A brand is the sum of people’s perception of a business. Creating a brand involves showcasing the company’s products and services in the best possible light and distinguishing it from the competition. Your brand should be built as a true representation of your company’s values and what your customers can expect from you.
There are many aspects that need to come together to create a memorable brand: advertising, customer service, promotional material, reputation and logo. If you can get all these elements to work together, you should be able to create a unique and attention-grabbing profile.
Why is Branding Important?
Creating a brand is essential if you want to survive in today’s business environment. Branding can change how people see your business, which can help drive new business and increase your presence in the marketplace.
Recognition – One of the most important reasons that branding is so vital is that this is how a company becomes known to consumers. Your logo serves as the face of the company, so should be professionally designed to be powerful and memorable, ensuring instant recognition to everyone who sees it. Think of some of the most popular companies in any field, and chances are that anyone could draw a passable impression of their logo from memory.
Increasing Business Value – Having a recognizable brand can help increase your company’s value. An established business is seen as having more leverage in the marketplace, making it a more lucrative investment opportunity that a company that no-one has ever heard of. Therefore, a strong brand can almost guarantee better financial returns from the company’s efforts towards building said brand.
Generating New Customers – Strongly branded companies have less trouble drumming up new business than companies with little to no branding. Having a strong brand gives off the impression of stability and dependability, as well as a sense of familiarity. These all contribute consumers being more likely to do business with you, and in turn generate more referrals to new customers because of the familiarity and perceived dependability of using a name they trust. Once your brand has been well-established, you will find that word of mouth will be your best and most effective form of advertisement.
Improving Employee Pride and Satisfaction – Employees need more than just work. Most employees need something to work towards. Creating a strong brand can help your employees feel like they belong to something special and they are contributing to the mission of the company. Getting your employees to truly stand the brand will ensure better job satisfaction and more pride in their work. Working for a reputable brand makes working for that company more fulfilling and enjoyable. A simple way of creating this sense of belonging among your employees is to have them work out of a branded office and have company branded shirts or other promotional merchandise readily available to staff.
Creating Trust Within the Marketplace – A professional appearance and robust branding strategy will help the company to build a presence in the marketplace and instill trust in consumers, partners and potential stakeholders. People are more likely to do business with a company that has a polished and professional image. Having a strong brand goes a long way in giving the impression of being industry leaders and fostering trust in the general public towards the company, the products and services it offers, as well as the way the company and its staff handles its business.
Crafting a strong brand is only half of the process though. Now that you have created your company’s identity, it is now time to get your message out to the world. This is why marketing is so important in creating a strong brand.
Advertising
Whether the goods and services your company offers are a necessity, a luxury or a bit of a novelty, you can’t rely on a one-time announcement or word of mouth to keep a steady stream of customers. You need to ensure that you are getting word out constantly that you have something exciting to offer. Even if you have a well-established brand, it is important to advertise new products and services to the masses. This can be done through TV and radio announcements, printed banners, billboards and the like. It is important to work with a professional company to make sure that your advertisements are well designed and effective. Sign Advocates are signage providers with over 30 years of experience in visual communication and can give you the edge you need to be sure that your brand stands out.
In an economy where businesses are closing down at a rapid pace, having a strong brand and robust marketing strategy is vital for a company to flourish. Shrewd use of regular ads, flyers, events and a dynamic website are invaluable to maintaining long-term investment in your brand, and attracting new customers to your business.
