My tryst with branding happened when I worked on a project about launching a new brand of condoms. And this post has nothing to do with it.

We are talking about blogs and condoms from the perspective of advertising here. As we move on we look what bloggers can learn from condom advertising when it comes to promoting their blog. If you have an intrinsic allergy to the word condom and branding concepts in general please do not move on, otherwise the post very much free of any adult-eration.

Over a period of years advertisements of condom brands has been a nice little concoction of overtly sensuous moods (no not the brand), to humor and also small doses of controversy every now and then. What has remained an insignificant and rarely seen member of the ad brigade is the condom itself (and thank god for that). Whether due to prime time television regulations or just because of moral responsibility we don’t get to see the product being put into use.We are to perceive the brand’s value from whatever emotions are being described, like the Moods ad here. And we have to agree that condoms tend to have one of the highest brand recall values just for being condoms. Brand loyalty and brand identity though is still questionable..and I am no expert on this regard ..sadly. Now assuming that the loyalty and identity is very low, which seems a fair assumption because when you need it, one doesn’t care so much about the brand.

And this is where a blog does a condom-esque act in its quest for building a brand for itself. When you promote your blog, you can’t use the physical appearance to drive the audience in. You can’t use your entire post as an advertisement. However, you can send teasers. If you are blogging about let’s say making money through blogs, you can attract attention with a catchy headline to a banner.. very similar to the suggestive sexual invocations in condom advertisements.

Then there is the brand loyalty and identity aspect. Just because Unneglectable is your favorite blog doesn’t mean you don’t visit other ones. There are so many popular bloggers out there, and scores of others who swear by them. These are bloggers who have been successful in carving their niche and creating a strong brand for themselves. The brand recall is excellent, yet no one remains loyal only to them, because you needn’t be, a reader has the ability to read more than one blog and he will. Still every blogger has to create a strong brand name, much like for a condom. Again, no one relates to a condom, one doesn’t shy away from a certain brand when that’s the only one available, what will you say.. it’s not me! On the same lines, as a blogger you cannot expect that your readers will only be reading blogs of your niche or type. Your reader can have multiple interests. Try and find them out and try to imbibe them in your blog, like an odd post about Britney Spears crazy new antic even if your blog is on sublime poetry.

The lesson to be learned from condom ads are to portray an image, give a scent of what’s inside to combat the limitations set on you. There are many ways you can do this

• Condom ads run because their content intrigues. Likewise, pop a question in your ad campaigns. Create the intrigue in the reader’s mind
• Condom ads often try to signify their strength. Try to show off your writing skills. Post articles, do guest posts, comment often. Readers create their perception about you from these, and the judgment attracts or repels them
• Use your blog’s name effectively, people should hear it often enough for it to stick in their mind. Brand image is everything
• Promote yourself at the right places. A condom ad won’t run on Nickelodeon, your blog URL shouldn’t be stuck at places where your potential audience don’t come

There of course a lot many other things from which one can learn about publicising one’s blog, but the uniqueness of Condoms and their ability to have strong brand recognition, even among those who don’t use them was worthy of a note.

The thing so learn from condom advertising thus is to always work around the limitations you have in promoting yourself, by using every opportunity that you get effectively to signify the qualities and content of your blog. That’s how great brands are built and a blog is certainly not any different.

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