Speaking to a lot of clients we seem to be having issues discussing branding. It seems that people either don’t understand or can’t comprehend what a brand is or think that a brand is simply what the big boys do. However in today’s market what we have found is, big or small, the quicker you can define what your brand is and why people would choose you above your competition the quicker they start winning new business. This blog post is starters for ten to try and help you look at your company and see how you can start to develop a brand within your marketplace.
Typically when we work with clients and have helped them create a strong brand message and positioning, they double their turnover! One of our clients has generated 12 times what they were earning over a two year period! I don’t say this to brag simply to show how important a brand can be to any business. We have done this for big and small companies and always get the same results. Is it because we are brilliant, unfortunately I don’t think so (although we areJ), it is because so few companies have invested time and effort in creating a strong brand positioning within their market.
So as a place to start I suppose we should ask WHAT IS A BRAND? Simply put it is the gut feeling a person gets about your service, product or organisation. It’s a gut feeling because people buy from an emotive place and brands are defined by individuals/clients………not you. Your brand is what THEY think and what they say about you. Yes you define the brand; you have to generate the feeling, however the client is the one who has to feel. A little bit fluffy?
Okay, in simple terms this is why it is so important? 1. People have too many choices and too little time. 2. Most offerings are similar. 3. People tend to base their purchases on trust. In other words IF you can get your brand right you will create repeat custom as people will trust you and know what they are buying. Get it wrong, don’t define and people won’t come back as they won’t know what they are coming back to or have any reason to remember you. Why do people go back to MacDonald’s time and again and wouldn’t consider burger king? Yes, because they prefer their burgers but more to the point they know EXACTLY what they are buying EVERY time. If the offering constantly changed people wouldn’t go back. They wouldn’t know what to expect and hence a brand experience wouldn’t be created.
So how can you define a brand? Here’s a helpful crash course.
- Be different. If you don’t stand out from the crowd you’re still in it. Who are you? What do you do? Why does it matter? All of these questions require compelling and focused answers. If you can’t provide them how can your customers? Focus your answer, the clearer you can make it for yourself the clearer the type of client you want will get it.
- Collaborate: You need strong partners, clients, staff and the more they feel involved with your brand and what it stands for the more buy in and loyalty you generate internally which will then be reflected externally.
- Innovate: This is where the creative side kicks in. Great name, great graphics, packaging, tight message and focused target market. Allow easy access to relevant information. Your product may be for everyone however if you market like this you in effect won’t be talking to anyone. Look at where you want to be, the clients you would like to attract and then attract them. Too many messages, too many markets, too confusing.
- Validate: Ask your audience, staff, decision makers what they think of the new look, feel, message but not through massive amounts of market research you want quick answers. Do you look the same as the competition, do you sound the same? In effect have you provided a brand look and feel that is different, memorable and extendable?
- Cultivate: All of your thinking and strategy should run through the entire organisation and beyond. If someone answers the phone it is your brand, pop onto your website the same. Every interaction with you should be from the same place but more importantly every interaction with you WILL become your brand and will define in clients how they feel about you. If you have defined your brand properly in the first three steps this will be how you train your staff, what you say on literature and your marketing message.
Be tough, be brutal, don’t stray and try and bolt in everything through fear. Look where your market strength is and develop it. Keep to your strengths and use these to defeat the competition. Yes a one man band can be a brand they simply have to behave, deliver and define what and how they wish to be thought of by their target markets.
Hope that helps! We know it helps our clients and sorry I can’t go into further depth if I did I would end up writing a book. Hey now there’s a thought.
Happy hunting.
