Obviously, "Poor Magic" isn't a very good choice. "Magic at the Poor House" is better, but...

My kids show is "Jungle Jim's Magical Safari". I also have a wildlife and nature photography gig that I am considering morphing to "Magical Safari Photography".

I could have an over-arching business title "Magical Safari" with the two subtitles underneath.

How do those of you who do totally separate ads, etc., for different genres of magic handle business names, both in the legal world and in the performing/advertising world?

Thanks,
Jim

Not sure if I understand the question properly, but.....

The company is the parent of your products. It is your "Brand", and the brand should be recognized and used in a consistent manner every time you use it. Same colour, same position, proportionate in size, etc.

The products that you offer are children of this brand and sub-companies of the parent, depending on how you want to be structured from a tax standpoint.

The company "Magic at the Poor House", better yet "Magic from the Poor House" or "Poor House Magic", is the parent of the kids product "Jungle Jim's Magic Safari" and adult product "Out of the Poor House" and walk-around product "Walking Poorly". Each of these "products" will be presented in different ways; however, the one piece on each that would remain consistent is the "Poor House Magic" brand.

Over time, people start to associate the brand with the product and hopefully come to realize some sort of brand loyalty and recognition, potentially resulting in referrals and repeat customers.

I hope you can use some of that in one way or another...

Will//

I can. Thanks.

Jim

Jim,

This is an article I wrote a long time ago, mainly defining what a brand is and what it means to a magician. I thought I would post it here, as I feel it may be of help to you. Please let me know if I can go into any details after you read it, or how perhaps I might be able to help you. You do raise a good question.

Often times in our busy consumer world of ours, we come across the word “brand” numerous amounts of time even in just one afternoon. We see it on TV, in the mall, and all around the world we live in. But what is a brand, and what does it mean to you the performer? Can this brand idea work for me, and if so, how do I go about it?
Let me start by saying that a brand is a visual, emotional, rational, and cultural image or feeling that one person associates with a company, product, or service.

Companies with well established brands are the companies that we consumers remember when we go to make a purchase. We associate good feelings with the company or product, and that influences what product we might buy on any given day.
For example, when you think of Nike, you think of certain visual and emotional responses. Some of the items that come to mind are Michael Jordan, “Just Do It”, athletics, quality shoes, and apparel. All of these images and feelings derive just from Nike’s successful brand and brand message that they put out in the market place.

The fact that you remember the brand name, and have positive feelings toward that brand, makes your product selection easier and enhances the value and satisfaction you get from the product.

You can think of your own brand as an investment. It does not happen over night. The brand must be developed, nurtured, and matured in the minds of the customer before you can reap your rewards. But is it worth it? Yes.

Many companies have spent many dollars and effort developing their brand and making sure their message gets out to the customer. Time is spent on building the perception of the brand in the minds of the individuals your services are trying to target.

But why are brands important for the magician? The branding of your company and its products will increase the public awareness of your services. This in turn increases your reputation in the community for providing a quality product. And the ultimate difference can be seen in the increased revenue that is generated by an increase in shows.

Branding will also provide a higher level of consistency and continuity in your advertising and marketing materials. The increased awareness will make your services and your products stand out from the others in your market, making it easier for people to buy your services over someone else.

But what are parts of a good brand that will make people think positively towards my own brand? Brand elements such as logos, postcards, ads, posters, tag lines, and packaging are all key ingredients for creating these positive feelings toward any given brand. For example, if a person has a perception that shoes by Nike are top quality, they will look for the Nike logo where ever they go to buy shoes. This Nike logo then becomes a driving force in their mind. Whenever they see the Nike logo, they will think quality products.

The first step in creating any good brand is to create a brand message statement. This statement tells, in few words, what business the company is in, what benefits it provides, and why it is better than the competition. Once this brand statement is created, then every piece of your promotional materials needs to be able to reflect back on this statement and meet its criteria. If it does not, then the promotional piece is not working properly. This helps you to make sure that every piece of material that is used to promote your brand is consistent in its message to the consumer.

I hope this information has given you an idea of what branding is and how it can work for you.

I think you are developing a really nice brand and theme with the safari aspect of the business. That could really be a great idea and something that can be branded very effectively in a logo and conveyed in what you do with the other 2 businesses that make up the overall brand.

If safari was your decided upon niche market or the overall brand identity, then you could in fact come up with an overall brand logo called "Magical Safari Productions". You develop a look and identity and brand for this business.

Then, as Will said so nicely, your "Jungle Jim's Magical Safari" and "Magical Safari Photography" can fall under this overall brand identity you have created. These two separate aspects are the various products that fall under the Magical Safari brand.

For an example of how this might work, you can often look at large companies who sell multiple products. For example, the main brand company might be General Mills, but the products they sell under the main brand are the things like Coco Puffs and Lucky Charms. See how it begins to work?

Kyle

Nice. I can't type that many words.
Great explanation of the brand.

Will//

Thanks, Will. Much appreciated. It is what I do for a living to a degree, so I thought it may be of help to others. My pleasure.

Kyle

I have been in advertising/marketing for a few years and just sold my part in an agency.

I like to see others sharing information on one of the most difficult parts of a business, to not only develop but manage as well.

Thanks again, guys. All the info is much appreciated!


Jim

Thanks, Will. I totally agree with you. The joy for me about being a Café member is the ability to hare information with others and to also continue and strive to learn every day. It is indeed "magicians helping magicians", and I gain much joy from doing just that.

That is great that you are also into marketing and advertising as myself. I did not realize that. After selling your part in the agency, are you doing magic full-time now or still in the marketing and advertising field?

Jim:
You are most welcome, my friend. You always ask the questions, and that is what I admire and respect of you. You can only seek to be better and successful through the art of asking and taking action upon what you find out.

Let me know if I can be of further help or assistance to you.

Kyle

While we're talking about this:

From our conversations I gather that using the model we're talking about in this thread, I would need a logo/brand identity for Magical Safari Productions, and that the logos for any businesses that fall under that brand would include elements of the "parent company" logo. So, Jungle Jim's Magical Safari and Magical Safari Photography materials (business cards, letterhead, etc.) would include that logo, or elements of it, so that they are immediately identified with the parent company.

Am I on the right track?

Best and Thanks,
Jim

Exactly, Jim.

General Mills is the brand.
Fruit Loops, Captain Crunch, and Lucky Charms are all products under the General Mills brand.

The logo of the brand should be something simple and recognizable, and reflect what you do and represent (i.e. strength, amazement, integrity, communication, safety etc...).
If you want some help from ad pros, visit http://www.ihaveanidea.org There may be some assistance in the forums. They are all graphic designers, art and creative directors, and most are really friendly.

Kyle, I have been off work for the last year and a bit raising my son.
I started seriously practicing when he was born and have been hard at it for a year now. I am getting prepared to perform walk-around professionally in the next few months, as I see a major resurgence in magic. Look at TV commercials, talk shows, even the way some people are dressing mimics that of a magician. It is really an exciting time.

Thanks, Will.

Now I just have to decide if it really fits. I know it fits the magic, but the photography is something to think on... Not really Safari stuff, but still pretty magical sometimes when you're out there.

Take a peek if you like:
http://www.pbase.com/jimpoor

Jim:

Exactly. You are right on track with your thinking. Your main brand would be Magical Safari Productions. Your products would would then fall under this main brand. Now, in regards to the logos you develop or have developed for this, I have found you can do one of 2 things.

1) You can do as you suggested, where by you have the main brand logo that really identifies what it is you do and sets you apart in the marketplace. Then, your secondary product logos would be slightly different but take on elements of the main brand look. This way there is a cohesive brand look being created and established for you.

2) The other way to go about it is by having your main brand logo or image and having new logos that can be different from the main brand. However, when you do this, you often would have to have both brand logos on the materials. For instance, in General Mills cereal you will see the General Mills logo on all boxes, but they will have a logo created for that product. In essence, what you would be doing is almost saying Magical Safari Productions presents....(your product name).

This is just 2 ways of thinking about it. Neither is right nor wrong. It really is a preference to how you feel you want to handle the brand and the services you offer.

Jim: You do some really nice photography work. I really enjoyed what I saw. It would fit the safari theme 'cause most of your shots are animal-related. Nice work.

Will:
That is great that you are taking time off and raising your son. I also wish you the best of luck and success as you venture out into exploring your magic career a bit more. If there is ever anything I can help you with, please just ask. My pleasure to help or assist anyone.

Kyle

Thank you for your support, Kyle.

Jim, you have something going here...keep at it.

Keep in mind that just because the main brand or company is one thing, the others do NOT necessarily have to follow in line.

i.e. Magic, photography, cakes, uniforms, consulting, etc.

Hi Jim,

I liked your pics. I'm a bit of a photography bug. I've got a Canon 350D with a couple of lenses. Wish I had more time to take more pics, though.

All the best,

JoJo

JoJo,

Thanks, and I wish I had been more into photography when I was in Australia. I did get some really good shots, though.

Thanks again, Kyle and Will.


Jim

Will and Jim: You are both welcome, my friends. My pleasure. Please let me know if I can ever be of help or assistance to you.

Jim: If I can go into more details, or if you have any questions, you can also feel free to PM me at any time. My pleasure.

Kyle