Branding and Marketing Communications Experts Discuss The Latest Techniques And Strategies for Product Branding.

Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS) hold workshop on secrets and new trends in marketing communications and branding.

(PRWEB) October 9, 2004 -- A brand is really a promise," said Dave Malacrida, vice president, Public & Media Relations, MGA Entertainment at a PR Newswire Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS) workshop on techniques and strategies for product branding, held at the Wyndham Bel Age Hotel, Hollywood, CA.

It is a promise to yourself within a company about what youre going to do with your product or service and what attributes and elements will you live up to and deliver on. Then as it relates to the consumer, it is really a promise of what that product, service or label is going to deliver."

When branding a product or service you need to establish that emotional connection," said Sara Goldsmith Grover, senior vice president, Marketing and Public Relations, California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. and president of CPK Foundation.

Its (branding) promising you something, delivering it consistently and then its reaching to each of the consumers receiving that message on an emotional level. Brands that do a good job of it include Southwest Airlines. They deliver the promise that they put forth over and over and over again.

"In the youth market when brands work, and new properties launch theres this sort of galvanizing effect that every kid in that audience really responds to the mystical genetic connection of what makes it tick," said Elie Dekel, agent, Creative Artists Agency, Los Angeles.

In response to the question of the role of PR in the marketplace Dekel said, 'There is a tremendous amount of competition and clutter and everything is trying to be a brand. Every service and product is dependent upon the brand, and its exceptionally difficult to have your message or promise recognized and heard in the mix of all of that.

So, I see public relations in the role of publicity as helping consumers really sort through all of these brands and to validate some of those sponsors and brand messages. Eventually, it will help some of those emerge beyond the noise, because consumers are hungry for help on where to go, what to watch, what to wear and definitely that third party validation publicity can be a huge help."

The third party factor is a big factor in the success of a brand according to Sara Goldsmith-Grover at California Pizza Kitchen. When two guys, who start CPK in 1985 took an untraditional approach to creating a restaurant company, they really wanted to create a place that would fit both their needs," said Grover. One for singles at a counter, to not feel intimidated, and for the other having kids, who didnt want to have to make reservations and still make the kids happy. That was the premise in their creation coming from the law practice. How they got into the restaurant business then, is how we attack our out reach in each and every community today. But, we used PR and publicity in 90 percent of our marketing programs. It is so unique and different to our competitors in the marketplace, she said."

Our total marketing budget is about $2.5 million and PR is 70 percent of that, while the competitors like Macaroni Grill or Chilis spends about $100 million on advertising," noted Grover. Its really trying to find a way to communicate who we are, its always about the food, which is our position in the marketplace, and how unique our food is and then we try to create that emotional connection I mentioned earlier with things like creative cookbooks, where proceeds go to childrens charities and the creation of CPK Foundation. When customers see an article in a magazine, and read all about the unusual things were doing, or come to an event or opening where we have a bunch of kids who are making pizzas in the kitchen or whatever it might be, customers are more likely to respond to that and start to understand the fabric at CPK versus taking out a full page ad in a magazine, explained Grover."

Its important to create a brand of who you are and what you do in a nonprofit organization, too according to American Lung Association of CA Vice President of Communications Andrew M. Weisser. If the nonprofit doesnt have a brand, your supporters the public will not know who you are or what you do. Branding is an ongoing process. You need to look at who your customers are, who you want to reach, what your business priorities are and also what your communications vehicles are and what you will implement to reach all of those various publics. Some people think we have one public or one audience.

However, when you segment out what your audience is comprised of and dig a little deeper through pubic opinion polling, through readership surveys you can more specific on what it is your audience really wants, whether youre nonprofit organization or a profit business. That key is so crucial to any effective branding or marketing campaign."

Artists and bands need to brand themselves and customer loyalty is key in branding," said Keith Chagnon of Band/Merch of Westlake Village, CA. We have a rule in the company. If you walk by the customer service area and one of the lines is ringing you need to pick it up. About two months ago one morning I picked up the phone and theres a very quiet female voice speaking and I said, 'Im sorry I cant hear you can you speak up? And she spoke up again, and I said, 'Im sorry I still cant hear you, and then she said 'Im 12. She had ordered a T-shirt of her favorite band and as soon as I said whats the matter, she said, 'Im going to see Rooney, and if I dont have my T-shirt in three days Im going to freak out, because Im going to going to meet the band back stage. So I looked up her order, 'its not there, I said, 'but it will be there tomorrow. She said, 'how do you know that? I said, 'because Im going to mail it overnight.

People dont really recognize that its BandMerch," said Chagnon. Fans come Online or they go to a tour date and they buy a shirt, they see the quality that exists. If its terrible they dont say 'You know what? BandMerch is a drag. No they say, 'You know Lincoln Park, I cant believe these guys are terrible and I spent $40 dollars on this thing and it fell apart.

The bands that have a clear, concise vision of who they are and dont skip the last word in the industry Music Business will succeed. The branding element for the band has to be something they are really aware of and strategically plan it out. Its not that hard. Someone called me and told me he wanted make skateboards for a band for free. I told him, no well sell them Online. He now has 40,000 orders with the bands logo," said Chagnon.

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