Your brand is a very powerful business tool and success of your business depends on the quality and sharpness of this tool. On similar lines, your brand is also the personality of your business – one that makes your business look attractive to your customers. Your brand also helps your customers differentiate between you and your competition.
Let us see how your brand does all this for your business.
Your brand tells your customers about who you are; what you do; why you do it; and how well do you do it?
Who You Are?
“Who you are” is all about how to appear to be. All of your visual communication points like your name, logo, website, marketing material, packaging design, look and feel of your shop or office, collectively contribute towards who you are. This is your first impression to the customer and you need to make sure it is the best you can afford to be. Cutting corners here could mean losing customers even before they speak to you.
What You Do?
“What you do” is all about communicating the benefits of your product and service offerings. Which aspects of your customer’s business or life will be improved by using your products and services? What you do should address some real gaps that you propose to solve. If you provide a service, it should also include customer centricity in your service delivery process.
Why You Do It?
“Why you do it” is the logical and emotional connect. It is all about why you started this business in the first place. Is it something about your skill or talent or a passion you’ve grown for years? Remember, “who you are” is very much connected to why you do it. Have you been a passionate teacher and have written a book on your favorite subject? If yes, then this is a logical connect. If your book claims to make even an average student crack a difficult exam, it start to become an emotional connect. Emotional connect aligns your product or service with deep desires of your customers. It is the emotional connect that helps develop a long term bond between you and your customers.
How Well You Do It?
“How well you do it” is an expression of the extent of benefit your product or service promises to its customers. Today’s consumer does not want to hear big, unsubstantiated words. You need to communicate a reasonable and measurable benefit. For example a weight loss product could say, “Lose up to 10 kg in 8 weeks”. And if you really know what you are talking about, add a customer assurance like “With 100% money back guarantee”. Of course you will also want to mention all the terms and conditions in place, but the primary reason for your claim should be some real statistical data certifying the quality of your product.
While citing measurable benefits make sure to list the exceptions that your offer does not cover. For example, your weight loss product may not promise weight loss for people with certain medical conditions. Doing so gives you an image of a business with transparent business practices and increases your customer’s trust.
There is an aspect of branding in every stage of your business and a serious business needs to do brand building very religiously.
Recommended reading: 5 Steps for creating a new brand
Recommended reading: How to find a great brand name?
Recommended reading: 7 Top Secrets of Successful Brands
