Should marketers promote branding or benefits?

For example, if I ask you to fill in the line: “You deserve a break today at __________,” you’d have to be in a coma not to know that the answer is “McDonalds.” You came up with the right answer, of course, because McDonalds has shelled out zillions of dollars in TV, radio, print, and outdoor media buys to pound the message home.

To me it is axiomatic that successful branding takes money that smaller companies just don’t have. This means that you shouldn’t spend a fortune on an expensive logo because it’s “expressing your brand.” Nor should you hire “branding consultants” unless you have the resources to make your message stick!

How then, should you proceed? How can you get the cash register ringing over the short term, and with just limited resources? By creating hard-hitting advertising, direct mail, collateral, etc., that demonstrates to prospects that you deeply understand their “pain points.” And that your product or service provides BENEFITS that can make this pain go away. It’s as easy (and as difficult) as that!

Ivan Levison is a freelance direct response copywriter who works for such companies as Bank of America, Fireman’s Fund, Intel and Microsoft. Levison writes direct mail sales letters, e-mails and ads. For a free subscription to his monthly e-mail newsletter for marketers, visit his Web site at www.levison.com. He can be reached at (415) 461-0672 or at ivan@levison.com.