Are You Living Your Brand?
Branding is a marketing technique that has the potential to elevate your business and achieve great success. It involves helping your customers to form a recognizable association with you. It also has to do with the overall experience they have when interacting with your company. Developing your brand involves capturing the essence of your business and then developing ways to articulate your message to your customers that is consistent with your brand. No matter what method is used to interact with your customers they should get a consistent experience.
Visually link your business with good design, a logo, slogan, website and colours and observe the positive results very soon. Research and really understand who your audience is. Ask questions like: What are their spending habits? Values? Concerns? Needs? How does your product/service fit into their life? Is there a certain age range that your products/services appeal to? Do they live in large cities, small towns…? The possible questions are infinite but really think it through and you will come up with many that are important for your business. By answering these direct questions and adapting your message to appeal to your audience and you will soon see positive results.
The closer the focus the more connected the buyer will feel with your brand. It is imperative when communicating that you exchange information about the product in the same way your buyer talks. For example: if they are sophisticated, intelligent and affluent, speak to them with sophistication and parallel their style. If your audience is young, free-spirited adults don’t sound like parents; simply connect with your audience on their comfort level. Clients, community members and friends should know the personality of your business. Employees must understand and carry out the persona inside the brand.
Some great ways to do this are to hire those you believe already possess the desired traits, throw company parties, be a part of community events, and hold relaxed company meetings on communicating the brand consistently. Be sure to communicate your brand message, logo and tagline on company material consistently. These include: websites, marketing, advertising, public relations, e-mail, letterheads, business cards, and product packaging.
Place your brand on any objects related to your products or services. Employees must understand the brand and know how to effectively apply the brand in their communications. Don’t let employees design their own flyers or ads without approval unless of course they have been trained and hired to do so. One thing we all know is that change happens. Therefore it’s important to evaluate and re-evaluate your brand. Simple changes without changing the overall message are needed to survival. Grow with and ahead of your buyer.
Don’t let your brand make you look out of touch.