Recent Articles from Lida Citroën
Lessons from Lance
What Armstrong did bring to light, however, is the importance of reputation. As I often write, your reputation is created through your actions -- as they support or dispel your values and beliefs, you earn credibility for a reputation. Throughout your actions and your words, if you promote a messa...
Customers: Here’s what they really, really want
With the holidays behind us, many businesses are patting themselves on the back for ‘customer appreciation done well.” The holiday cards were sent on time, gift baskets of fruit or self-branded products have been delivered and holiday parties went off without a hitch. There, everyone feels loved! Right? Not quite. Did you know that some […]
Your logo is not your brand…
I remember standing at my kitchen sink a few years ago when the TV news announcer proclaimed, “Wal-Mart has changed their brand!” I dropped a plate. What? The Wal-Mart brand of high value, accessibility, low prices and a welcoming consumer experience is changed? I immediately worried about the friendly greeters who meet me at the […]
Holiday networking on steroids
Tis the season to shop, celebrate and network. Networking might come in the form of coffee and lunch meetings, holiday parties or conference events. There is a misperception that networking is easier for some people (i.e. “extroverts”) and that other people have learned how to be more social and a...
Can you be yourself and still fit in?
In our effort to connect with others, we can lose our sense of self. We see this with teenage girls trying to conform to be popular, young adults trying to dress like their magazine idols, spouses wanting to be what the other desires in order to be happy, and employees trying to fit in with a corp...
Pay it forward
Corporations know the powerful benefits of corporate social responsibility including: serving an underserved need in the community, increasing employee morale, developing strategic partnerships with key organizations and increased brand awareness of being seen as a company that focuses on serving...
Aligning personal and corporate brands
We often think of brands as something companies have. The word “brand” makes us think of Nike, BMW or even Merrill Lynch. A brand comes to life in the reputation and legacy of the company and sets an expectation of an experience of doing business with them. Successful brands create a promise in t...
Cancer is not your brand
At the time of this writing, several of my good friends and clients are going through cancer treatment. The stress and trauma of the medical procedures are overwhelming at times. What I also hear from them is, “I don’t want cancer to now define me.” The choice to let something like cancer, divorce...
Personal branding starts with you
When we think of key business innovation tools, we often think of technology solutions, synergistic partners, creative financing and slick marketing strategies. Many professionals do not consider the impact of their brand or reputation as an innovative influence on business growth and sustainability. Your personal and business reputation is what others think of you. Other […]
Why you?
Imagine walking into the grocery store on a quest for laundry detergent. To you, there is no clear difference between Tide, Gain, Biz and the store’s generic brand. How would you choose? Most likely, all things being equal, you would chose the cheapest laundry detergent. After all, why would you pay more – all things […]
Don’t forget Cathy, Alan and Curtis
Often, when I am approached to direct brand marketing strategy for a company, the focus veers to websites, networking, public relations or social media. While those are important tactics and integral pieces to a well-rounded marketing program, your customer experience goes beyond traditional marketing tools. Are you considering all of the touch points of your […]
Why reputation is everything
Business professionals understand the importance of differentiation, value and competitive advantage. Business schools taught us to capture the attention of target audiences with compelling and relevant messaging. Successful executives across the globe are also embracing the power of “personal branding” to intentionally build a reputation for themselves and their companies that maintai[...]