Creating a Brand That People Trust

When marketing a product, I knew that I needed to create a brand that people recognized and wanted to know more about. A brand is your company and product "identity." It is how consumers perceive your products and, ultimately, buy!

Through advertising and marketing, it has always been my goal to educate, entice and compel consumers to purchase Senorita Limonita’s amazing new drink product. With so many cocktail mixes on the market, I knew it wasn’t just about the fact that it had amazing flavor! The label and the look of Senorita Limonita had to be like nothing else that was on the shelf.

“One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.” ~Lewis Carroll

I also knew in creating a company brand, that I had to clearly list the benefits. The secret to a great brand is one that solves a consumer complaint. Senorita Limonita solves TWO of the biggest consumer complaints about margaritas on the market.

1. Many consumers will not drink margaritas because it gives them heartburn. A healthy blend of sugar and acidity, Senorita Limonita DOES NOT give you heartburn. Those who LOVE margaritas but can’t deal with acid reflux now have a choice!
2. Many consumers complain that margaritas are too sugary sweet. Senorita Limonita does not contain ANY high fructose corn syrup. The flavor is very smooth!

Branding, advertising and event promotion make up the essential components of any successful marketing campaign for a product like mine. I was networking, asking questions and learning as much as I could from every individual that I communicated with. Determined to develop a strong brand that people trusted, I continued to engage in social media. To my surprise, I started getting requests from all over the world. “Where can I buy this product in Italy?” “ Where can I get Senorita Limonita in Australia?

It was at those moments that I realized I had a definite purpose - I had to get Senorita Limonita to the planet!

History was being made as I received my first product run of Senorita Limonita. You could not surgically remove the smile from my face as I accepted the delivery of the first three product pallets! I was excited about this tremendous step forward in making a difference in people’s lives.

Uniquely Defining Your Iconic Brand

Entrepreneurship is a challenging game. The road to business success, both online and offline, is a long and bumpy one. I was even prepared to be hit by a Mack truck or two. The truth is, once you decide to leave the safety net of your day job to build your own business, you are stepping onto a crazy rollercoaster ride. I could certainly identify with this, since I had already manifested myself into my fictional character Senorita Limonita, become a bikini model and a runner. I was about to experience the next step of my journey.

“A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.”  - Richard Branson

On the tip of Baja’s Western Peninsula lies an area known as Two Seas, One Paradise. It is a magical place where the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez unite. There is a 20 mile coastal corridor that links two picture perfect towns, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.  It is also home to the Arch at Lands End, an amazing natural rock formation where the ocean meets the sea.

Ujena Jam’s next scheduled event was a golf tournament, and it was mandatory that all participating bikini models don a stunning pink outfit and assist the golfers in making that putt!  It is a pin girl’s responsibility to tend or remove the pin while the golfer is putting. Pins need to be tended when the ball is in such a location that golfers have trouble seeing the hole. To tend a pin, one must stand with one hand on it, and be prepared to remove the pin after the putt has been made. If the ball is close enough to the hole so the golfer can see it while putting, the pin can be removed right away.

I continued the feeling of maneuvering the road to success as I witnessed swing by swing. The combination of sea, sunshine, mountains, coupled with immaculate fairways and greens took my breath away! For the first time, I became a pin girl!

Every day of my experience with the Ujena Bikini Jam was filled with adventure, and I reveled in the manner in which Senorita Limonita was brought to life! The Jam managed to uniquely define her iconic brand by this particular moment of notoriety.

As crazy as my story seems, it is these type of accounts that are relevant today to understanding the intricacies of corporate life as such events occur.

Experiences Can Make Your Business Thrive!

Being in business teaches a person not only how to act and what makes them thrive and flounder, but to see what trouble they can get into if left to their own devices. It’s certainly amazing to experience!

The days at the Ujena Bikini Jam were filled with photo shoots taken at the hotel, exotic beaches and the streets of Cabo San Lucas. Of course, no event is complete without parties. The Ujena Bikini Jam included an Opening Night Celebration, Clubkini Party, Costume Party and an Awards Celebration on the final night!

I was having a wonderful time meeting people from different countries and different places.  I served drinks, promoted the Limonita cocktail mix and was proud to debut the sunshine yellow Limonita bikini at this prestigious event!

Then came the night of the Maxim Bisbee’s Clubkini Party. I asked, “What’s that?” I was first informed that there exists a Mexican version of Maxim magazine and that they would be present. I said “What’s Bisbee other than a mining town in Arizona?” They looked at me as if I should know better and said, “Debbi, it’s the largest sport fishing tournament in the world!”

The official name is Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament. In the evenings, I gazed out at the horizon with the setting sun’s reflection in the water, and counted over 100 fishing yachts at a given time cruising into Cabo after their day’s catch. Thousands of people crowded the marina walkways to watch huge fish being weighed in at the scales in front of the world famous Puerto Paraiso Entertainment Plaza. It is amazing to watch the individual boats unload as many as 50-100 beautiful, colorful fish in all shapes and sizes.

The role of the bikini models that evening was to go to a club in downtown Cabo San Lucas  Our instructions were to wear a Ujena bikini top and our choice of skirt, pants, or shorts.  Of course, Senorita Limonita wore her signature sunshine yellow top and thought, “This will be easy. I can do this!”  All I have to do is walk around and talk to people.

“Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” -Sara Blakely

We were 30 models on a bus on the way to the club, when something unexpected happened. It was announced that, “Oh, while we are there tonight, we are going to do a RUNWAY!” I thought, oh my god, I don’t know how to do this! I didn’t feel quite as bad when I found out that none of the other models had done a runway either. They said you’re bikini model or you’re a runway model, you don’t do both. Thank goodness they weren’t in their comfort zone either!

I gazed around the corner from the dressing room at an LED interactive dance floor in the center of the club. Our role was to go to all four corners and stop, then go the center to stop twice and pose. I was definitely outside of my comfort zone but, like the others, it was was something we had to do.  The lively streets of Cabo San Lucas were filled with people that were there to party, and the club was packed to capacity! Photography cameras were flashing and film cameras were rolling. What transpired could pretty much be described as organized chaos full of hard-core excitement!

All the while I kept realizing that not only had I become my fictional character Senorita Limonita, but I was a bikini model, a runner, and now a runway model!  It was a once in a lifetime experience, and I was definitely along for the ride in the development of my brand!

When You Compete, You Gain More Than You Lose!

The Ujena Bikini Jam is all about FUN! This amazing program is packed with activities to put participants at ease and to promote a healthy, active lifestyle. Not surprising with founder Bob Anderson’s background as a runner. All competing models are required to run in a race adding a much needed component of fitness into an industry plagued by substance and diet abuse.

Me, I’m an Arizona hiker. I enjoy amazing scenery and the art of negotiation that is involved in moving gracefully over rocks and boulders. Running on a flat surface had always seemed boring and mundane to me. I like trail running, but probably never ran more than a half mile in my life.

It was mandatory that all competing bikini models and photographers complete a minimum 5k race.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

― Helen Keller

I trained for three months for the event, and did not have an an easy time finding places outdoors to run during the hot Arizona summer.  I felt that nothing could prepare me for running such a distance nonstop. I had to resort to indoor treadmills in the gym more than I wanted to.

The night before the race, I asked Bob Anderson what to eat, and he suggested carbo loading. On the morning of a race, he consumes a cup of coffee and a half of a banana. The next thing I knew, I was at the starting line.

I told myself that, once I am committed to something, I see it through. Emotions aside, I persisted on my quest. We ran through the streets of San Jose del Cabo - past stores, bars, restaurants and enthusiastic people cheering us on and passing out water. I remember thinking 'just let this be over'. And then it was.

You experience a rush as you near the finish line. You run faster than you ever have because cameras are rolling and photos are being taken. A timed event, I wasn’t the first and I wasn’t the last, but interestingly enough, I came in first in my age group for females. I had completed my first 5k run!

The memory of crossing a finishing line for the first time is something you never forget! The feeling of triumph, of having conquered your own mind and body by pushing it beyond your self imposed limits . . . there's nothing like it!

Gift certificates and cash were awarded at the finish line. I won $100 as a result of my efforts, but that didn’t compare to the pride I experienced from my effort. When you compete, you gain more than you lose!

Building a Brand Involves RiskTaking

Life is a daring adventure that is all about taking risks. When building a brand, you have to step into your greatness and believe in your dream until the whole world does too.

I began preparations for my trip to Cabo. Still processing the fact that I had become my fictional character Senorita Limonita, I now realized I had become a bikini model as well. Certainly not something I had planned for!

The Ujena Jam is the oldest and largest swimwear model and photographer search in the world. The first Jam was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 1984. Since then, thousands of aspiring models and creative photographers from all parts of the world have participated in the Ujena Jam program.

Every October, Calfornia based Ujena swimwear travels to historic Cabo San Lucas to take quality images of their bikini line. Good photography requires good light, and the lighting conditions in Cabo that time of the year are considered ideal.

The VERY FIRST Limonita Bikini!

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

I had no clue as to how to be a bikini model, so I situated myself in front of  my computer to perform research on this subject. Determined to make this happen, I also studied YouTube videos on bikini model posing.

Upon my arrival at the Ujena Jam in October 2010, I proceeded to observe the behavior of the other bikini models and mimicked their actions. I asked photographers what kind of  details they were looking for in their photo compositions as well as their suggestions for poses. Informative workshops were provided on photography, posing and makeup. Everyone was friendly and supportive - like a big family! I received a wealth of information in a world unknown to me.

The name of the game for a product like Senorita Limonita is exposure and my friends at Ujena were open to anyone with a dream!

Taking a Chance on YOU!

There are two kinds of people. One stands at the edge of the water with the temporary satisfaction of being safe. These people are taught not to trust their dreams or ideas. They will never experience the paralyzing fear of stepping onto a stage for their first event. Another enthusiastically jumps in the water! They jump out screaming “It’s COLD!” but they end up swimming, splashing and laughing!

If you stand at the edge of the water,  you will never reap the greatest reward of what can happen when you move outside of your comfort zone!

At this point, I was still pondering the fact that I had become my fictional character Senorita Limonita and I was going to Cabo San Lucas!

As the date of the event drew closer, Senorita Limonita received another communication from Catherine Cross. She said, “I’m looking at you in that sunshine yellow bikini. We used to make a bikini like that a couple of years ago. I think we need to bring it back. You can have it on your website and we will have it on ours. We will call it the Limonita Bikini after your drink.”

I saw this message and thought, Heck, ya! Let’s do this! This will be a great cross marketing program! Senorita sent back a Facebook message to Catherine indicating her enthusiastic approval.

“What would happen if you gave yourself permission to do something

you’ve never done before? There’s only one way to find out.”

― Gina Greenlee

A week later, I discovered a tiny UPS package on my doorstep. I took a picture of the box with my camera and went inside. I opened up the package and said, “WHOA!” Here was the very first Limonita bikini and it was an intense YELLOW!

I immediately went to my computer where Senorita expressed her gratitude. She said, “Catherine, thank you so much for this fabulous, new sunshine yellow bikini. I am going to wear this bikini to all of my promotional events.”

Now, Catherine had looked at my personal Facebook page. She knew who REALLY was coming to Cabo in October! She decided I was photogenic, so she sent yet another message to Senorita. She said, “Senorita Limonita, you’re coming to Cabo to promote your margarita mix and this fabulous new sunshine yellow bikini. Why don’t you model it for us while you are here?”

Once again, I am on a mission to get my margarita mix to the world, and once again, something was going to have to change! I had no experience in modeling, but this was going to have to happen regardless. It HAD to happen! Senorita sent a message to Catherine that she would be delighted to model the very first Limonita bikini!

So often, fear stifles our thinking and actions and creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. Life is full of risks. If you never jump in with both feet, you will never know. I was willing to take that risk.

How to HAVE FUN Building a Personal Brand on Facebook

A ‘personal brand’ is synonymous with your reputation. It refers to the way other people see you as a business owner. Are you trustworthy? What do you represent? What do you stand for? What ideas and notions pop up as soon as someone hears your name?

When you have a personal brand, people recognize and care about your name, what you’re working on, what you offer, and what you’re about. Becoming your brand is a process that most business owners have to go through including marketing, communications, networking, speaking - a variety of steps.

I was not aware of this process when I started. It is something that simply happened to me.

Once I had established an affiliate marketing program with Ujena Swimwear, I noticed that Catherine Cross became a fan of Senorita Limonita on Facebook, and I accepted her request as my personal friend. Then something amazing happened . . . she began to communicate to my provocative character as if she were REAL.

She wrote to Senorita, “ Hi, my name is Catherine Cross. I am the public relations director at Ujena Swimwear. I do all the makeup for the bikini models. I wondered if I could do the makeup for your next photo shoot.”

I saw that and thought to myself - well, this could be fun. I’ll play along with it. Senorita wrote Catherine a message and said. “Catherine, it would be an honor. I will let you know the next time I have a photo shoot.”

A couple of weeks later, Senorita received another message from Catherine on Facebook. She said, “Senorita Limonita, I just wanted to let you know that we have an event in October in Cabo San Lucas. It is comprised of bikini models, photographers and makeup artists from around the world. I wondered if you could come to Cabo in October to promote your margarita mix?”

”There's a few in our history, where the person who creates it

becomes almost the product itself.”

- Joshua Michael Stern

I was on a mission to get my margarita mix to the planet, so I strongly felt this was something I needed to do. However, SOMETHING had to change. It was apparent that my fictional character couldn’t go to Cabo so, at that very moment, I BECAME Senorita Limonita! Senorita sent a message back to Catherine that she would go to Cabo for this fabulous program and promote her amazing cocktail mix.

I had heard that building your brand through Facebook and other forms of social media  was very powerful, and that the relationship was not between the brand and the consumer, but with the dynamics between people. I was about to go through a transformation beyond my wildest dreams.

Everything Begins With An Idea. Success Is Up to You!

I always encourage people to think bigger and to think out of the box. You have the unique ability to create and change your world if you desire.

My dream started when I filed a corporation in Arizona - April 2010. At that moment, my job was to create a unique name for the amazing drink I had developed. I knew nothing about getting a beverage to market, but there was a whole new world out there. If I struggled in the beginning to get  the product into stores, I would persist to build the business on the internet.

My next door neighbor at the time was Steve - a delightful gentleman known as “The Margarita Man.”  He had created a delicious on the rocks margarita that clearly was his pride and joy, and his bar was always open to friends. He would smile and say, “If the light is on, come on over, I’m making margaritas!”

Steve’s lovely wife Cynthia would be there helping. She always made a point of letting everyone know that she wasn’t Hispanic. She referred to herself “a real Mexican,” and always joked that she was a MexiCAN and not a MexiCAN’T as she went about her daily duties. Passionate about her culture, she became an inspiration to me.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

- Walt Disney

One day, Steve was mixing margaritas and adding that special juicy slice of lime to the margarita glass rims. Cynthia said to me, “You know, Debbi, in Mexico, we don’t have lemons and limes, we have limons. They are small and round with a light green color.” A light bulb immediately went off in my head!

After I finished my margarita, I headed home to do some internet research on the word limon as well as a search of the word Limonita. The name seemed intriguing enough and similar to the word margarita that I thought people might wonder - does the cocktail mix contain lemons, limes, or limons? After further research in the U.S. Government trademark office files, I was very pleased that Limonita was available. You work hard for your business, so it must be protected with a trademark. I submitted my application and the ball was rolling in the right direction!

Make the Right Choice in the Business You Partner With!

In marketing, we take great pride in coming up with fresh ideas. Cross marketing can be a great way to promote your business!  It’s very important to find a company that offers products and/or services that complement and mesh well with what your business offers. With this type of partnership, the two businesses can promote their own and the other’s business products simultaneously. Making the right choice with the business you partner with is vital, with the ultimate goal of enhancing your business and vice versa.

As the Limonita trade name continued its process through the US Patent Trademark Office, I was diligently working on the creation of my website. As soon as the first product run of Limonita was manufactured, I wanted to be poised and ready to accept orders. As I neared completion, I looked at Senorita Limonita and thought to myself - she's hot, she's sexy and she wears a sunshine yellow bikini! I thought, wouldn't it be amazing fun to partner with a swimwear manufacturer so that when a woman went on my website and purchased a bikini, that I got a percentage of the sale? It would be easy because I wouldn't even have to carry any inventory!

“Marketing is a lot like jazz. Its beauty isn’t in the predictable notes; it’s in the improvisation. So prepare, be open, let go, and adjust.” — Kathy Klotz-Guest

I knew there had to be strong connection between the two businesses. Where easier could I find one than on the internet? I spent three solid weeks researching the top swimwear manufacturers in the world. I was especially intrigued by a company called Ujena Swimwear. They are located in Mountain View, CA just south of San Francisco, and all of their swimwear is hand crafted in the United States.

I’ve personally purchased many bikinis from reputable companies and noted that the tags always say Made In China, Made in Vietnam, etc. so this was a refreshing change! I reviewed their website in great detail and found  that it contained information about health and bikini body fitness. Knowing that my character, Senorita Limonita, was passionate about fitness and keeping her bikini body in shape, this seemed like a unique partnership that could develop into an excellent cross marketing program.

I was particularly interested in the founder of Ujena Swimwear. Bob Anderson founded Runners World Magazine at the age of 17 with $100. He sold it in 1984 for 23 Million, and founded Ujena Swimwear. A runner, photographer and film producer, he has been running for 53 years.

I called up the company in July of 2010, and was put in touch with a woman by the name of Catherine. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation, and could clearly see that she was full of passion, vision and tons of great ideas. She was someone I wanted to have on my team! I proceeded to sign up as an Affiliate Marketer with Ujena Swimwear and included their link on Senorita’s website.

I could not have imagined what was going to happen next . . .

Magic Is Believing in Yourself and Making It Happen!

Walt Disney had an immense impact on both the entertainment industry and the popular culture of the 20th century, He created the first cartoons with synchronized sound, the first full-length animated feature film and the first theme park.

Disney did not have a happy childhood. He escaped his father’s brutality through drawing. With pen and ink, he created his own fantasy world where people were always happy.

He endured many struggles, beginning with the formation of an animation company in Kansas City in 1921. He made a deal with a distribution company in New York to ship them his cartoons and get paid six months down the road. He ended up being forced to dissolve his company, could not pay his rent and survived by eating dog food and cans of beans.

In 1927, MGM studios told Walt that the idea of a giant mouse on the screen would never work because it would terrify women. Today, Mickey Mouse is his most famous creation and a universally recognized icon. Disney’s magic continues to touch the lives of many generations to come, and is a genuine inspiration to me.

, “I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.”

-Walt Disney

When I was a young girl, I loved to draw. I was raised by an aunt and uncle who believed that children should be seen and not heard, so I spent the majority of my childhood in my room. I especially loved drawing people and animals. One develops an imagination in this environment, and I believe that somehow influenced me today.

I had developed a trademark name and had a manufacturer for my product. I was at a stage of my business that I needed a spokesperson. Not having enough money in my budget to hire one, I decided to create my own.

I envisioned a unique character that would represent the amazing tropical cocktail mix that I developed . . someone interesting and intriguing. That character would tell a story of the development of this product, how its distribution would spread throughout the US and the world. Her story would include traveling and experiences in tropical locales throughout the globe as she promoted her product. I knew that the future of advertising was telling a story!

In June of 2010, I created Senorita Limonita. I sat down at the table and drew her out in black and white. Fit and healthy, she represents a product that contains a plethora of healthy ingredients. Her intriguing and interesting look invites you to take a sip of her delicious drink! I immediately created her very own Facebook page, and she introduced herself as follows: “Hi, my name is Senorita Limonita. I developed the most delicious margarita mix on the planet. I will be sharing it with you soon!”

Early Stage Senorita Limonita

The thing I did not know was what lie ahead and the amazing impact this character would have on my life and the lives of others. I only knew one thing - she was going to make people happy all over the world!

Successful Products Improve People's Lives

If a company wants people to buy their products, they have to be passionate, alive and happy! There is truly no better feeling than improving the quality of people’s lives.

I knew, for a my brand to be successful and to enter a new market that was unfamiliar to me, I needed to offer premium quality and value. I wanted my cocktail mix to stand out and offer a noticeable difference to any other cocktail mix out there. My goal is to be an established player. I knew I had something, and it was going to be BIG. I knew there would be challenges, and to learn from them and continue to improve the product would be the difference between success and failure for me.

My next task was to find a manufacturer for my product. Not many stories about amazing products come out of Arizona, so I wanted to create one! My goal was to find a local company that could produce Senorita Limonita in the sunshine state!

“The most effective way to do it, is to do it” - Amelia Earhart

My first approach was with a national craft juice company in Tempe. Prior to my appointment, I sat outside in my car and watched several of the ingredients of my formula arrive by the truckload. Because of their fresh juices, I learned their products were required to be refrigerated. Knowing that cocktail mixes are not purchased in the refrigerated section of stores, I knew that was not going to work for me. Regardless, they were extremely helpful to me. As a registered FDA facility, they tested the acid level on the formula and said it was very well balanced -clearly the reason that it does not give consumers heartburn! They informed me that you cannot advertise a product as healthy because their is no real proof, but you can say that it is a healthy blend of sugar and acidity.

My next approach was to a private label co-packer and distributor of all natural, organic and kosher certified items in Phoenix. The owner seemed eager and anxious to be a part of the process, but he kept referring all communications to a salesman who would never return my phone call. My business advisers have told me NEVER pay for the development of a formula up front, and they refused to move forward unless I paid a sizeable amount of money to start formulation.

Having not found a manufacturer in my home state, I turned to the internet. My first run of product was made by a beverage development company in California. I must confess that, when you develop a product in your kitchen, it is WAY different than how it is made for mass production. The process begins with sending a sample to the manufacturer, they reverse engineer it, produce a sample in the chemical lab, and send it to you. They felt confident they could duplicate it in one or two attempts, but it was twelve, and took a total of four months to get it right!

The initial formulas sent to me for tasting were cheap and sugary, not at all like the fresh tasting, delicious concoction I had developed in the kitchen. I have had several companies tell me that it’s the hardest formula they have ever reverse engineered, and that’s a good thing for me!

It’s such an amazing cocktail mix, I knew others would try to copy it. Several have tried already with failed attempts. I know my strength - it's my brand - and that one day the Limonita would make people happy all over the world! I can't wait . . .