Skip Navigation.

118118 - Directory Enquiries Services

January 8th, 2008

It’s a hectic existence being a schoolchild, between learning and getting out and about, there is little if any opportunity to remaining for finding telephone numbers and information. Nonetheless, with 118 directory enquiry, the UK’s most prominent assistance services, you’re able to get everything on personal numbers in a moment.

Reserve a last-minute taxicab to your home or clubs or bars and stay away from the waiting in extensive queues. Order indians, a Japanese meal, or call a beer & wine home delivery service all without moving from your sofa. 118118 will give you details for a University, get you in touch with temp agencies and connect you up to helpful businesses using 118’s company.

Each and every day of the year 100,000s of folk find locations, info & facilities they want by dialling or by texting 118118 or through using Talk text.

It is painless to make use of 118’s directory enquiries facility, wherever you find yourself. Dial 118118 to talk our able & responsive directory enquiry employees. Our workers should be able to aid folk with almost each and every question about people’s contact information for persons, areas or firms. You can, also text 118 & receive an answer dispatched directly to your mobile device.

118 118’s web address, www.118.com, lets one search 118118s total local business data-base online which catalogs practically everything from train info to telephone numbers. 118118 is a discriminating local organisation directory enquiry service in the UK.

Get train info and cinema listings from the directory enquiries service. 118 118 directory enquiries is now the quickest and easiest mean to uncover train info and your cinema info, whether online or you’re using your telephone. We now have film information for loads of cinemas coving all United Kingdom and there is waiting around in those annoying programmed queues listening to useless self promotions. Call 118 to reach uk directory enquiries.

Get Info on Nokia’s Mobile Phones

December 24th, 2007

Nokia, as we all know, is currently 1 of the planet’s most large builders of telephones and this is compared to other first class competitors for instance, Samsung & Motorola (as well as others). Nokia design hand sets for each and every dominant sector and back in ‘07 Nokia was voted the most valuable global brand. Their goods fall into four various sectors - telephones, multimedia, networks & enterprise solutions.

The hand set revolution headed by Nokia would seem to be irrepressible. The thickset bricks sold in the nineteen nineties for instance, the Nokia 2110 that was almost 236 grams have currently been swapped with light-weight, slender sets for example, the Nokia 6282 that comes in at a mere 115 grams or what about the Nokia 7380 that weighs only 80 grams. All the phones have the most current in communications jiggery pokery coupled with a solid fashion sense.

Deciding on a phone was in the past a simple business still, when you think about the products possible to every one of us today, it becomes somewhat harder. Potential buyers can buy their hand set with the thought of various accessories, - could it be a statement of fashion an object which makes folk look great - or could it be only for the advantages that the mobile devices presently offer, for example, e-mail & WAP, etc. You can find the phone you need with Nokia mobile phone suppliers.

More technologies are likewise consolidating in Nokia cell phones to provide the customer the occasion to communicate with more than simply speech. Nokia mobile devices which include cameras are also becoming commonplace as is the facility to make videos and broadcast them to friends and associates through multimedia messaging. You can additionally see full color video on every one of their cell phones and in excess of 1/2 are available with the facility to show WAP info (pages designed only for the smaller screens on a handsets). Also obtainable is the cell phones which are built with radios & MP3 facilities only for listening to your favourite tunes. The cost of their telephones range from 0 up to a few hundred pounds, it mostly depends about what folk desire.

Nokia, as was previously stated, is still the the globe’s #1 maker of mobile devices, even though some think that Nokia’s number 1 ranking might be threatened in particular by Sony Erickson. Even so, Nokia are backed by the advantage of ages of experience in mobile device fabrication & has incredible loyalty from its usual consumers allied with with their reputation only for reliability & user friendliness.

As new technologies become even more crucial in today’s mobile phones, the space between Nokia and all its competitors will become additionally obvious.

Telecommunications is Nokia– Pushing Ahead the Booming Fields of Wireless & Wired Telecommunications

November 9th, 2007

Nokia is a worldwide tele-communications corporation, engaged on the important advancing markets of wireless & wired telecommunications. Nokia is, today, the globe’s largest constructor of mobile phones, with a world wide handset market share of around 38%. Nokia assembles mobile telephones for every main market portion & protocol. The outfit also assembles telecoms network gadgets for applications, for instance, mobile & fixedline voice telephony, ISDN, broadband access, VO IP & wireless LAN.

Nokia plays a markedly sizable role in the economy of Finland. Nokia is absolutely the greatest Finnish company, making up about 1/3 of the market capitalization of the Helsinki Stock; an exceptional status within an advanced country. It’s an important Finnish employer and certain offshoot businesses have matured into sizable ones as Nokia’s subcontractors.

Nokia added to Finland’s GDP in excess of 1½ per cent in nineteen ninety nine alone. Back in 04 the Nokia allocation of the Finland’s GDP came in out three and a half per cent and accounted for just about one quarter of Finnish exports in 2003. Back in 2007, Nokia achieved turn over that for the first time exceeded the state budget of Finland. This has led some to refer to Finland as “Nokialand.”

The people of Finland have named Nokia (lots of times) numero uno Finnish brand and employer. Nokia is listed as the 5 th most valuable global brand in BusinessWeek’s Best Global Brands compilation of the 20 favourite companies world-wide in Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies.

Nokia’s Mobile Telephone section supplies folks with mobile voice and data products across a massive selection of mobile devices. The section tries to concentrate on chiefly high volume sales of mobile phones and devices, with the consumers being the most significant customer segment.

Nokia concludes that brand, design, ease of use and price are mainstream mobile phone’s most essential considerations for customers. Nokia’s portfolio includes camera mobiles with features like megapixel cameras and MP3 players that interest the mass market.

In the 1 st quarter of 06 Nokia unloaded over fifteen million MP3 capable mobile phones, which means that Nokia is not only the earth’s foremost fabricator of mobiles and digi cameras (as the majority of Nokia’s cellular sets have digital cameras, it is also believed that Nokia has lately overtaken Kodak in camera manufacturing, making it the largest in the world), Nokia is presently also the foremost fabricator of digital audio. Nokia means to sell eighty million music enabled phones by the end of 2007, outrunning sales of things such as the iPod from Apple.

Can A Strong Personal Brand Revive A Flagging Corporate Brand?

September 17th, 2007

The personal marketing power of Eddie McGuire as chief executive of the Nine Network could add more than 100 million dollars to the company over the next five years.

Running a commercial TV station is a simple business model. The more eyeballs you have watching - the more you can charge for advertising.

Advertising is limited by time and space so the key is to get the maximum number of viewers with good programming.

In the case of Channel 9, analysts believe each rating point increase is worth about $40 million dollars in revenue a year.

McGuire’s unique combination of charismatic personality, influencing skills and high profile makes him the perfect personal brand on which to build a new corporate identity.

Branding in today’s competitive, crowded and noisy marketplace now needs to focus on three levels - the corporate brand for capital markets and external stakeholders, the internal brand for employees and at a leadership level, the personal brand of the CEO has a significant and often underestimated impact - McGuire has the qualities to succeed at all three levels.

Successful leaders with high levels of power, influence and charisma are able to align their personal brand with that of the company to add shareholder value and this is what makes the appointment of Eddie McGuire such a good decision.

McGuire’s values of the ambitious, hard working and determined battler appeal to the Australian larrikin in us all, and because Nine’s audiences, revenue streams and future fortunes lie with this target market, I’m convinced he will be a success despite his perceived lack of management experience.

Brands help keep products or services fresh in the minds of consumers - and good marketers and influencers are able to identify what is at the core of a brand - the McGuire personal brand will bring new energy to Nine’s waning star.

The outstanding attribute of the McGuire personal brand is that his values are both authentic and aspirational and this resonates across a wide range of demographics.

McGuire is not afraid to have a go at the establishment and this much admired Australian trait coupled with his creativity and impeccable networking skills make him the obvious choice.

I’m calling this concept Integrity Marketing, where a good CEO will use their position, personality and power to align the values of an organisation with those of its staff and customers.

The Eddie McGuire story is the typical hero’s journey and this is why his personal brand will add value to the company right from the CEO’s door to the mail room floor.

His profile as President of the famous AFL Football Club, Collingwood has also helped create a powerful personal brand.

Learning from Eddie McGuire’s success, if you’re an aspiring or experienced leader here are five reasons why you should implement a personal brand strategy:

It sets you apart from your competitors.

It reflects your core values, personality, talent and skill set.

It increases your credibility, especially if you can harness the power of the media.

It establishes your expertise, authority and value.

It creates a success spiral that can boost your health, wealth and career.

Thomas Murrell - EzineArticles Expert Author

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.

You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com

Hiring A Branding Company 101

August 4th, 2007

If your company has a good product and a hungry market for that product, you’re closer to success than 90% of the rest. But to take that final step, some of the most successful companies in the world have hired a Branding Company to craft their company’s brand image into the sales and loyalty-generating machine it needs to be.

How have these successful companies—take your pick from the Fortune 500—found these branding companies? There’s no one-stop resource or fail-safe formula. Fact is, finding one worth its salt is exceedingly difficult. But if you’re going to take your brand to the next level, there’s no way around it—you need one. So, here are some things to remember when you’re out there on the hunt:

1. Know your needs and have an idea about how you’d like them met. This will give you the self-knowledge you need to better gauge the work of the branding agencies you’ll encounter to determine if they really can deliver what you need.

2. Go ahead, be a fan. If you admire the branding efforts of a certain company, call around and find out who did the work.

3. Go with a referral, not a blind hire. Canvass your contacts. This is always better than hiring someone with no frame of common reference. If they left a favorable impression on one person, chances are it’s a trend, not an exception.

4. Throw a few companies a bone & see what they do with it. Give them a general question or problem scenario. See how responsive they are and how much time it appears they put into crafting their response. This isn’t the same as asking for free or speculative work, which is bad form. Don’t do that. Rather, this should give you a preview to how they think and their work ethic…and whether they would really value your business and do a good job for you.

5. Money isn’t taboo. Once you’ve found a company you’d like to work with, discuss it from the outset. It’s better to agree on financial terms from the start than for either of you to be in a precarious position somewhere down the line. This may start with a simple question, like: “What’s your budget?” or “What would you typically charge for this kind of work?” If they ask you, give a number if you one in mind, but don’t pull it out of nowhere. Be sure you’ve educated yourself on the costs involved with the kind of work you need, and don’t expect them to give you a discount just because you have kind eyes. If you ask them, try to be specific. Ask how much it cost to produce a specific project in their portfolio.

Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru a leading Corporate Branding and Branding Research firm in Boston, MA.

Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation.

Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.

Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Franklin Sports and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies.

This Article may be freely copied as long as it is not modified and this resource box accompanies the article, together with working hyperlinks.

Executive Gifts Have Evolved In Montreal Canada and the United States!

August 1st, 2007

Executive gifts used to be a nice pen or a nice meal, today it’s more common to give a Tag Heuer or Baume and Mercier Watch or Swarofski Crystal. If you think business is tough take a look at what’s happening in the executive gift and promotional products market.

When people used to think promotional products for their business, they advertised on a pen or calendar and got a great return on their money in the 60’s and 70’s. With the 80’s and the explosion of corporate wealth more was expected. Wall street bonuses were frequently dolling out BMW’s, Porsche’s, Ferrari’s, Rolex’s and other expensive gifts. Those in the promotional product industry jumped on this trend. They convinced high end luxury manufacturers and distributors that they were missing out on a huge growing market. With business deals today running in the hundreds of thousand and millions, and competition fierce, every body is looking for a way to differentiate themselves.

After returning from the largest promotional product show of the year, I noticed the number of retailers and manufacturers of high end luxury items who had booths, has exploded. Tag Heuer, Baume Mercier, Swarofski, Movado, Sharper Image, Coach, The Gap, Liz Claiborne, Nike, and Reebok were all there. Where once items had to be priced under $50.00, today many items are in the thousands of dollars. The trend is certainly to bigger and better.

The idea in promotional products is mimicking the trends in the printing industry. Rather than do mass mailings, spend a little on a per piece rate and get a small response rate, the smarter marketing people are doing direct marketing campaigns on a smaller scale but at a larger cost per item. Make a bigger splash and see your response rate sky rocket. This coupled with the specific correct target market generally leads to profitable campaigns. Promotional products thanking your best customers with memorable gifts leads to loyal long lasting customers. The next time there’s a problem chances are it would be resolved without losing that customer. You have to invest in your customers so that they will continue to invest in you.

Steven Schneidman
Solutions Ink
www.solutionsink4u.com
steve@solutionsink4u.com

Steven Schneidman has a B.A. in Psychology and an M.B.A. in Finance. He has taught finance at a large University and worked at the head office of a national bank. He currently owns a successful printing and promotional product company in Montreal Canada and services clients through out Canada and the United States.

If you need ideas you can look at any promotional product dealer or visit my site for ideas at www.solutionsink4u.com Need help with your next campaign feel free to drop me an email.

To Brand Or Not To Brand? That Is The Question

July 17th, 2007

The brands are coming! Their arrival has been evident in our supermarkets and on the main streets of our towns and cities for some time now. It started as a trickle, led by the makers and the retailers of consumer goods, but it has more recently become a fast moving torrent that races headlong through almost every business and walk of life. In certain respects, it has come later to the hospitality world than to many others but now that it has arrived it is clearly planning to stay.

Make for the high ground! For many in the industry, it is something to be
viewed uneasily as it threatens to burst its banks and overwhelm everything that
stands in its way. Others are out constructing canals and reservoirs. For us,
branding offers something new and exciting; a fresh flow of ideas that will bring
renewed direction and vigour to our business.

So, to brand or not to brand? This is just one of the questions facing Irish
business owners in 2003 as we regard the landscape and consider our choices.

Any unease that we may feel in the matter is readily understood. The B-word
has been bandied about a great deal during the last few years and has been blamed
(most famously in Naomi Klein’s recent book No Logo) for some of the worst
excesses of globalisation. It is often presented as invasive, almost colonial, in its
intent, something that we are particularly sensitive to on this island. (Ironically
perhaps, two of the more prolific brands sweeping hospitality in the UK – Jury’s Inns
and O’Brien’s Sandwich Bars - are Irish).

Branding too is often associated with a cookie cutter approach to business and
thanks to the efforts of brands such as the global burger chains it can seem to offer
only faceless uniformity and hopeless mechanical repetition (albeit whilst helping to
deliver huge profits).

Smoke and mirrors! At times, it can seem to be nothing more than a navel-
gazing exercise that promises much and delivers little, or at least little of any
substance.

Finally, our unease probably owes a great deal to our native resistance to some
of the worst excesses of marketing-speak, particularly that which has its origins on
Madison Avenue. For some of us, the recent fuss about brand culture seems to
provide yet more evidence of US-style marketing gone mad.

Brand As Opportunity

But branding is too valuable a tool to be dismissed out of hand. It is vital to the
good management of reputation and relationships. Consider any of the great
businesses – including the independents and the family-owned - and you will see a
great brand at work. The great business leaders use it intuitively and
unselfconsciously. Like all tools, it can be pressed into service in a variety of ways.
Used properly, branding offers a business the opportunity to marshal its resources,
play to its strengths and gain significant competitive advantage.

It is a tool that can be used to great effect in those areas where it is difficult to
offer something truly distinctive and influence choice. We have seen how brands
such as Kelly’s of Rosslare and Derry Clarke’s L’Ecrivain can offer their owners the
opportunity to own a niche in a fiercely competitive market. For businesses
operating in hospitality and tourism branding offers a powerful way forward.

Brand Influencing Choice

As we have seen, during these past ten years, the hospitality and tourism
landscape in which hotels and restaurants operate has changed almost beyond
recognition. These years have seen huge growth, both in terms of market size and
choice, and this growth has been matched by considerable investment at all levels.

As a result, we can truly say that the customer is spoiled for choice. At the same
time, recent events internationally and at home have contributed to a falling market
(although certain parts of that market, e.g. the leisure break, have typically
remained strong). In the current climate, hotels and restaurants in Ireland are now
faced both with opportunities for further growth and with significant challenges to
that growth.

Where the customer is spoiled for choice, many of the features and benefits
that are on offer are no longer influential. In a market where there are few functional
differences between products or services, the customer choice is driven largely by
emotional factors. What you do has become less important, it merely brings you into
play. What increasingly influences choice are the values that drive your business, in
other words, who you are, what you stand for and how you deliver.

And yet, for many hotels and restaurants, product features and functional
benefits continue to provide the basis for all marketing and communications.

Say something! Anything! Think of the rash of advertisements and directories
where hotels and restaurants slavishly list the central location, the number of
rooms, the genuine hospitality and the fusion cuisine that fail to distinguish one
offer from the next.

Clearly, something extra is required in order to gain competitive advantage. A
distinct and well-defined identity gives a business something significant to say to
the market whilst providing a clear blueprint for the development of all
communications.

Brand Driving Strategy

Branding as an activity is seen principally in marketing and communications but
its effect is soon felt throughout the business. In addition to giving a business
something to say about itself, the identity of a business provides it with both
purpose and direction.

In order to successfully make any business stronger than the sum of its parts, it
is vital that the organisation support and direct its business and management
strategy through the development of a strong brand identity that enables it to
establish a clear, compelling and competitive presence in the marketplace.

In business people buy people and good business management is primarily
concerned with the effective management of business reputation and relationships.
This is especially true of hotels and restaurants.

At the same time, the business identity enables the team to accurately reflect
the long-term goals of the business (particularly in terms of positioning and
behaviour) whilst helping to drive the business strategy to achieve those goals.

Central to this role for the brand (and to the strategic and management
decisions that this prompts) is the requirement for a robust brand model that
enables the business to manage the identity and which is able to withstand the wide
range of demands that are being made on it by the various business functions.

Active management of the identity using a brand model or framework enables
the business to make a clear statement of intent and focuses all effort on the
achievement of business goals in a consistent and credible way. It also delivers
economies of money, time and effort as it streamlines decision-making throughout
the business.

Brand Delivering Benefits

What then does branding deliver to the hotel or restaurant business?

- It enables the business to build its reputation, manage its relationships
(especially its relationships with its customers) and play to its strengths.

- It levels the playing field. One of the beauties of brand development is that
the small business is at least as well equipped as the national or global chain to
build and maintain reputation and relationships (albeit at a more modest level).

- It provides a guiding principle and organising framework for the business and
takes the guesswork out of business decisions relating to relationship management
and communications.

- It allows business owners to make a clear statement of intent with regard to
their business direction and behaviour. It offers a common language for the
business team and a means by which they can readily describe what they do and
what makes them different.

- It enables a business to lead through its values and enables business owners
to trust to the intuitive leadership that distinguishes many of the great businesses.

- It makes for fresh and compelling communications that engage the customer
and provide a basis for long term business relationships.

- Finally, and most importantly, it helps a business to identify its market, carve
out a territory for itself that it can own and defend, and enables it to establish
genuine and sustainable competitive advantage.

Gerard Tannam is the founding Managing Director of Islandbridge Brand
Development. He delivers brand direction, planning and communications across a
wide range of sectors including property development, retail, hospitality and
tourism.

It’s Time For Some Steak

July 3rd, 2007


Recently, I was reviewing our website statistics. One of the sites that had a link to mine caught me by surprise. Since this is a family publication, I won’t include the name of the website. But, let’s just say it contains a four-letter word that people do not use in most business circles.


The website was basically a bulletin board for people to rant about other companies. The posting about my website started out with the subject, ‘Is this website just a little too slick?’ The postings went on to say that my website had a lot of sizzle, but no steak.


My first thought was, ‘How dare they say something so rude after I worked so hard on my site. Are they trying to say that my business has no substance? They know nothing about me and what I do. I can’t believe they would attack MY business image.’


You see, those of you who have met me know that I am a small business image consultant. I work on everything from customer service to documentation and training. Basically, all the behind-the-scenes things that affect the business image. How could MY website have a bad image?


Then I took a step back. And, with a huge gulp of reluctance, I admitted to myself that they were right. Earlier that week, I had started to redefine my business services. Small business image consulting no longer ‘fit’ the real me. And somehow that was showing through on my website. It WAS a bit too slick. It was not getting to the essence of what I wanted to say.


Instead of just changing my website, I decided to take on a more important endeavor. I took a look at my identity and my brand. I found this amazing book called Make A Name For Yourself by Robin Fisher Roffer. This was the wake-up call that I needed. After pouring over the book, I began to get in touch with my natural gifts.


While documentation has always been a part of my business, it wasn’t the part that I ‘played up’ at networking meetings. Small business image consulting sounded exotic and sexy. It got people talking about customer service and the importance of it. It got me speaking engagements. It got me lots of press. This was all of the sizzle that they mentioned on that bulletin board. But, it didn’t get me what I needed most. The steak - more phone calls and emails requesting my services, and ultimately, more satisfaction.


I decided to put my writing services in the forefront. In addition to my technical writing, I now specialize in lengthy documentation and press releases. The process of redefining my business was a scary one. All these feelings of fear and inadequacy appeared. I started to wonder what people would think of the change. Would they think that this was bad for my business image?


Then, I started to wonder how many other business owners are just offering what sounds good. How many of them aren’t expressing their natural gifts through their business. How many are afraid to make a change?



None of us should be afraid to redefine our services or to create a brand where there wasn’t one before. Now I am more secure in what I do. I am true to myself, my passion, and my gifts. It’s a freedom and a liberation that I’ve never felt before.


My services no longer have an exotic and sexy sound to them. But, at least now I can offer the sizzle AND the steak.



Leila Johnson owns Johnson Solutions Group in Rio Rancho, NM. She acts as Your Virtual Documentation Department. Leila is a versatile writer who works with those small businesses that don’t have the time or expertise to handle their documentation. Leila can be reached at 505-896-9379 or through her “new and improved” website at http://www.johnsongroups.com

Your Brand Promise

June 17th, 2007

Brands evoke responses. Talk to anyone who loves their Starbucks coffee, or hates their car; loves their Apple iPod, or hates their internet provider. When you think of your favorite or least favorite brands, certain feelings and attributes come to mind. These represent the brand. The same is true for people.

When you hear the name Joe, you have an impression of the Joe-brand, good or not so good. When Erin is assigned to your team, you may figuratively breathe a sigh of relief or roll your eyes. It’s the Erin-brand that evokes your response. What about your name? What reaction does it elicit from your boss, coworkers or clients?

We expect brands to demonstrate their attributes, or brand promise, not once or twice, but every time we encounter them. Inconsistencies in performance can damage our brand relationships and cause us to select other brands. With people-brands, it means we promote, fire, assign projects and compensate based on that brand performance.

Of course, we may forgive an occasional slip, seeing it as an atypical hiccup from a brand we otherwise love. For me that happened with Disney. I’m a Disney fan, traveling to Walt Disney World once or twice a year. But a few years back, the magic was tarnishing. The parks weren’t quite as clean, the staff not quite as friendly, the experience not quite as promised, or what I had grown to expect.

Since Disney had the equivalent of banked good-will in their brand relationship account with me, from years delivering on their brand promise, I tried a few more trips. Happily it turned around. But brand relationships we once loved can be diminished and good-will accounts can be overdrawn. It happens at work, too. Previously strong relationships can become bankrupt with inconsistent or poor performance.

Whether emails or hallway hellos, meetings or project plans, ideas or feedback, you imprint your signature with each action. Every encounter informs people what to expect from you. And these impressions, good or not so good, create brand “you” at work.

Remember first grade when you proudly printed at the top of the wide-ruled paper your name so everyone could see it? We may not write our names in big, bold crayon on our work anymore, but make no mistake, your name is on everything you do.

People who are winning at working know that. They’re like great product brands. They’re reliable, dependable and authentic. They deliver their unique brand attributes, not once or twice, but day in and day out; not just on highly visible or politically aligned projects, but on the routine, mundane ones, too. And they’re as personable with the person who can’t promote them as the person who can.

People who are winning at working understand they are a unique brand with specific gifts, talents and attributes. Their name is their icon. Their brand promise is delivering the best of who they are. Want to be winning at working? Deliver the promise in your brand.

(c) 2006 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.

Receive a copy of 21 Winning Career Tips (a free download) at http://www.winningcareertips.com Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a columnist, writer and speaker. Visit http://www.nanrussell.com

Blonds Have More Fun!

June 11th, 2007

In the book, The Blond Knight of Germany, American authors Toliver and Constable detail the life of the greatest fighter pilot to ever fly, Germany’s Erich Hartmann. During WWII, Hartmann recorded 352 confirmed in-flight victories. To put it into perspective, very few American fighter pilots reached 100 in-flight victories. Simply put, Erich Hartmann reached levels of greatness most fighter pilots can only dream about.

Would you like your business to achieve such levels of greatness? A common way to learn from the success of others is to look at what they did and adapt it to your situation. Here are two ways Hartmann reached success, use them to turn your company’s brand into a Blond Knight.

1) Know Your Enemy: “If you are unable to beat your enemy at his own game, it is nearly always better to adopt some striking variant.” - Winston Churchill (intro to Chapter 4 of The Blond Knight of Germany.)

Hartmann’s Use: He created a Pilot’s Handbook of Enemy Strength that outlined all of the planes his enemies flew. It detailed the strengths and weaknesses and the best approaches in defeating them. He was rarely surprised by what the enemy was capable of doing.

Your Use: Don’t depend on your personality and hard work to propel your brand beyond the competition. Learn all you can about your products, your field, your competition, future competition, etc. Find out what you are up against and plan your strategy accordingly. Having a good idea, being honest, and providing “great customer service” are not guarantees to the success of your brand. Knowing your enemy’s strengths/weaknesses and how you honestly match up against them (and acting on this knowledge) is the greatest insurance for your brand’s success.

2) Be First: “If you can’t be first, create a category in which you can be.” - Al Ries & Jack Trout

Hartmann’s Use: Erich Hartmann said it best, “The pilot who sees the other first already has half the victory.” Playing catch up is not a fun position when you are thousands of feet in the air.

Your Use: Catch up also is not fun when thousands of your dollars are at stake. Avoid playing catch up by creating a new category. Even the slightest difference in focus can establish you as a category leader - instead of another brand in an overcrowded category. Dell computers built their brand on selling direct to the consumer. Started in 1984 by a college student (soon-to-be a college drop-out,) Dell computers currently ranks as the leader in most computer manufacturer categories across the globe. Competitors such as IBM and HP have now tried to offer consumer-direct service. However, Dell was first in the category and it appears they will stay that way.

Erich Hartmann used a one-two punch combination of Know Your Enemy and Be First to become the best fighter pilot in history - The Blond Knight. You can use the approach to help build your brand. Performed with confidence, this combination is sure to grow your business. Meaning: more customers, more profits, more enjoyment - that proves it, blonds (blond brands that is) do have more fun!

Kevin Kearns is a small business branding coach. He holds a Master of Science degree in Organization Development and is a member of the Coachville Graduate School of Coaching. With a mixture of hands-on experience, research, and fun, Kevin helps you become the only choice for your customers. Visit http://www.kevinkearns.com/newsletter.html to join The Branding Bunch - a community made of small business owners that want to grow their business the easy way.