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It
can be sexy, serious, playful or plain, but it’s always
distinctive. You know as soon as you see it just what it
stands for because it’s made just for you. It’s on TV, in
all the magazines and newspapers. It has the power to change
the way you think. What is it?
It’s
a brand.
Brands
are everywhere. We all know when it’s time to make the donuts!
And nothing’s really clean unless it’s Zestfully clean.
Burger King does it your way while Greyhound goes your way.
Make it a Blockbuster Night and bring the Lay’s chips because
no one can eat just one. It’s a Kodak Moment when you open
a Hallmark Card. Obey your thirst with Sprite because Pepsi
was for Generation Next. But just do it with Nike.
There
are as many definitions of what a brand is as there are
brands, but all brands share similar characteristics. "A
brand should be consistent in quality, in price, in performance
and in reliability," says Bill Johnson of The Brand
Institute.
The
best brands, according to business columnist Rob Frankel,
strike an emotional chord. "It’s not about your service,"
he says. "It’s about your clients, their problems and
the solutions to those problems. That is an emotional contact."
The
best brands are easily distinguishable – either through
the product being offered or the personality that’s offering
it. Take coffee giant Starbucks, for example. The company
uses an eco-friendly approach to distinguish itself in a
market that’s heavily dependent on individual taste over
tangible product differences.
But
in a service industry such as DJing, there isn’t much room
for distinction. It’s difficult to convince a bride-to-be
to hire your company based on your ad in the Yellow Pages.
"So what a DJ company needs to concentrate on is how
their service might be different," says Johnson. "How
can DJs brand their services? Think of well-known DJs: Why
are they well known? Why and how did they acquire their
reputation? And what are they doing to stay on top?"
Is
your DJ company being all that it can be? Building your
DJ company’s name into a brand name requires a bit of brain
and a whole lot of brawn. Here are some things you can do
that can transform your company into one of the few, the
proud, the chosen.
Are
Your Signals Crossed?
Does
your company deliver a message clearly and concisely? "The
first thing you should do is to write down what it is that
your business stands for – in three words," advises
Mark Gobe, of Manhattan-based strategic design firm Desgrippes
Gobe. Try Professionalism, Quality and Precision; or Swift,
Dapper and Nice; or even Loud, Showered and Ambulatory.
Whatever you want to get across to your customers, just
make sure it’s clear.
Good
to the Last Beat
If
your DJ business does not have an identity that’s memorable
and reflects your beliefs, get one. When Mike Walter of
New Jersey-based Elite Entertainment created a Playbill-like
newsletter – with headshots of his DJs and accompanying
thumbnail bios – and called it "Meet The Cast,"
it created an indelible impression on his clients, making
them more likely to read about Elite’s services.
"It
makes the DJ more human to the client," he says. "For
example, I mention my fledgling writing career in my bio
and I’m shocked at how many people remember that. They sit
down with me and ask, ‘So how’s the writing going?’ They
remembered it, which means it’s working."
When
There Is No Tomorrow
A
brand should also communicate quickly. "The thing I
would recommend to every small business is to have a website,"
says Gobe. "I think that’s the best way to express
the business’ personality, mission and vision."
Says
Walter: "Our website has become a huge marketing tool
for us because it’s easily accessible. The Internet is open
24 hours a day. It’s funny to see brides e-mailing us at
3 in the morning. It makes communication so much easier.
You can download video off my site, get pictures of our
guys and see upcoming bridal shows. We also have a form
that the customer can fill out, so if they are considering
booking us, they can give us their information. This way
people are somewhat familiar with us by the time they actually
talk to us in person."
Quality
is Job 1
Though
quick communication is a key element of brand development,
it means nothing without having already established your
credibility. And remember, establishing a brand is not
about your service – it’s about your customers, their problems
and how you can be the solution. This is one way Paradise
Mike Alexander of Orcutt, Cal.-based Paradise Entertainment,
separates his company from others. "We have someone
here answering phones all day," he says. "Other
DJ companies, if they have day jobs, it’s a little harder
to get a hold of them."
Such
accessibility makes customers feel a little more confident
that their DJ will actually show up to the gig. It also
allows customers to call with any questions they have before
the event. Think of how much more comfortable you feel when
you call your bank and get a real person on the line rather
than a recording. Through human contact, reliability – the
key to establishing credibility – is created.
Another
way to promote credibility is to create outside validation
for your company. Says Alexander: "We put ‘Award-Winning’
on our brochures. I find it initiates phone calls and if
I get the calls, then I make the sale."
By
delivering these qualities to your customers, you’re doing
almost all you can to motivate your client and create user
loyalty. "I give the care and make my clients feel
like they’re the only ones I have for that month,"
says Alexander. "I meet their needs. In my area, if
you do a good job at an event, it becomes almost fashionable
to hire that company."
How
Do You Spell Promotion?
Once
you’re confident that your company name and logo design
communicate your message, the next task is to get the word
out. The Brand Institute’s Johnson says, "A DJ company
needs to concentrate on what it’s delivering to its customers
and what they’ve come to expect and promoting these
features, benefits and attributes."
Promotion
of your brand can take many forms. "Keeping your logo
out there is one of the most important things you can do,"
says Dennis Kintzer of DMK Productions in Reading, Pa.
"We put our logo on everything, absolutely everything.
Our trailer has our logo on it and it sits in front of the
events that we do. I get calls from customers who’ll say,
when I ask them how they heard of us, ‘Oh, I see your trucks
around.’ We have one truck with logos on it."
Reach
Out & Touch
Past Customers
Feedback
is an important tool for every company, no matter what business
you’re in. "Finding out what people think about your
business and how the marketplace is evolving keeps you connected
to your customers," says Gobe.
Adds
Walter: "We send our past customers a postcard after
the gig and ask them to go to our website and write about
their experience with us. It works two-fold. We get feedback
from our clients and potential clients see these great things
about Elite Entertainment."
Are
You Connected?
It’s
not only about client relationships, though they’re important.
Forging relationships with other vendors in your market
can be invaluable to your business. "You need to be
in bed with other upscale professionals, the ones you see
at other upscale events," says Alexander. "A lot
of times, that’s how you’ll get a referral, from other upscale
vendors who like your work and have seen you at other events.
We recommend each other. It’s a matter of getting into the
clique."
"Getting
into the clique" doesn’t have to involve a lot of complicated
maneuvering.
"What
we decided to do was to start cultivating relationships
with banquet hall managers and wedding photographers,"
says Kintzer. "So we started taking them to lunch every
month. We get more leads from that than with extra frills
in our ads."
If
this strategy is a little too pricey for you, you might
want to consider stopping by the offices or stores of other
vendors who target the same market you do. Stop by a wedding
photo-grapher’s studio and introduce yourself. The businesses
that are remembered are the ones that distinguish themselves
in some way, and familiarity is a key component. "There’s
nothing any better than putting your face and name in front
of other people’s memory banks," says Kintzer. "If
someone sees your face over and over again, they’ll remember
it."
Are
You The Real Thing?
In
his article "The Brand Called You" for Fast
Company magazine, Tom Peters recommends that you use
the standard "feature-benefit" model that product
companies use when promoting a product. The feature-benefit
model says that every feature offered by a product or service
should give a clear and distinguishable benefit for the
customer or client. This, for you, translates into promoting
anything that makes your company unique, like your fantastic
light shows or your unique Velcro walls that will make your
customers’ parties the talk of the town. Maybe your company
auctions off the father-of-the-bride’s tuxedo. Whatever
it is, show your customer why Velcro walls, auctions and
light shows will make a better party
"The
challenge," says Johnson, "is making certain you
can deliver on the promise of what you’re hoping to present
time and time again in each of your performances. Consistency
in performance, consistency in price, consistency in reliability,
showing up on time, making sure your equipment always works
properly and delivering what the expected product is every
time. A DJ, by doing all those things in their performance
each time, is in the process of building a brand. They’re
building awareness that they’re presenting to the world."
If
you have any questions for TCB, please write to
DJ
Times c/o TCB,
25 Willowdale Ave.
Port Washington, N.Y., 11050
fax 516-944-8372
e-mail djtimes@testa.com.
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