Definition: The process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers’ mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers – The Business Dictionary
Branding your company is the foundation of your business, once you lay that foundation you can build on it and define your objectives and start your marketing campaign to make your brand known. Not only do you need to develop your brand’s image but its identity as well. The image is the more superficial side to your business whereas your identity tells your client about your business and shows who you are and what your brand represents. This doesn’t mean that one is more important than the other so both must be researched very carefully beforehand.
To build your business first lay the foundation and develop your brandYou must in order to come up with a range of ideas that may work for your business, developing your , your and a as well if necessary. Write distinguishing characteristics about your business and what makes you stand out from your competition. Just to get you started, take a look at the below suggestions:
You must brainstorm in order to come up with a range of ideas that may work for your business, developing your identifying colours, your logo and a tagline as well if necessary. Write distinguishing characteristics about your business and what makes you stand out from your competition. Just to get you started, take a look at the below suggestions:
- What product or service are you selling?
- Are you a company or a self-employed person?
- Research your market and everything about your product/ service
- What do you offer that is different to other businesses in your field?
- How does your product/service benefit your client?
- What are your future goals and what do you hope to achieve by starting your business in the first place?
- Let the rest of the world see what you’re doing. Market your business maintaining your chosen image and colours. If you have a website, it should perfectly represent your colours as well as your branding identity to show what you are about.
- Just because your business is now out there it doesn’t mean your work is done. No my friend, your work has just begun because now your priority is to take care of your brand to build a long-lasting business so the key is to be consistent in your marketing strategies.
- As time goes by your logo may become outdated and as your business grows and changes, it may be necessary to modify your overall image. This isn’t a bad thing as standards and technology are always moving forward and your business must move with the times. Kellogs the cereal company for example has been around since 1906 but they have not limited themselves to producing only boxed cereals, no, they expanded to produce cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavoured snacks, frozen waffles and vegetarian foods. They changed with the times and grew their company. Do you think they use the same package design and techniques they used way back in 1906? Again, they revamped themselves so that their product would still appeal to the masses and you can do exactly the same.
Your logo and brand colours should stick in potential clients’ minds so that even if they do not contract you straight away, when they do require the type of services you offer, your logo and identity would have stuck in their minds for them to contact you. For advertising purposes, your logo and overall brand to include packaging and stationery should be easily recognizable to clients, enough to differentiate you from similar companies, I mean who wouldn’t be able to pick out the McDonald’s or Nike logos from a line-up? The fact they have achieved that just shows the power of branding.
How many of these do you recognize?
So, this is my quick guide to developing your own brand but there is more, another important task is your mission statement but we’ll discuss that next time.
