Eric Yaillen, Founder of The Identity Defenders Explains the Importance of Protecting Your Brand Identity

We are here today with Eric Yaillen founder of The Identity Defenders (a division of CogiLogic LLC). His company provides turn-key Identity Lifecycle Marketing & Management solutions. We’re going to dig in and find out exactly what that is and how Eric is helping businesses protect their identity.

EricQ: Eric, what specifically is it that you do as a brand strategist at ConiLogic?

A: CogniLogic uses cognitive thought processes to generate logical solutions. We specialize in a new concept called “Identity Lifecycle Management.” Branding, of course, is for all intents and purposes, the identity of an individual or organization for marketing purposes. As a brand strategist, depending on what the customer is seeking, we can assess a current brand identity or help create a new identity. Our approach is that any identity (or brand) should align with a person’s/organizations’’ mission, vision, and values. Essentially, it is their promise to the customer.

Q: I noticed on your site you have series of actions listed; Claim it, Define it, Promote it, Enhance it, Defend it, and Protect it. Can you explain what these actions mean?

A: In an Identity Lifecycle, the actions a person or business takes in managing their identity include Defining their identity (branding); Claiming their identity (ensuring their business has consistent NAP (name, address, phone) listed in all the 300+ search engines and directories (an important criteria in Google’s Local SEO algorithm for determining search ranking; Promoting their business and/or identity using traditional, digital and social media marketing (social signals are another important criteria for local SEO); Enhancing their identity using content and authority marketing strategies as well as obtaining positive reviews (online reviews posted on high authority domains are another important local SEO factor according to Google). The final two elements are becoming more essential everyday as Identity Theft is the most reported crime since 2000 according to the FTC. The FBI reports that a typical business that is a victim of Identity Theft will be out of business within a year. That’s why we DEFEND identities by offering the only Identity Theft monitoring solution for individuals, families AND BUSINESS. With small business being targeted more by hackers, we also PROTECT identities that businesses collect on employees and customers by providing Data Breach prevention and regulatory compliance programs including PCI certification. These programs mitigate liability ensuring that Cyber Insurance policies will kick in if a data breach ever occurs.

Q: Can you give us a little history on your background and what led you to this field?

A: I’ve been working in marketing communications since age 15, somewhat following in my mother’s footsteps as a copywriter. I learned quickly that I have a knack for seeing what lies ahead 5-10 years down the road. Being ahead of the curve sometimes makes people uncomfortable, as its human nature for most to be uncomfortable with change anyway. For those that can envision those changes, however, they have a competitive advantage. Some example of my strategic leadership include using computers in business since 1985, implementing concepts of social media marketing, content marketing and authority marketing long before they were even called those things. Also, helping small business automate and manage their customer relationships online and using federated relational databases and marketing automation.

Q: What is the most common problem you see your clients have?

A: Frankly, most small business owners are overwhelmed and aren’t knowledgeable or aware of today’s marketing. They kinda know that they should be doing certain things, but are scared of current technology. Unfortunately, many have been burned by unscrupulous folks that have taken them for lots of money and have shown little in terms of results. I take more time to educate and explain things to small and medium business owners.

Q: What are the top three questions your prospects ask the first time they contact you? 

A: I’ll give you four.

How can you help me?

What is it that you do?

How much will that cost?

Why should I do this?

Q: What are some things that are supposed to promote or protect a brand, but in reality, can actually have a negative effect?

A: Frankly, the biggest problem is employees. Employees are the biggest source of fraud and identity theft. A business, these days, needs to run background checks on employees, put the right people in the right jobs, and make a sufficient effort to communicate and teach an employee the company brand, providing detailed guidelines to ensure each department and customer touchpoint embodies the brand.

Q: If you were giving advice to a friend, what are some low or no cost things they would be able to do to manage their brand better?

A: Listen! Create Google Alerts to see what others are saying about you or your business. Ask for feedback from customers so that you are aware of possible issues before they become major problems. Be proactive, not reactive, with your customers. Be willing to divorce yourself from those customers that exhibit behaviors that will sap your energy!

Tavis Bucklin

Tavis Bucklin is a #1 Best-selling author, and contributing iReporter for CNN covering leaders in Business, Health, and Personal Development.Tavis has been published in ABC, CNN, NBC, FOX and Forbes Magazine among other outlets.