Almost every business has a trading name, from the smallest market trader to the largest multi-national corporation. Only a minority of those businesses however, have what could be classed as a ‘brand’ or a ‘brand name’.

Branding is a word commonly referred to by advertisers and marketing people, but what does it actually mean, how can you get it, and most importantly; how will it benefit your business?

There are many ways to define a brand. It can be defined as “a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer.” Also consider that “a brand is a promise,” according to Walter Landor, a brand design legend.

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.

A well-known brand is generally regarded as one that people will recognise, often even if they do not know about the company or its products/services. These are usually the businesses name or the name of a product, although it can also include the name of a feature or style of a product.

The overall ‘branding’ of a company or product can also stretch to a logo, symbol, or even design features (E.g.: Regularly used colours or layouts, such as red and white for Coca Cola.) that identify the company or its products/services.

For example:

The Nike brand name is known throughout the world, people can identify the name and logo even if they have never bought any of their products.

However, not only is the company name a brand, but the logo (The ‘tick’ symbol) is also a strong piece of branding in its own right. The majority of people that are aware of the company can also identify it (or its products) from this symbol alone.

The clothing and running shoe company Adidas is well known for using three stripes on its range of products. This design feature branding allows people to identify their products, even if the Adidas brand name and logo is not present.

Therefore it makes sense to understand that branding is not about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem.

Everyone has their own definition of what a brand is, but these two statements sum it up pretty nicely. What do you want your customer to think of when she thinks of your company? What does your customer think when he looks at your business brochures? You need to create what you want your customers to feel and think when they see your business. That’s a brand.

The objectives that a good brand will achieve include:

• Delivers the message clearly
• Confirms your credibility
• Connects your target prospects emotionally
• Motivates the buyer
• Concretes User Loyalty

To succeed in branding you must understand the needs and wants of your customers and prospects. You do this by integrating your brand strategies through your company at every point of public contact.

Your brand resides within the hearts and minds of customers, clients and prospects. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and some that you cannot.

A strong brand is invaluable as the battle for customers intensifies day by day. It’s important to spend time investing in researching, defining, and building your brand. After all your brand is the source of a promise to your consumer. It’s a foundational piece in your marketing communication and one you do not want to be without.

Brand Characteristics
So how do you make a positive, memorable brand? Three things characterize great brands:

Uniqueness.

The whole point of branding is to differentiate yourself from your competitors. You can’t please everyone, and you shouldn’t try to with your brand – you’ll just confuse people. You need to create a brand that is unique to your company and/or your product.

Brands keep their promise.

Your brand should reflect your business – how it is, not how you would like it to be, or what it could be. Your brand must link to the style, culture, product and service of your business. Your brand must have integrity. Whatever you promise should be what you deliver.

Brands are integrated.

A quality brand should be shown in and reinforced by everything you do: Your prices, your customer service, even your business location.

Likewise, your marketing should be integrated. If your marketing materials, such as your business brochures, don’t have any similarity to your store or Web site, no cohesiveness will happen in your customers’ minds as they look through your brochure and later enter

How Can Branding Benefit My Business?

[1] Recognition and Loyalty

The main benefit of branding is that customers are much more likely to remember your business. A strong brand name and logo/image helps to keep your company image in the mind of your potential customers.

If your business sells products that are often bought on impulse, a customer recognising your brand could mean the difference between no-sale and a sale. Even if the customer was not aware that you sell a particular product, if they trust your brand, they are likely to trust you with unfamiliar products. If a customer is happy with your products or services, a brand helps to build customer loyalty across your business.

[2] Image of Size

A strong brand will project an image of a large and established business to your potential customers. People usually associate branding with larger businesses that have the money to spend on advertising and promotion. If you can create effective branding, then it can make your business appear to be much bigger than it really is.

An image of size and establishment can be especially important when a customer wants reassurance that you will still be around in a few years time.

[3] Image of Quality

A strong brand projects an image of quality in your business, many people see the brand as a part of a product or service that helps to show its quality and value.

It is commonly said that if you show a person two identical products, only one of which is branded; they will almost always believe the branded item is higher quality.

If you can create effective branding, then over time the image of quality in your business will usually go up. Of course, branding cannot replace good quality, and bad publicity will damage a brand (and your businesses image), especially if it continues over a long period of time.

[4] Image of Experience and Reliability

A strong brand creates an image of an established business that has been around for long enough to become well known. A branded business is more likely to be seen as experienced in their products or services, and will generally be seen as more reliable and trustworthy than an unbranded business.

Most people will believe that a business would be hesitant to put their brand name on something that was of poor quality.

[5] Multiple Products

If your business has a strong brand, it allows you to link together several different products or ranges. You can put your brand name on every product or service you sell, meaning that customers for one product will be more likely to buy another product from you.

You can also create separate brand names for your product ranges, allowing people to see your brand name, and then use the range brand name to work out what they wish to buy.

Tips to Creating a Great Brand

Here are some tips to help you create your own brand.

1.    Choose your promise.

Make sure your promise is based upon something authentic in your business, something you value and would be willing to defend. What can you promise and deliver on better than your competition? How are you different?

2.    Brainstorm a campaign strategy.

Meet with friends or other employees and brainstorm some marketing ideas. If you have a brochure printing company, what kind of brochure printing will you focus on? Gather focus groups to help you pick the best idea. Create a logo that matches your brand idnetity and a tagline that reinforces your image. Then get the word out.

3.    Strengthen your brand.

The best way to strengthen your brand is to get it out there for people to see and remember.

Choose colors that reflect what you want the customer to feel when they see your brand; create a Web site that includes these colors, fonts, and your brand message on each page. Keep these colors and themes in all your marketing materials – posters, brochures, billboards – whatever. Just keep it consistent to help people remember you!

By defining who your brand is you create the foundation for all other components to build on. Your brand definition will serve as your measuring stick in evaluating any and all marketing materials and strategies. You will begin this process by answering the questions below.

1. What products and/or services do you offer? Define the qualities of these services and/or products.
2. What are the core values of your products and services? What are the core values of your company?
3. What is the mission of your company?
4. What does your company specializes in?
5. Who is your target market? Who do your products and services attract?
6. What is the tagline of your company? What message does your tagline send to your prospects?
7. Using the information from the previous steps create a personality or character for your company that represents your products or services. What is the character like? What qualities stand out? Is the personality of your company innovative, creative, energectic, or sophisticated?
8. Use the personality that you created in the previous step and build a relationship with your target market that you defined in Step 5. How does that personality react to target audience? What characteristics stand out? Which characteristics and qualities get the attention of your prospects.
9. Review the answers to the questions above and create a profile of your brand. Describe the personality or character with words just as if you were writing a biography or personal ad. Be creative.

About the author

Farhaan Panagar wrote 13 articles on this Website.

Analyst with Deloitte.

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