Page 4
The INDEPENDENT, January 4, 2012
Brand equity is a worthwhile investment in consumer trust
by Lorne Ray
The business dictionary de-
fines brand equity as a brand’s
power or value derived from
the good will and name recog-
nition that it has earned over
time, which translates into
higher sales volume and higher
profit margins against compet-
ing brands. I know that is a
mouthful so in plain, simple
English, it comes down to trust.
People buy from brands
they trust. Think about the pur-
chases you make for instance.
If you need to make a purchase
are you going to buy from a
brand you have never heard of,
or are you going to lean to-
wards one you have seen over
and over again? Chances are
pretty good you will go with the
brand that you recognize.
In a small market, brands
have a huge competitive ad-
vantage if they take advantage
of the primary media that at-
tracts the most mindshare of
the consumers in the market
area. Even if your business is
on Main Street and everyone
drives by and sees your sign
on a daily basis, seeing your
brand in the local media, like
The Independent, is different.
The reason for this is the im-
plied third party validation of
seeing your brand in print along
with all of the other brands.
Our minds have been literal-
ly trained to trust a brand that
we see in print, and the more
we see it, the more trust or val-
ue we give it. As a prospective
advertiser ask yourself whether
this theory is correct when you
consider making purchases.
Better yet, take the last five
major purchases you made
and think about these purchas-
es in terms of how brand equi-
ty played a part in your own de-
cision.
In small markets, brands
(even new brands) should uti-
lize the local newspaper to
build brand equity for one sim-
ple reason; it is the best brand
equity buy in the world. If you
calculate the cost of advertising
in The Independent over a
three year period, relative to
the value of the trust you build
in your brand, the return on in-
vestment is astronomical. To
get the same relative market
share in terms of brand equity
in major markets, brands have
to spend literally millions of dol-
lars.
In advertising terms, brand
equity impacts the mindshare
that you begin to develop in the
market.
When a person is ready to
make a purchase they think of
you because your brand is al-
ways in front of them in the pri-
mary media they see on a reg-
ular basis.
Oftentimes we think of ad-
vertising in terms of running an
ad with the purpose of getting
an immediate return on invest-
ment. This is not how it always
works since not everyone is al-
ways going to need your serv-
ices in this week’s paper.
But…when they do…because
you have been consistently
there in front of them…you get
the call because you were will-
ing to invest in the consumer’s
mind. You earned their trust.
As the economy begins to
rebound, the best move you
can take is to start earning
mind share now and there is no
better way to accomplish this
that to start getting your brand
in front of the local market im-
mediately.
New minimum wage as of Jan. 1
by Chris Thomas, Oregon
News Service
The minimum wage in Ore-
gon went up 30 cents an hour
starting January 1, to $8.80.
Oregon is one of only 10 states
that ensures by law that its
minimum wage keeps up with
inflation, which was calculated
this year at just over 3.5 per-
cent.
Whenever there’s a mini-
mum wage hike, some employ-
ers claim the extra cost will
mean they hire fewer workers,
or contend it will put them out
of business altogether. Howev-
er, an economist who studies
wage trends says that hasn’t
happened since the 1930s.
John Schmitt, with the Center
for Economic Policy Research,
says “What the evidence
seems to suggest is that, over
long periods of time, the kinds
See Wage on page 5
Community Calendar
VERNONIA
Alcoholics Anonymous
Mondays
6:30 p.m., 410 North Street
Alcoholics Anonymous
Thursdays (Big Book Study) 7:00 p.m., 410 North Street
American Legion Post #119
2nd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., 627 Adams Avenue
Booster Club
2nd Wednesday
7:00 p.m., VHS Library
Boy Scout Troop 201
Tuesdays
7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin
Boy Scout Troop 860
Wednesdays
7:00 p.m., LDS Church
Cemetery Beautification Comm.
2nd Thursday
6:30 p.m., Library
CERT
4th Wednesday
For Info Call 503-429-3018
Chamber of Commerce
2nd Wednesday
For Info Call 503-429-6081
Community Coalition
2nd Monday
12:30 p.m. School District Ofc.
Cub Scout Pack 201
Scout Cabin
For Info Call 503-429-4250
Emerg. Preparedness Comm.
4th Wednesay
6:30 p.m., WOEC
Friends of the Library
1st Tuesday
7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library
Girl Scouts, Neighborhood 4-2
For Info Call 503-819-0143
Izaak Walton League
3rd Thursday
For location call 503-429-7193
Kiwanis Club
2nd & 4th Tuesdays
6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong
Lions Club
1st & 3rd Tuesdays
6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong
Municipal Airport Committee
1t Wednesday
6:30 p.m., City Hall
Pioneer Museum
For Info Call 503-429-3713
Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-0869 7:00 p.m.,Vernonia Grange
Public Works Committee
4th Tuesday
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Cares Directors
For Info call 503-429-1414
Vernonia City Council
1st & 3rd Mondays
7:00 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Community PTA
2nd Wednesday
7:00 p.m., WGS Library
Vernonia Garden Club
2nd Tuesday
1:30 p.m., Vernonia Library
Vernonia Grange
3rd Monday
7:00 p.m., Grange Hall
Vernonia Health Center
3rd Thursday
6:30 p.m., 510 Bridge St.
Vernonia Comm. Learning Center 1st Wednesday
5:00 p.m., VCLC
Vernonia Parks Committee
3rd Wednesday
6:30 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Planning Comm.
1st & 3rd Thursdays
6:00 p.m., City Hall
Vernonia Ridge Riders
Last Thursday
7:00 p.m., Senior Center
Vernonia RFPD Board
2nd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
Vernonia School Board
2nd Thursday
6:00 p.m., District Office
Vernonia Sr. Center Board
2nd Friday
10:00 a.m., Senior Center
Vernonia Transfer Station
2nd & 4th Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Behind VHS
Vern. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1st Tuesday
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters
2nd Monday
7:00 p.m., Fire Station
WOEC Directors
3rd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., WOEC
MIST-BIRKENFELD
M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg.
2nd Tuesday
M-BRFPD Board Workshop
4th Tuesday
M-B Ambulance Drill
1st & 2nd Thursdays
M-B Fire Drill
1st & 2nd Wednesdays
M-B Helping Circle
2nd Monday
M-B SAR Drill
3rd Wednesday
M-B Volunteer Assoc.
1st Tuesday
Natal Grange
2nd Wednesday
T.O.P.S.
Mondays
BANKS
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
American Legion Post #90
Banks City Council
Banks Fire District #13
Banks Library Commission
Banks Planning Commission
Banks School Board
Banks Youth Group
Chamber of Commerce
CPO 14
Everybody’s Hometown Band
Friends of the Library
Lions Club
Sunset Park Assoc.
T.O.P.S.
Friday
Wednesday
2nd Tuesday
2nd Tuesday
2nd Wednesday
3rd Tuesday
Last Tuesday
2nd Monday
Sunday, Wednesday
1st Thursday
3rd Monday
Tuesdays
2nd Tuesday
1st & 3rd Mondays
3rd Wednesday
Wednesday
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station
7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall
9:00 a.m., Main Fire Station
7:30 p.m., Methodist Church
7:30 p.m., Methodist Church
7:30 p.m., Main Street Post
7:30 p.m., City Hall
7:00 p.m., Station 13
7:00 p.m., City Library
7:00 p.m., City Hall
7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library
7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg.
12:30 p.m., Fire District Office
7:00 p.m., City Library
7:00 p.m., BHS Music Room
7:00 p.m., City Library
7:00 p.m., Brown Derby
8:00 p.m., Gun Club
7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg.
COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.)
Board of Commissioners
Wednesday
10:00 a.m., Courthouse
Citizens for Senior Justice
2nd Tuesday
7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church
Columbia 9-1-1 Board
3rd Thursday
9:00 a.m., 9-1-1 meeting room
Columbia Comm Mental Health
1st Tuesday
5”30 p.m., 58646 McNulty Way
Columbia Soil & Water District
3rd Wednesday
7:30 p.m., NRCS , 2514 Sykes
County Fair Board
2nd Monday
6:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg.
County Parks Commission
3rd Tuesday
Times vary, 1054 Oregon St.
Mental Health Advisory Comm.
Quarterly
For Info call 503-397-7211
Comm. on Children & Families
3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 505 N. Hwy. 30
Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm.
Quarterly
For Info call 503-397-7211
Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410 or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.