What is the first thing that comes to mind when you see the image to the right?
Apple, is right! They have done a great job with branding. The definition of brand can be very hard to define. If you ask a group of people to define what brand means, you will get several different answers. Some say it is a promise of product performance, an assurance of quality or service. Others say it’s the perception of value or satisfaction through association with a company or product. Many people hesitate to invest in their branding because they question if it’s really a source of having a competitive advantage? To keep it pretty simple brand is the image or perception people have of your product or company. We know that dealing with branding can get overwhelming so we have listed the different aspects that you should definitely focus on while working on your brand:
- Spend time on naming and the logo. Make sure the process is thought through carefully. This is going to be how people recognize your company. Make sure to have a variety of people, such as, a creative person, marketing strategist, company decision maker, etc., in the process so you can create the best outcome.
- Loyal customers also known as brand loyalty customers are very important to remember. These are people who are going to always pick your brand over competitors no matter what. They not only purchase your products, but encourage others to do so as well.
- Branding goes further than just advertising. A brand is about how someone else perceives you or your company, so it’s important to make sure that you have guidelines for your company. For example, let’s say in your tagline there is something about being the smartest in the industry. And then when people call your customer service department they never get their questions answered, then people are going to perceive your company by how their interaction was, not your tagline. Therefore it’s important to train everyone in the company and make sure that their actions back up the words you are promoting.
As you can see branding has a lot of different aspects to it so, it is definitely worth spending your time upfront on. It’s not something that can be changed quickly or easily. What questions do you have about branding that we can address?
