Investment?
   
   ___ Yes ___No
2. Does your branding investment generate at least 5 "qualified" leads per month, per salesperson?
   
   ___ Yes ___No
3. Does your company's name describe exactly the largest profit center you sell?
   
   ___ Yes ___No
4. Have your prospects ever misperceived what you do by your company name?
   
   ___ Yes ___No
5. Are you (or your management team) in love with your company's name -- just because you (they) think it's cool?
   
   ___ Yes ___No

 Correct answers

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. No
5. No

Score 20% for each correct answer

If your score is 80% or above:
Your branding investment appears to be generating a return on investment that is quantifiable -- continue with your investment.

If your score is between 60% and 80%:
Your investment into branding may be a wasted expenditure. Regroup, reassess its return on investment, and decide if there are better alternative expenditures that can increase your lead generation.

If your score is below 60%:
You are wasting your marketing investment in branding and need to reallocate your marketing funding to more measurable lead generation methods.

Provided to Paul DiModica by eMarketer.com under contract.

Provided to Paul DiModica by eMarketer.com under contract.

Remember
Value First -- Brand Second