Continuous Improvement methods have proven an effective tool to help companies gain a competitive advantage on the supply-side of the business. These same methods can be successfully applied to the demand-side of the business (marketing/sales).

If we understand the process, applying continuous improvement is easy; if we don't it's impossible. This month's white paper looks at proven ways to successfully apply continuous improvement to marketing/sales.

Neil Reckon, one of our principals was addressing a group of executives recently and was asked the difference between a Brand and the activity of branding. While we have discussed this in-depth in our white paper Brands versus Branding, Neil presented a compelling, contemporary example that really drives the difference home.

The classic Brand example he suggested was Harley Davidson. Virtually everyone can tell you what the brand stands for because its brand position is clear and its branding has effectively communicated that position.

The classic branding example he cited was AFLAC. Virtually everyone has heard the name. In fact studies have found that when asked what sound a duck makes, school children will often answer "AFLAC." However, what does AFLAC do? You probably don’t know. Most people don’t. Great branding . . . but what’s the Brand.

To be fair, you may have noticed that in the last few months, AFLAC has modified the messaging in their ads to include more information on who they are and what they do and downplayed the "duck."