Making Your Mark
According to Entrepreneur.com, Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, large or small, retail or B2B. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets. But what exactly does "branding" mean? How does it affect a small business like yours?
Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitors'. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.
The foundation of your brand is your logo. Your website, packaging and promotional materials--all of which should integrate your logo--communicate your brand.
Brand Strategy & Equity
Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy. Your distribution channels are also part of your brand strategy. And what you communicate visually and verbally are part of your brand strategy, too.
Consistent, strategic branding leads to a strong brand equity, which means the added value brought to your company's products or services that allows you to charge more for your brand than what identical, unbranded products command. The most obvious example of this is Coke vs. a generic soda. Because Coca-Cola has built a powerful brand equity, it can charge more for its product--and customers will pay that higher price.
The added value intrinsic to brand equity frequently comes in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment. For example, Nike associates its products with star athletes, hoping customers will transfer their emotional attachment from the athlete to the product. For Nike, it's not just the shoe's features that sell the shoe.
Refine, Refresh, or Reposition
When trying to decide whether or not to reposition, a company sometimes puts the cart before the horse. Before determining whether to reposition a product, service, or brand-- the following analysis and research should be conducted:
- Determine your current brand equity and position in the marketplace (both perceived and actual)
- Identify business results achieved against desired objectives
- Explore unique competitive advantages and affinity partnerships that can be sustained or leveraged
A two-prong approach, including Discovery Mapping™ and integrating our Branding Precepts into a creative planning session, our clients receive the information they need to make the right decision.
Our team is not interested in just handing off a new brand image, (as in taking the money and run).
We will (for the sake of serving your ultimate goals better), go much further down the road with you than the average agency. We will help you ascertain what needs to be done to both gain and retain customers who in turn, become your advocates.
When working with a firm to create or build a brand, there are three Discover True North branding precepts that we consistently use:
- DESIGN: Satisfying the customer is not enough, the brand must be referral-worthy
- METRICS & REMEDY: Value is built through research and responsiveness
- DELIVERY & MAINTENANCE: Company-wide systems and mindset must be shaped or altered to consistently sustain your brand promise within the marketplace
What We Can Do For Your Company:
- Brand Development Consultation & Services (logo refinement, demographics, positioning strategies)
- Discovery Mapping (exploring challenges & mapping solutions)
- Marketing Plan and Campaigns Consultation or Development
- Marketing Services (advertising, events, graphic design, merchandising displays, social media, viral)
- Strategic Planning (blueprints with action plans)
- Website Design & Development (graphic design, content management systems, social media platforms)
The most successful brands offer their customers a positive experience time and again. For it is through an experience that a customer's perception of the brand is shaped for better or worse.The strategies related to building an effective brand are numerous; however in today's marketplace, the strategy must be customer-centric in nature and yield a healthy ROI.
In a world where impressions matter, Discover True North will make sure that your beauty is more than just skin deep. For specific branding services based on your needs, please click here.