Just like any growing business or a start-up, you have to compete with innumerable big and small brands with devoted client base and large marketing budgets. This is the reason why you have to search for ways to stand out from them. A solid brand building plan is the sure shot solution for this. But branding is much more than a well-placed advertisement or a cool logo. It’s much more than that.
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What is a brand?
Let’s put it in simple words; your brand will be defined as per a customer’s perception of your business. A successful brand will be consistent in experience and communication in applications like print, packaging, storefront or office environment, signage, online and website advertising, social media & content marketing, customer & sale service and much more. So, you realize the brand building is not so simple, and it doesn’t happen overnight.
Building a brand is surely a time consuming but rewarding process. Continuous efforts will end up in building lifelong relationships with customers. This results in steady growth in terms of a number of projects, sales, referrals, and advocacy for your services or products.
Here you will find a simplified path for brand building to help your business gain more loyal customers. Every company has a brand like Coca-Cola, Nike, etc. It’s the branding which ensures that a company stands out from the crowd of competitors having a loyal client base.
According to a survey it was found that almost 60% of customers prefer to buy products from familiar brands. This is why your aim should be to differentiate your branding strategy from that of your rivals in the industry.
Creating brand value is not a static process. It’s a continuous cycle of assessing and monitoring to maintain relevance and enhancing its value. Establishing and maintaining a strong brand identity is not an easy task. Getting an organizational commitment is the hardest step in some companies. For those that do it, they earn great rewards.
Here are five simple steps that will help you build a strong brand identity.
Understand your brand & Target Audience
You will have to create a thorough understanding of your brand first. What are its internal and external perceptions? How your target audiences see you as compare4d to your competitors? Are they aware of you? Understand your brand. What are the internal and external brand perceptions? What are the flaws in your brand performance? Brand assessment and research is the best method to access where you stand.
You have to prioritize emotional and rational brand perceptions to communicate major customer benefits as well as drivers of brand engagement, repurchase and loyalty. With the help of proper understanding of what are the factors responsible for getting value for your brand, the brand strategy will strengthen desired behaviors and perceptions.
Brands should be maintained and monitored to make sure that they retain importance and relevance with target audiences. Conduct brand audits and studies periodically to get continuous feedback on how to improve, measure and maintain a strong brand identity.
You shouldn’t waste your money, effort and time to try and become everything to all types of people. Instead, you have to try and create a brand which targets selected demographic. You have to identify your target audience, customize your sales and marketing mission as per your requirements.
For example, try and identify their gender, age, online behaviors, location, lifestyle, interests, and income. Create an image of your dream customers and a brand identity to match it, so that it’s easy for them to relate with your services, products, and business.
Create a Mission Statement
Consumers search for a brand that they can trust completely. This is why it’s important to sit and create a mission statement which summarizes your company values. This is the reason why brands exist; therefore you have to create a concise, clear mission statement that will be reflected in your logo, graphic design, company tagline. It will help you establish a positive following and reputation.
Research Competitors
Don’t imitate your competitors. You will have to properly research competitors to see where exactly they’re failing and succeeding. If you do your homework right, you will be able to spot a gap in the market and help your brand stand out from the competition. After all, it’s your goal for convincing customers to choose you over your competitors.
Promote Your USP
You have to find out what you can offer your customers that your competitors can’t. You will have to promote your USP to compete with big brands with big budgets. Focus on values, benefits, and qualities of your company which will make it unique in the industry. For example, whether you provide free delivery or 24-hour support? Whatever it takes, convince target audience that they have to choose you over your competitor.
Create a Professional tagline and logo
Nike is a perfect example of an effective and basic logo, and tagline, with it, just do it a phrase and swoosh logo. With some creativity and choosing the right logo, there will be no one stopping you from following the brand’s footsteps and creating a logo that is synonymous with quality.
Conclusion
Brand building can prove to be a significant thing for your business. Solid branding process will transform your business from small players to successful competitor.
You will find out that your customers will create a deep level of trust for your brand and will make them purchase what you’re selling.
Develop a visual identity to reinforce your brand!
Author Bio
Rahul Som is a CEO and Co-founder of Hopinfirst, one of the top Android app development companies. Rahul is passionate about SEO, Technology and management and blogs frequently on the topics.