Welcome to The Ave!

Vineland Downtown Improvement District in the city of Vineland, New Jersey, held their brand launch party on October 20 with over 300 excited people attending. In my 20 years of being in this business, Vineland is one of the most involved, positive communities we've ever worked with.

The number of volunteers involved is inspiring and they range in age from youth to retirees. They understand that the city is theirs, and they're not just waiting for change to happen. They're making things happen!

Across America, communities have become more vanilla over the past several decades due to the proliferation of franchises, chain stores, and chain restaurants.

People yearn for a connection to places and other people, and these desires are slowly helping rebuild the demand for local products.

A geographic brand validates authenticity and quality for consumers, creates exposure for the community every time it's seen, and helps businesses by improving the marketability of products over time.

Positioning your brand well creates a path to success that is shorter and easier. It helps your customers know they should select you.

[Bonus at end of post - Get this post in a PDF.]

Think about this: if a prospect is comparing your product with a competitor's, what is there about yours that would make them choose it? If there's nothing to differentiate the two, you have a commodity that people will only choose based on price, and that's the last thing you want. Or, even worse, what if your prospects think something about your company or product that isn't true?

Fail to differentiate yourself in the marketplace and you'll be exiled to the commodity ranks.

Never fear, though, because there's always something that you can use as a differentiator.

The differentiator doesn't have to already exist. You can create it!

The key is to take a step back and look closely to see what really is different - or what could be.