Brand Strategy
A company’s brand epitomizes the business and communicates to the public what and who the business is. It is all about the image of the business and the impression you want to make on your customers. A good logo is just the beginning of branding and is the base for your identity package (business cards, letterhead, signage, website, etc). The key to visual collateral is it needs to be well-designed with the target audience in mind. In addition to your look, your words are important to your marketing. Slogans, messaging and language should match your culture and personality.
Marketing vs. Branding
Marketing is what you do. Branding is who you are. Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably. Branding is the expression of the essential truth or value of an organization, product, or service. It is communication of characteristics, values, and attributes that clarify what this particular brand is and is not.
Marketing unearths and activates buyers. Branding makes loyal customers, advocates and evangelists out of those who buy.
Tips to Build a Successful Brand Strategy
- Define your brand – What do you offer and what specific customer need does your brand fill?
- Be unique – What can your brand do or offer that your competitors do not? Establish the unique value proposition (UVP) for your brand.
- Develop your name, logo and tagline – This creative aspect is the key to unlock your brand image in the consumer’s mind.
- Stand for something – What does your company stand for? Examples include: fun, environmentally friendly, service to others, etc.
- Be consistent – Develop a style guide to ensure creative consistency and be very consistent in messages conveyed about the brand across all mediums.
- Build long-term relationships with your customers – Deliver consistently on your brand promise to ensure both repeat customer business, referrals and brand evangelists.
- Measure effectiveness — Who knows your brand, what do they think, are they loyal and who are they? Customer surveys and focus groups can provide invaluable information. Also, be sure to continually check and track online engagement metrics such as mentions, shares, subscribers, etc.
