| A graphic designer spoke to me last week. His graphic | | | | you introduce your other company, "JKL Graphic |
| design firm -- let's call it XYZ Design -- was numero | | | | Design" and "PQR Web Design". Same company, |
| uno in designing labels for a large wine company. Let's | | | | different positioning and certainly different brand |
| call that ABC Wines. Now ABC wines had some really | | | | names. What this does, is it helps clients |
| super wines. They loved the incomparable graphic | | | | compartmentalize their thinking. They now think you |
| design of XYZ design, and continued to use them for | | | | have specialist groups working on specialist projects |
| several of their major brands. This one client alone | | | | taking extra special attention.This Does Two Things...1) |
| generated tons of work and income for XYZ design | | | | It helps each of your businesses take on a 'character' |
| right through the year.Then It Happened...ABC Wines | | | | of its own without affecting the other, much like Air |
| sold out to another wine company. This new wine | | | | New Zealand is premium and Freedom Air is budget. |
| company had its own in-house graphic designers. That | | | | The public knows they're one company but still |
| effectively meant XYZ Design's income and work | | | | compartmentalizes them into two. You can change the |
| flow were severely hit, causing them to scramble for | | | | character of each company, and help boil it down to |
| new clients to fill the gap."If only I had done what you | | | | the smallest possible niche, making you an expert in |
| said," said the owner of XYZ Design, " and not line | | | | the category.2) The client sees your multiple brands as |
| extended into web design and other forms of graphic | | | | different brands. When they need web design |
| design and communication, I would have gone down | | | | services, or when they need to recommend them, |
| the gurgler too"Not true.Line extension doesn't mean | | | | they call the web design experts. And so on with |
| you run just one business or have one product.No, it | | | | graphic design and wine labels or just about anything |
| doesn't mean that at all.Multi-tasking existed long | | | | that you are handling.Everyone Loves A |
| before the advent of computers and the more skills | | | | SpecialistWould you allow a GP to work on your triple |
| you have, the better off you are in today's world. | | | | bypass? OR would you prefer a heart specialist? |
| However, you have to name each 'twin' differently to | | | | Even better, a doctor who does only triple bypass |
| give it a very distinct identity. When you do that, your | | | | surgery? If you feel the difference, so does your client |
| client recognises the difference and chooses that 'twin' | | | | and to ignore this basic human instinct is to do so at |
| for its own individual personality and character.How Do | | | | your own risk.How It Works Not Just In Business But In |
| You Line Extend Without Line ExtendingIn the case of | | | | The Workplace TooIf you're working in a job, the |
| XYZ Design, it would have to work in this manner. To | | | | same rule applies. Be known as a genius for |
| all wine companies, they would enter the door as a | | | | something. Know how several things work. But |
| 'wine label design Specialist.' To every wine company | | | | branding yourself in one skill makes you the expert. |
| in the country and overseas, they would be known, not | | | | Every time the company has a fire in that section, you |
| as XYZ Design but more so, as XYZ Wine Design | | | | will be known for your fire-fighting skills.On an ordinary |
| Specialists.'This would give the wine companies a | | | | basis, most employees are not known for any |
| specialist to deal with. It would help XYZ Wine Design | | | | particular skill and wonder why they are on top of the |
| specialists to build their reputation in the wine industry | | | | redundancy list. Bosses don't know what you do and |
| to a point where if any wine company decided to | | | | why you're special, because you haven't been doing |
| design a label, XYZ Design would be one of the main | | | | the 'branding bit'. It's better to be a specialist than the |
| contenders.Now, wine companies don't do just labels. | | | | 'safe unknown.'As Dire Straits sang in one of their |
| They do brochures, leaflets, annual reports, websites | | | | songs, "Sitting on the fence is a dangerous course: |
| and tons of other stuff. Your question would be, how | | | | You could get a bullet from the peace keeping |
| can I afford to lose out on that market?Why You | | | | force."Funny (But True) Phrases When You Forget To |
| Never Lose Out On The Rest Of The StuffIt's called | | | | Obey The RulesJack of all trades, master of none. A |
| backdoor entry. Everyone (including your competition) | | | | bird in the hand, is worth two in the bush. And the best |
| is banging on the front door, trying to get in. You, on the | | | | one of all: Keep it simple, stupid!Keep putting these |
| other hand, quietly slip in through the backdoor, pick | | | | principles in action and you will see a marked |
| your goodies and slip out.This is how it works in | | | | improvement in your business.Wouldn't you love to |
| practice. If you do really good work designing wine | | | | stumble upon a secret library of small business ideas? |
| labels, it's almost inevitable that clients will ask you if | | | | Find simple, yet electrifying ideas on marketing |
| you can design other associated material. That's when | | | | strategy, psychological tactics, and branding. |