Just when Research In Motion (RIM) gets a chance to one-up Apple with the new BlackBerry Bold, Apple announces it’s out of iPhones, fueling rumors that an upgraded iPhone is ready for launch – possibly as soon as June 9th if rumors are accurate.
Not that BlackBerry Bold would have stolen much market share from Apple anyway, or vice versa.  BlackBerry is the business brand, and Apple is the retail brand.  The iPhone brought more retail users to the smartphone category, but businesses still prefer the BlackBerry.

Yesterday, my fellow b5media blogger, Bridget Wright, published a guest post I wrote for her blog, BizChicksRule.  The post is called 5 Steps to Branding Your Business and includes simple tips and suggestions to get business owners and marketers started in developing a brand position, image and strategy.
If you have a moment, please stop by BizChicksRule to read 5 Steps to Branding Your Business as well as the other great content Bridget and her co-blogger, Kristen King, write.
Image Source: BizChicksRule.com

Can you explain your brand identity, meaning your brand position, purpose, promise and image, in one sentence? 
If you can, that’s great.  It means you have a clear definition of your current brand identity. 
If not, you need to take some time to define your brand so you can consistently communicate your brand message across all of your customer touch points.

When you think of brand positioning, you probably think of it in the terms you learned in Marketing 101 with positioning defined as how customers perceive your brand or product within the market of similar products offered by your competitors. 
Typically, marketers try to create brand position through advertising and promotions in an attempt to influence customers’ perceptions of their brands.  However, in today’s world of busy schedules and nonstop messages, companies need to find different ways to position their brand.  By listening to your customers and making changes internally, you can build your brand position organically.