Is Smaller Indiana a brand?

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Permalink Reply by Stephen James on March 16, 2009 at 9:59am

Generously, yes. Crowd-sourced content can be unpredictable though (e.g.- What topics are I going to hear about today?), and therefore may not be consistent, but if unpredictable is part of the experience then I wouldn't have a problem with that.

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Permalink Reply by Linda Broadfoot on March 16, 2009 at 10:08am

It's getting there. It's definitely uniquely positioned in its local social/professional networking niche. I don't treat it like I do any other social media.

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Permalink Reply by Stephen James on March 16, 2009 at 10:17am

I agree, Linda. It's big enough that I list it in all my email signatures with a link to a contact page, albeit last:

Network on FriendFeed, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, SmallerIndiana, and more
http://SMJdesign.com/contact/

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Herndon on March 16, 2009 at 10:21am

A "Brand" is a mark to identify one thing or another, a product, service, idea, group, etc. In the case of Smaller Indiana, perhaps it started as a concept with a name and maybe a visual design (logo). The value of a brand starts with the intent when it is developed – well made brands are developed with the intent of prominence. Brand equity is the long term value that becomes of a good brand. It can be quite invaluable. In consumer terms, You might say that a brand is what separates one product from a commodity. To use an example in less consumer based terms – “charity” and “responsibility” are concepts or descriptive words. (RED) is a concept that has built memorable brand value that communicate those concepts to people with a single word or visual aid. Smaller Indiana was once a description, now it is a movement with brand equity. When you say Smaller Indiana, now you don’t think of the things you thought of before. You don’t think of a mid size state, you think of the movement. You think of the 5,000 members, the purpose and the value that each who engage in this brand ‘Smaller Indiana’ experience.

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Permalink Reply by Admin Smaller Indiana on March 17, 2009 at 9:23am

I have heard it said that your brand exists only in the mind of your customer. If that is the case, then I would argue Smaller Indiana is most definately a brand.

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Herndon on March 16, 2009 at 11:37am

Chris, I like your comments. I will add that "movement" is loosely applied - the specifics of the movement are defined by the total community, kind of Like Indiana itself. You are part of the definition - and so is this specific discussion.

According to your last comment SI does have or is a brand:

"What is Smaller Indiana's distinct characteristics...?
If this can be answered, then you have a brand. If not, you probably don't."

I would say Brands do have a lot of value from the very creation of them (Case in point, the difference between "General Store" Vs "Wal-Mart" or "Target"). That value might be relatively small to begin with although vital (thus valuable) but would hopefully grow to the point of making an impact (therefore maybe invaluable).

If a brand is only a brand once it is widely recognized then when is that moment that it becomes a brand? I think that Coke vs soda refers to that equity that the brand has gained over time. They started somewhere, and they would not have arrived at the brand value they are at if they had not started with a good foundation. An identifier that people could remember and characteristics people could relate to.

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Permalink Reply by Amy Stark on March 16, 2009 at 1:15pm

Brand = logo + meme

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Permalink Reply by James Welsh on March 16, 2009 at 1:28pm

The answer is yes. There is no popularity threshold to cross or metric to define a brand's strength (as hard as some try). Brand's are dynamic/experiential, and how they are engaged will differ from person to person.

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Permalink Reply by Kenan Farrell on March 16, 2009 at 3:11pm

Pat -

A brand is a collection of symbols, associations and experiences associated with a product or service. Smaller Indiana, if not already, is well on its way (over 5,000 members now...great job, by the way) to being a successful brand. The trademarks, layout, congeniality of staff and members...all add together to make Smaller Indiana a brand.

Speaking of trademarks, you might want to consider using the "TM" symbol next to the Smaller Indiana word mark (upper left on my screen) and Smaller Indiana logo mark (upper right). Setting aside the question of whether Smaller Indiana is a brand, it is definitely using trademarks. The "TM" symbol serves as a notice of your common-law trademark rights, which automatically arise from use in commerce. The (R) symbol, however, cannot be used unless you obtain a trademark registration.

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Permalink Reply by Pat Coyle on March 17, 2009 at 10:38am

Been meaning to do the TM thing. Thanks for the reminder

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Permalink Reply by John R.(Dick) Troll on March 17, 2009 at 10:49am

Please use SM rather than TM. You may also want to assert that the phrase Making People and Ideas Findable(SM) functions as a service mark. Because it too serves to distinguish SI from other social networking interactive web sites.

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Permalink Reply by Tina Jesson on March 16, 2009 at 5:14pm

Having created a brand from scratch in the UK, I had a trademark, masses of visibility a great website and name that did become synonymous and an industry leader in the UK (www.homestagers.co.uk)

While Smaller Indiana by it's nature is a local resource, I believe it is THE place everyone wants to be seen and to connect and because of it's locality it makes connections not just virtually but in the real world too. It might not be a global brand, but it certainly is a brand in and of its time.

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