1. Introduction to Branding in Business
In its essence, branding in business can be defined as the process of creating a unique name and image, novel enough to etch a distinct place in the consumers’ mind—or better yet, the heart.
The secret sauce of branding—emotions—establishes a strong connection between your audience and the product or service you want them to choose over and over again. As such, branding is not only a sweet, memorable tune carried on the ears of consumers; it is also a subtle and implicit portrayal of the differentiators and values of the business’s product to help it stand out in the market.
Historically, branding in business has always been associated with identifying goods, asserting legal ownership, differentiating similar or identical products from different manufacturers, and facilitating product handling in terms of packaging, dispatches, and storage.
The best example of brand valuation is consumers queuing outside a store the night before a new product is launched
2. Understanding Brand Strategy
A brand is so much more than a logo or tagline. A brand is the feeling that consumers have about a company, and that emotional response is driven by strategy.
The first step in building out your strategy is to define your mission, or purpose, and vision, or what you see as a future state. It may involve standardized taglines or a message progression, brand look and feel guidelines, and logo usage. Lastly, you may start to tell your brand’s story with multiple consumer touchpoints, such as your website, social media profiles, email marketing, and branding materials.
To select media that will drive the highest impact, start with a good understanding of who the customer is and why they need your product or service. A strong brand has strategic market positioning that is incorporated into every customer touchpoint. As you proceed on the visual identity and brand story, think about how your brand looks and how it acts, whether as a service provider, human resources coordinator, or senior sales director. Every visual element builds the brand because it is all tied into customer experience.
Alignment is the common thread linking brand strategy effectiveness to successful business operations.
If you need help aligning your business to get ideal clients, book a 30 min call and let’s make a plan together.
3. Implementing Brand Strategy in Small Businesses
There are many practical steps to implementing brand strategy in small businesses. First, it is necessary to ensure that all of your team members can embody your brand. Work with them to create a visual and verbal “brand guide” and provide them with the tools and resources they need to execute your brand strategy.
Next, develop a branding business plan. It doesn’t need to be long or complex; just a page or two on what your brand goals are, the strategies you will use to achieve them, the resources you will need, the goals and deadlines you need to meet, and the team members that will be responsible for making it happen.
In terms of your brand tactics, use a variety of methods to promote your brand and your customer service, from business cards to paid digital advertising to social media to local events. Every telephone call should be crisply answered and completed. Every email should be friendly and professional, from the “from” field through all the content. Automated email responses should be well written and brand-perfect. The postage meter sticker should include a tagline. Labels and stamps should be consistent with the brand expectation.
Don’t let your strong company traditions and legacies become so rigid that they break under pressure. Always look for ways to innovate your brand and take it to the next level.
4. Crafting a Strong Brand Identity
Creating a strong brand identity that stands out in a crowded marketplace requires a deep understanding of your target audience and their preferences. Your brand identity is comprised of several key elements: logos, color schemes, typography, and overall style. Your brand’s visual representation plays a key role in shaping how people feel about your company, so it’s important to communicate this directly through your branding.
A distinctive, memorable visual identity also benefits businesses by increasing customer loyalty and recognition. To connect with your target market, your brand identity must be authentic. By communicating your values and your brand vision, you can create a meaningful connection with your customers at first glance.
Today, it’s important to ensure that your brand identity is adaptable and can adjust to new technologies and platforms. However, while it’s important for your brand identity to be diverse, it’s equally important that you’re able to produce a consistent identity for your brand.
When brands are consistent, consumers are more likely to recognize them quickly and trust them implicitly. For example, when customers watch a company video, they should feel the same way as when they receive an email—like they’re engaging with the same brand. This requires a top-down approach for larger brands or businesses operating in multiple segments. The most successful brand identities often carry an unexpected, clever twist that resonates with their audience, often resulting in viral success.
However, there are several ways that brand building can go wrong. For example, greenwashing, or the use of “green” marketing to deceive consumers and make a company appear more environmentally conscious than it is, is a common issue. Brands that overpromise or hype themselves at the start may fall apart shortly after. Brands need to be faithful to their original message and promise. Finding a unique identity and remaining dedicated to it will help a brand create a long-lasting impression.
5. Strategic Brand Positioning
Strong brand positioning is strategic—central to gaining a competitive edge in a crowded market space. Brand positioning sets you apart from competitors while convincing consumers that you provide a different solution than anyone else in the market.
Brand positioning is both what your brand does and stands for. The position is the unique place in your consumer’s mind where your brand lives. While many factors contribute to that unique place, a brand’s position is primarily defined by differentiating the brand from its competitors, being superior to relevant aspects of competition, and being believable in the consumer’s mind.
There are several types of positioning strategies that a brand can adopt. Niche positioning targets the part of the audience that is being underserved by the competition, while emotional positioning has a brand solving an emotional need.
You can start by simply asking customers what they think makes your brand different. Among the popular market research methods are interviews, consumer surveys, focus groups, and usability testing. Effective brand positioning begins with this consumer perception knowledge.
Once you’ve defined your brand position, effectively communicating it to your target audience also requires a level of strategy. Over time, as consumer values and competition change, it’s crucial for a brand to revisit its strategic brand position and consider updating it as needed.
6. Building Brand Awareness
A brand is only as good as it is visible. If nobody knows about your brand, then it is very unlikely they are buying. Brand awareness is the extent to which a brand is recognized by potential customers and is correctly associated with a particular product. Strategies for increasing brand awareness include:
- Attend or sponsor events in your target market.
- Place ads in print and digital where you are certain your audience will see them.
- Constantly pitch or respond to events, topics, and new happenings related to your target customers and your product.
- Become the subject-matter expert in your target customers’ world.
