CONNECT Panel: Company branding in the digital age

HOLLYWOOD, Fla.—Tammy Beil, chief growth officer for marketing firm TABeil, kicked off her Honeywell CONNECT session by listing some of the most globally recognized brands, including Google, Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz and Nike.

"This is not something that happens haphazardly, there's a reason that you know these companies,” Beil said.

Beil, who has worked with AT&T, FedEx and, more recently, My Alarm Center, presented the session entitled, “Essential Components of a Great Branding Strategy in the Digital Age.” Honeywell CONNECT took place here, Nov. 10-12.

Branding, according to Beil, is a conscious effort and a valuable asset to the company that provides a return on the investment put into it. "So many people are so intent on working in their business that they don't [work] on growing their business," she said. "If you do marketing right and you do your branding right, it will pay you back in spades. � It will boost your immediate sales."

Beil highlighted several branding elements, including tone and voice. "The thing that makes great brands is, number one, consistency."

The colors a company uses can be important to the brand. Beil gave an example by asking attendees if they would chose brown as the color for their logo. While not many seemed interested, Beil made a point about how UPS turned their company color into the popular slogan, “What can brown do for you?”

Brands represent the company, and what it is known for; and the company needs to deliver on the promise it markets, Beil said. "It needs to be authentic; you can't fool the market."

She advised spending 20 percent of the time creating marketing content and 80 percent of time promoting. Social networks are a good way to push out marketing, according to Beil, and “Content is king.” Beil lauded the usefulness of videos—“Video drives SEO.”

It's fine to push out the same content multiple times, she said, adding that Budweiser doesn't make a new commercial every time the company wants to appear on TV.

Beil told attendees to also be cautious of social media, giving examples of companies that have been attacked for tactlessness. “In one tweet, your brand can be bashed," she said.

"On social media, it's about what people are saying about you," said Beil. Engagement is important, she added, and social media is a way of establishing that. “The more they are engaged with you, the stickier a customer is."

Beil also talked about websites and how companies present themselves digitally. The devices people use changes throughout the day, Beil said; in the morning, people are likely on their smartphone, in the afternoon they are on a computer at work, and in the evening they might be using their tablets. "Does your company look good on all of these devices? Because if it doesn't you're missing out," she said.

One attendee in the branding session asked about how to best utilize LinkedIn. Beil advised interacting, engaging and joining groups on the site, as well as using it for a personal resource and to recruit. "Use it as a tool to leverage what you need."