When branding expert Jeremy Miller asked Silverline to participate in his lastest book, Sticky Branding, we were thrilled. As one of salesforce.com’s fastest growing partners, we are incredibly proud of the reputation we have built.

The book, a result of Jeremy’s decade long study of outstanding brands, features real-world examples for strengthening and growing your brand from Silverline and 25 other companies. So, what exactly is a sticky brand and what does it mean to you? We asked Jeremy a few questions:

What is a sticky brand and how does it benefit companies?

A Sticky Brand is a company that achieves a “First Choice Advantage.” This means your customers think of your company first, refer it first, choose it first, and come back again and again. It’s the relationship with your customers that makes your brand stick.

And the reason you want to grow your company into a Sticky Brand is sales.

Sticky Brands sell more faster. They are more profitable than average brands, because they attract more loyal customers.

In your book you describe The 12.5 Principles of a Sticky Brand. Do these guidelines apply to any industry; even more regulated ones such as financial services and healthcare?

You bet. The book has already been resonating with leaders of financial services and pharmaceutical companies, because they want to compete and win. They want to grow brands that engage their markets, and create a First Choice Advantage.

Sticky Branding provides a unique perspective, because it provides very practical, actionable ideas for developing and implementing brand strategies. Big, regulated companies like the concepts of the book, because it shows them how to act small again.

The book is also written in a highly accessible way. Many of the ideas in the book are universal. For example, the first Principle, Simple Clarity, is the ability to describe your business and what makes it unique in ten words or less. This is brand messaging at its finest, and it’s something every business should strive for.

You talk about leveraging technology to grow your brand. Are there specific tools in which companies should invest?

Technology plays an integral part in growing a Sticky Brand. The right tools provide a company the ability to engage and support their customers. To write the book I conducted a broad study of companies from North America to New Zealand. In examining their approach to marketing I saw several common areas of focus:

1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): CRM sytems, like Salesforce.com, are mission critical, because they provide the tools to connect customers with business processes.
2. Analytics: Data is essential in today’s business. The companies that can link data, such as Google Analytics with sales metrics, are creating a competitive advantage, because they know what’s working, what isn’t working, and how to get better.
3. All things digital: Companies are investing a disproportionate amount of their marketing dollars into digital marketing — from websites to social media to apps. The web is a primary touch point for brands today, and Sticky Brands recognize they have to shine online every day.

Are you ready to take the next step to make your brand stand out, attract more customers, and increase profits? Click here to learn more about Sticky Branding.