Branding Over Lunch

When you’re the owner of a small business and captain of your own ship, money is tight and every minute counts so you need to maximize both time and money. So, looking at a time of day that everyone has but few people take advantage of, have you considered how to brand your business during your lunch hour?

1. Never have lunch alone. Network with top execs, current clients, people who can influence others, everyone from the pastor at the church to the head of the Chamber of Commerce. Make a list and keep your lunch calendar full. Let’s face it, everyone has to eat lunch and if you’re buying, most people would eat with anyone!

2. Write one article a week. Everyone has expertise on certain subjects related to their field. Write a 600-1000 word article about a focused topic. First come up with a list of topics you want to write about. Then set a goal to have them completed by a certain date; one a week works for me. If you don’t have time, hire a ghost writer (you still get to put your name on it). Where do you find a ghost writer? Check your local newspaper; chances are there’s a writer who’d like to pick up some extra cash. If you can’t work with someone so close to home, try the newspaper in another nearby community. Or, check out this online resource at: www.writeittight.com. Then publish the articles online using sites like www.ezinearticles.com. Why should you go through all this trouble? It’s simple. People search online for the solution to their problem or for someone or something that can solve their problem. Once someone reads your article they are “pre-sold” on your ability to do the same for them, then they contact you.

3. Create or improve your Web site. There’s a ton of business out there online, but if your Web site looks ancient, your credibility is damaged. So, make sure it’s up to date, has the new articles you just wrote and that you’ve optimized it so search engines can find you. Worse yet, if you don’t have a Web site, spend more than just your lunch hour creating one. There’s really nothing more important than creating a Web site for your business.

4. Take an online marketing class. If you are eating a sandwich at your desk, then sign up for Google’s Pay Per Click (PPC) tutorial and become a master at PPC. Go to Google PPC Tutorial and check out how you can generate new leads via your Web site using Pay Per Click marketing. Few things you could do with your time will pay bigger rewards.

5. Speak at your local service clubs noon time meeting. Every service club i.e. Rotary, Kiwanis, Women’s Club etc, needs a speaker. Even if you talk about your hobby, a charity you support or something outside your area of expertise, people are getting to know you. People like to do business with someone they know and can trust.

If you think working through your lunch is a little insane then you’ll find a sympathetic ear in a new book by Washington, D.C. business coach Lisa Whaley. The title says it all: “Prisoners of Technology, Time to Get Unplugged!” Whaley says instead of making life easier, technology has introduced complexity. Instead of giving us more time with family, technology has pulled family members away from each other and toward their devices. Maybe she has a point! But the bottom line is this: Your lunch hour is a terrible thing to waste. Put it to good use and watch your business grow and prosper.

Scott Lorenz (scottlorenz@westwindcos.com) is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm.


Carrier Branding Connection: Capital Insurance Group

One of the biggest components of building a brand is having a logo customers recognize—something that symbolizes the company and evokes a positive image. Two years ago Capital Insurance Group (CIG) decided to take that one step further.

In an effort to further build its brand, the company embarked on a strategic advertising and marketing campaign that included adding a second logo. CIG still maintains what it calls its “legacy logo,” but decided to launch a new, more contemporary logo along with the tagline, “by your side continuously,” which summarizes the feedback the carrier has received from agents over the years, says Peter Cazzolla, president and CEO of Capital Insurance Group.

“Our company is of a size now that we need to establish a presence to existing clients as well as potential clients,” he says. “For us, being a smaller regional carrier, we have finally gotten to the point where it’s time for us to step up and be more visually competitive.”

In addition to adding the new logo, the California-based CIG is also implementing a variety of advertising campaigns in magazines and on the radio that tie the Trusted Choice^® brand with Capital’s. Cazzolla feels the co-branding effort is important in strengthening and enhancing both the CIG franchise and Trusted Choice^®.

“They are a big part of our value proposition,” he says. “Trusted Choice^® is focused exclusively on agents and the agent franchise….we’ve embraced it and tagged on to Trusted Choice^® branding concept by using the logo and Trusted Choice^® promotion on our letterhead. We also have Trusted Choice^® decals on branch offices in addition to our company logos to support the efforts of our agents.”

—Michelle Payne