Every business is a brand. I wonder whether you agree or disagree with this statement?
A brand = a promise. A promise to deliver certain goods and / or services to a certain standard. So the next question is: what is your promise?
Think ‘brand’ all the time. Branding includes your visual identity, i.e. logo, colours, typeface and photography. Choose these carefully and do your best to use them consistently. However, the ‘look and feel’ of a brand is only what appears on the surface. True brand identity runs deep. For a small business, it will be a reflection of what the business owner believes and how they see the world.
The foundation for any brand comprises a set of values. For example, integrity. If a customer has a problem, your sense of integrity will guide you towards a solution.
A recogniseable brand helps to remove fear. I had a conversation yesterday with a potential new client. She told me that she had been receiving my newsletter for several years. She had seen my name pop up with regards to various events at which I was the speaker. Before we spoke, she Googled my name and was reasurred to find references to me. She was comfortable thats he was dealing with a known name.
Your marketing activities and, in particular, your promotional mix should be geared towards building your brand. Successful brands have distinct market positioning and convey clear messages to the marketplace. Is this how you are thinking now, I wonder?
Here is a famous article by management guru Tom Peters, entitled ‘The Brand Called You.’ It was written in August, 1997 and the article remains a classic, to this day.
Established brands attract more buyers and they command a larger market share than non-brands. Thinking in this way will be good for your business. I wish you all the best with your brand building activities!
If you are interested in discussing the issues raised in this blog with regards to your business, your website and your customer attraction processes, by all means get in touch.