Five Fundamentals of Business & Product Branding: Part 2 – Branding Basics
How can your brand stand out and set your business or product apart from the competition? What secures the success of companies where the overall brand identity precedes any specific products they have on sale. How can a brand influence a consumer to covet a particular watch, or pair of trainers just for the label? There are basic principles which outline the key aspects and foundations for developing a brand and keeping it ahead of the competition.
Defined by the Brand
Think of your brand as the flag that represents your business, a coat of arms which epitomises the company or the product. The brand provides your customer with their first impression of what you are trying to ‘sell’ them. It creates a perceived value of the consumer experience.
The aim is to convey what your business or product is about in a simplistic yet memorable way. Question whether the style of the brand truly reflects the product or type of business you are promoting? Consider how your brand can leave a lasting and positive imprint from the outset.
Don’t miss out on opportunities to brand all aspects of your company. Look at your website and any calls to action, social media, or email footers, as well as product literature, and ensure these are in line with a clear branding aspiration for your product or service.
Know your Product
Is your product, service, or business attainable for those you are trying to appeal to? Where does your product or company lie within its sector? It is essential to know your product well and understand what it offers consumers. Does the brand’s image suggest the desired perceived quality. Getting this wrong can deter the target demographic and give the impression what you’re offering doesn’t suit their needs.
Who are your customers and competitors?
If you have a clear idea of what is on offer, then you also need to understand who you are offering it to. Your aim should be to create a brand identity which appeals to your target customers and makes your product or service attainable to them. What will your customers want from your brand? To maintain trust and authenticity, this needs to be supported by proving you can deliver what is expected.
Look at your competitors and capitalise on their successes and failures to support you in defining your own brand. Compare how other businesses are presenting their brand and consider what you can offer that enables you to stand out. You can be inspired by the ideas of others and use these to galvanise your own, without directly emulating what has been done before.
Invest in your Brand
While you may have clear conceptual ideas for your brand design, engaging the support of a professional designer is a worthwhile investment for developing your brand’s image. They will be able to use their skills and knowledge to harness a logo, or website, that captures the essence of your product or company.
A unique and robust brand is also worth protecting as a registered trademark. This incurs a fee, but after spending time and money developing your brand the added cost will provide invaluable reassurance and protection from the competition.
In Part 3 we take a more focused look at building an authentic brand.