Ben Mack has asked me to review his new book Think 2 Products Ahead - a book about branding. So far it’s been a great read and though I’m not even half-way through, he has already succeeded in convincing me that branding is not a dirty business.

I will admit on the spot that I have always considered branding to be an enormous waste of money. Even worse, big companies who spend over millions of their budget on branding their company name usually have somebody else pay the price. Lots of somebodies actually - like certain popular sports companies employing underaged teens in their factories to work for less than a dollar per hour putting their fancy sport shoes together. Often doing as much as 12 hours a day - 6 days a week…

When a pair of shoes costs a company $5 and you as a consumer easily pay up to $100 for the priveledge of jogging around the park while their company name is shouting itself from your heels to everyone you pass then…

1. You’re dealing with a very smart company…
2. You’re definitely a member of the brain-washed consumer horde who has been numbed so completely by the commercial overkill that any effort to think by yourself probably results in a week long migraine…

You can probably tell I don’t have much respect for certain multi-nationals…

And since they are so painfully successful in branding their name into your neurons wherever you go and whatever you do, I cannot say I was overly thrilled with Ben’s request…

Prejudice!

Thanks to Ben I now understand that this type of branding is by no means the main type of branding you should be considering when you are a small business owner. Yet, branding is extremely important for your survival…

Here’s one of Ben’s definitions of branding:

The positive or negative inclination to purchase, either in an individual or among a target audience.

I say one ’cause Ben has more definitions to make your understanding of what branding is complete - but this seems to be the most important one. Because…

A brand is not a physical thing, but the relationship between consumers and a product or service.

Now suddenly branding makes sense to me. Because it is about relationships and not about ripping people off and taking advantage of poor economic circumstances of your employees…

But what does this have to do with sex?

Well, Ben wouldn’t be Ben if he hadn’t illustrated his book with some pretty controversial examples to explain what you - as the merchant or marketer - need to focus on in your branding attempts…

Take a look at this passage for example:

If a customer or prospect interacts with your product or your communication and is more likely to buy your product or buy your product again you are building brand equity. This is often mistaken as likeability. I have nothing against likeability. I just don’t think likeability should be an overriding business objective.

Remember that nice guy in your high school that all the girls liked but none of them slept with? He may have been liked but his brand equity was squat because he could never close the deal.

When Ogilvy said that advertising is a seduction he is talking about getting laid, not endless flirting. If you aren’t getting laid you aren’t seducing your prospect. If you aren’t getting sales you aren’t building your brand you’re merely buying media.

You have to possess balls to come up with such an example…

Thinking some products and also some years ahead, it occurred to me that when the guy who us girls liked so much in high school would open a bakery in town, we would most likely abandon our regular bakery to buy his bread now…

• Guys who are genuinely nice (likeable) without wanting to have sex with you are guys you can trust!
• Girls who try to seduce the boys are considered to be… (fill in the blanks)

Ben, I am going to intensely enjoy reading the rest of your book and will definitely apply your knowledge to improve the relationships my customers have with me and my products. My only question at this point is…

Should I - as a ‘girl’ - seduce them or aim for likeability instead?!

Patricia

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Ben Mack is an author, a branding specialist (yes, he knows what he’s on about - even won a couple of big shot awards for his work) and a magician. He knows a great trick with invisible cards which I had the pleasure of witnessing live. He used to cultivate some intruiging websites which I would have gladly linked to but alas - he has taken most of them down…

Think Two Products Ahead has been released on May 17th:

http://thinktwoproductsahead.com

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