Top 3 Ways To Get Your Brand In Shape

Traditionally, January is the month for making resolutions - especially to improve your health and fitness. Every piece of workout equipment is on sale, and every type of media is promoting how to get fit and healthy in the New Year.

After the tense economic climate of 2009, this January also seems like a good time to focus on improving the health of your brand in the New Year. Like many of us who want to get in shape, though, a lot of companies want to do too much too fast without taking into account what's truly important to their overall health.

The most effective approach to getting your brand in shape is to focus on the basics. Here are three that you should consider if you'd like to get your brand in shape for 2010.

1. Know your organization's unique claim(s) of distinction. If you don't know what they are, or your upper management can't agree on them, you need to do some work with your brand to discover them.
2. Be sure that your business objectives match your brand objectives. Until these are in sync, your marketing efforts will be frustrating, and you won't see a good return on your marketing investment.
   
3. Don't rush to execute your marketing plan or tactics until you've resolved numbers 1 and 2. It's important to get your marketing efforts started, but not if you haven't established a firm brand marketing foundation.
   

Remember, getting your brand in shape takes the same time and dedication that it takes to become personally fit. But the results are worth it. Here's to a healthy, prosperous 2010!