5 Vital Things that Great Branding Can Do for Your Business
05 Mar 2015
In today’s ultra-competitive business environment, the importance of branding cannot be overstated. In fact, branding is serious strategic business. A well-developed brand image gives a business a credible identity and lets customers know at a glance what that business is all about and what their trading philosophies are.
A great brand cannot just be created out of thin air. It needs to be nurtured and developed, with equal parts of creative force and deep thinking. There needs to be a concerted effort to understand the needs of the target market and an effort to learn their way of thinking.
Here are five vital signs that your branding is working just as it should be.
Building Expectations
Sometimes the expectation that a customer has of a particular product or service can be more important than the actual performance. When a customer pays more for something, naturally they expect a lot more. Just the fact that they are willing to spend more on one product or service over another is a sure sign that the branding effect has weaved its magic. The seed of expectation has been planted in the mind of the consumer.
Creating Cultures
In addition to being one of the most effective marketing tools available to a business, the right branding can also have a positive effect within an organisation. Building a brand with a clear vision and a focus on achieving defined goals gives all staff a true sense of purpose. It emboldens them to become professional ambassadors for the company and fosters a sense of collaboration and connection with others. In other words, it creates a positive culture which will help a business thrive and prosper.
Resiliency and Moving with the Times
While it is true that to stay relevant in today’s fast-moving and competitive business environment a company needs to move with the times, it remains important that the original brand message is not lost in the shuffle. Once a brand image has been built and is implanted firmly in the minds of customers, deviating too far from that image would only serve to cause confusion. There would certainly be a danger of the business looking as if it were unsure of its own identity. Change is a good thing, as long as the core elements of what made a business successful in the first place remain firmly in check.
Being Unique
No matter how interesting a branding strategy may be, major success can only really be achieved by standing out from the crowd in some way. To be unique does not necessarily mean having to think outside the box. It is all in the detail. Look beyond the logo and corporate colours, and try to find something that really speaks to people. This is where branding can truly become personal.
Creating Referrals
If a customer receives exceptional service from a company, they are likely to tell their friends and family about it. That positive experience has therefore generated extra business for the company in question. The same can be achieved through memorable branding. A brand which sticks in the memory could well lead to a conversation about that brand, and subsequently the word begins to spread. The brand building then takes care of itself.
Using Signage and Visual Assets to Build Equity
A lot of what has been discussed above is decided quickly and is based off of first impressions. Fair or unfair, it is a fact of business that consumers will judge a brand’s positioning very quickly. If you operate within a client-facing physical location, professional signage can really start you off on the front foot. Shop fronts that sit in line with your branding communications in other channels not allow customers or clients to identify your premises easily, but they also sew the first seeds of professionalism.
Branding offers the chance for you to control how future exchanges between you and your customers – both current and prospective – will pan out, and ensure you start off your business relationships in the best possible way.