Sunday, December 30, 2007

Brand Valuation: The Seven Components of Brand Strength

Brand Valuation: The Seven Components of Brand Strength
by: Colin Bates


The Interbrand model of brand strength - part of their valuation methodology - is a useful framework to consider the performance of your own brand.
The Interbrand model of brand strength - part of their valuation methodology - is a useful framework to consider the performance of your own brand. Reflect on these seven points and you should get a better sense of the strength of your own brand, as well as some ideas on how to move forward…

The seven components of brand strength in the Interbrand valuation model are:

Market: 10% of brand strength. Brands in markets where consumer preferences are more enduring would score higher. So for example, a food brand or detergent brand would score higher than a perfume or clothing brand, because these latter categories are more susceptible to the swings of consumer preference.

Stability: 15% of brand strength. Long established brands in any market would normally score higher, because of the depth of loyalty they command. So for example: Rolls Royce would score higher than Lexus.

Leadership: 25% of brand strength. A market leader is more valuable: being a dominant force and having strong market share matters. So for example on this score it is likely that the Coca-Cola brand would out-perform Pepsi on a global basis.

Profit trend: 10% of brand strength. The long-term profit trend of the brand is an important measure of its ability to remain contemporary and relevant to consumers, according to Interbrand.

Support: 10% of brand strength. Brands which receive consistent investment and focused support usually have a much stronger franchise, but the quality of this support is as important as the quantity.

Geographic spread: 25% of brand strength. Brands that have proven international acceptance and appeal are inherently stronger than regional brands or national brands, as they are less susceptible to competitive attack and therefore are more stable assets.

Protection: 5% of brand strength. Securing full protection for the brand under international trademark and copyright law is the final component of brand strength in the Interbrand model.

This model is not perfect, for example several of the components have a built in preference for older brands and so may not give adequate recognition to the value of newer brands such as Amazon or Starbucks.

However, it is certainly useful to reflect on the seven components, and for your own brands ask yourself:

How do my brands currently perform? Does the model suggest any ways in which I could strengthen my brand?

About the Author

BuildingBrands offers practical marketing 'know how' for business owners and managers. Whether you are a one-man start-up, or already running a medium-sized company, BuildingBrands can help you unlock your potential.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Aromatherapy Favorites - Beautiful Rose Oil

Aromatherapy Favorites - Beautiful Rose Oil
by: Misty Rae Cech


Rose oil is one of the most sought after botanicals in both aromatherapy and perfumery. Its amazing aroma has a wealth of health benefits, both physiological and psychological - it's no wonder the rose is history's most revered flower.

Ah, Wonderful Rose Oil

If there's an aroma that more individuals find deeply moving than any other, it is the oil of rose. The scent is divinely sweet, rich, and deeply floral - exclusive to the extract of history's most revered flower. Though the rose is renown for it's fragrance, the flower actually contains very little aromatic oil by weight. Some 60,000 roses are needed to distill a single ounce of oil, or about 60 roses PER DROP, a fact which brings the seemly high cost of rose oil into perspective.

The Flower of Love

The hardy nature of the thorny rose bush and the flower's magnificent beauty make it a horticulturalist's dream. The genus Rosa has some 150 species spread around the globe, being cultivated in your grandmother's backyard garden, in vast fields in Bulgaria's Valley of Roses, and everywhere in between. Roses have somewhat of a unique past, peppered with interesting stories and extravagant displays of affection. The flower's association with devotion was perhaps most wonderfully expressed during the Roman empire, with banquet halls being carpeted with petals. Cleopatra once received her beloved Marc Antony in a room literally knee-deep in rose petals – how's that for greeting? Roses are the unrivaled symbol of love, given dear ones through the ages as an affirmation of true affection. It's no wonder the flower's oil has great healing properties, both physically and emotionally, for the human heart.

Rose's health Benefits

With it's considerable therapeutic and aesthetic value, the 'queen of the flowers' had a special place in medicine and perfumery in the ancient civilizations of Persia, Egypt, India, Greece and Rome. The modern healing tradition of the extract of rose began in the 17 th century with the writings of English physician Nicholas Culpeper. The herbalist described the use of red roses to strengthen the heart, it's cooling and astringent actions, and its effect on headaches and tired eyes. Perhaps inspiring it's use as a beauty tonic 'par-excellence', he went on to suggest it's use as a remedy for a variety of skin complaints.

In aromatherapy, the psychological effects are wondrous for those with a broken heart, or other emotional wounds. Rose oil calms and supports the heart center, inspiring a sense of happiness and well-being. When rejection or loss has injured one's ability to love and nurture, either themselves or those around them, rose oil can bring sweet and gentle comfort and allow an emotional 're-opening'.

Use in Aromatherapy

It is the Bulgarian Damask rose, or Rosa Damacena, most often used in aromatherapy. The oil of this 36-petaled beauty is available in two forms: the 'otto', or true essential oil, and the 'absolute'. Harvest of the flowers occurs in the early morning, before the sun's rays has warmed away the aroma. Rose otto is made in a two step steam-distillation process; the first distillation yields an essential oil and a large amount of 'rose water'. The water is again distilled, producing an oil which is combined with that from the first distillation.

The absolute is made with a different process entirely. Similar in a way to 'effleurage' (the pressing of petals in fat to produce an extract), the flowers are processed in a solvent, with a wax-like 'concrete' being produced. Through a second extraction of the concrete, rose absolute is yielded. This method is significantly more efficient than steam distillation, producing nearly 7 pounds of oil per 10,000 pounds of roses (distillation yields 1 pound oil per 10,000 pounds of roses), with a corresponding lower cost. Does one produce a better oil? There is certainly debate; while some argue that traces of solvent are likely to exist in the absolute, others claim the heat of distillation does not result in a true representation of the flower. And as with either method, the quality and effect of the oil varies greatly with the experience and care of the manufacturer – the answer truly lies with the individual and the application.

Using Rose

Oil of rose can be utilized in a number of ways; it is very gentle, being suitable for use on the skin 'neat', in massage oil, and in a bath, as well as in a diffuser. As a perfume, the absolute can be worn directly on the skin – it's 'tenacious' quality will have the aroma slowly released for many hours. For therapeutic use for the emotions, a dilution of 10% of otto or absolute in jojoba oil is often used, being massaged into the heart area – a diffuser is very effective for this purpose as well. The absolute or otto can also be added in small amounts to any skin cream, though using a home-made natural recipe is often the nicest. Rose water, or hydrosol, the water resulting from the distillation process of rose otto, can also be used directly on the skin, with it's mild astringent and toning properties.

A rose and lavender facial cream can be made using the following recipe:

Melt ½ ounce of beeswax in 4 ounces of jojoba using a double boiler. Add 3 ounces of distilled water in a thin stream while stirring vigorously with a wire whisk. Remove from heat and continue stirring while adding 20 drops of rose oil (absolute or otto) and 15 drops of lavender. Allow to cool, then enjoy this wonderful homemade cream for sensitive skin.

There are, of course, many ways to enjoy rose oil's benefits. It is revered on many levels, from its pure aesthetic aromatic beauty, to its physiological healing and emotional uplifting. True rose oil, with its great depth and sweetness, is easily appreciated by almost all who experience this natural wonder.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Misty Rae Cech is a Naturopath in Boulder, Colorado. She enjoys Rose oil for it's many applications, along with other aromatherapy essential oils.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Freecycle Means Free Stuff and a Cleaner Environment

Freecycle Means Free Stuff and a Cleaner Environment
by: Joe Hickman, HaLife.com

Over one million members in almost 3,000 communities worldwide are sharing their unwanted stuff.

All the getting and giving is possible through an organization called Freecycle, a grassroots movement of people who give away things for free in their own towns. Each local group is run by a local volunteer moderator. All of the trading is done online. Membership is free. Freecycle is open to individuals and non-profit organizations.

The Freecycle Network was started in 2003 in Tucson, Arizona, to promote waste reduction and help save desert landscape from being taken over by landfills. In just two years the idea has spread worldwide.

The process is quite simple. Go to www.freecycle.org and find a group near you. (If there's not one close, consider starting one yourself.) Then when you want to find a new home for something, just send an e-mail offering it to members of your Freecycle group.

Some groups have restrictions on what you can and cannot post, but most limitations are simply that the item needs to be completely free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. What you offer doesn't matter: computer parts, couch, clothing, an old window, broken car, perfume, whatever.

If you have it and don't want it, someone else probably can put it to good use.

If something is posted that you're interested in obtaining, simply respond to the member's offer. The giver decides who receives the gift and sets up a pickup time for passing on the treasure. Sometimes it's as simple as "I'll leave it on the front porch of 123 Main St., come by anytime."

Many local networks also allow "wanted" posts. If you're looking for a 10 gallon aquarium, check with Freecycle first. Odds are good someone may have one sitting in their basement collecting dust.

While each individual network may have slightly different restrictions, most are similar. There are generally four types of posts and these words must appear in the subject line of your email: Wanted: xxx, Offer: xxx, Taken: xxx, or Found: xxx.

Generally, you should elaborate a bit in your emails as to why you are need something or why you are interested in picking up the item. Please save your entire life story for another forum, but responses like "I'm interested" will likely get deleted.

On the other hand, something like: "I'm a single mom who just moved here after my divorce. I'd love to pick up your washing machine tonight. I would greatly appreciate not having to squeeze in time to go to the laundromat after work," will likely get consideration.

Be sincere. Don't make up a woeful story trying to get something. The intent of Freecycle is to help others by giving and getting. And at the same time, help the environment.

What a great, fun organization.


About the Author

Joe Hickman, a former EPA web writer, is editor at HaLife.com ( http://halife.com )

Hot Perfume Point

Welcome to Hot Perfume Point- Your Perfume,Cologne and fragrance information resources online point.

Cologne, perfume and fragrances!
by: Mike Yeager
It has been said that a perfume is like gathering an armful of luscious rose pedals at the height of their bloom. The lovely scent, the heavenly fragrance and sensation you feel when surrounded by a quality perfume, fragrance or scent cannot be overstated. There can be a wide variety of ingredients in putting together a fragrance that is both appealing and attracting.


Historically these ingredients have been divided between natural and synthetic; that is, between a man made or natural botanical substance. Perfume is meant to reflect and enhance the natural environment around us, which is why many people enjoy the thought of using only "Natural" fragrances and scents.


In ancient civilizations materials and ingredients were added to oils used to perfume the skin. Today science is able to isolate and remove a pure single aroma from natural materials. As a general rule, the purer and more distilled the material, the more it costs. However, there are many wonderful fragrances you can buy that are both inexpensive and of a high quality.

About the author:

Mike Yeager
Author/Publisher
http://www.a1-perfume-4u.com/