If you’ve got big plans for your business, creating a strong, memorable brand could be one of the most important things you do. Here are just a handful of the advantages you can expect a great brand to bring you:
1. It lets people know instantly what your company is all about
A strong brand will include a well thought through visual presence – designed so that prospective customers associate your company with positive qualities. If you sell parts to engineering companies those qualities might be attention to detail or mathematical expertise, whereas an organic skincare company might go for associations with simplicity and nature. Colours, patterns, images and font create associations with all these qualities and more.
2. It helps you stand out in your industry…
When branding your company it’s important to consider your competitors and what their brands represent – and then position your company as offering something unique to the marketplace. Successful companies don’t all offer anything tangibly different – it’s often their branding that suggests they do. Think of a multi-million pound global corporation presenting itself as ‘local’ or a high street giant subtly implying flawless ethics and you get the picture.
3. …but not too much
Your customers still want to associate you with the industry they’re looking to purchase a product or service from – and a strong brand doesn’t stray too far from the status quo. You probably wouldn’t take out a mortgage from a company which placed too much emphasis on fun or a child’s toy which was only marketed on its financial benefits. An experienced marketer can help you decide where to toe the line and where to draw the line.
4. It keeps things professional
A strong brand is essential to give people a great impression of your business. It shows you take it seriously – and probably take your products and services seriously too. If you want to get serious about growth, a sleek and pulled-together visual and online presence gives you a great head start towards playing with the big dogs of business.
5. And whilst we’re on professionalism…
Consistency, consistency, consistency. A strong brand presents a consistent message about the company – which leads people to associate this quality with all elements of the business. Would you want to do business with a company that didn’t value consistency? Thought not.
6. It appeals to the heart, not the head
Whilst we might try our hardest to be rational, studies show that people’s choices simply aren’t. A strong brand appeals to the heart, not the head, with associations that often aren’t linked to the product itself. Take Coca-Cola – they sell a brown-black sugary, caffeinated drink through associating it with happiness and childhood and are one of the most profitable companies in the world!
7. It helps you get ahead with your marketing campaigns
A strong brand is instantly recognisable and stays in the subconscious for a long time. This is great for other aspects of the marketing mix – meaning that the second time a potential customer is exposed to your marketing material, they’ll feel like they already know your company and be more likely to take another look.
8. It adds value to your products
One story goes that the first recorded incident of branding in a marketing sense was at a London grocery store in the days when soap was sold by weight. He decided to cut his soap into smaller pieces, package it prettily and sell it for a higher price per pound. This was a long time ago but the principle still applies today. Branding might not be able to make you millions from a shoddy product but it could make you millions from an average one. Particularly with status symbols such as cars, handbags and clothes, people often ‘buy’ the brand, not the product.
9. It could help grow and improve your workforce
A business is only as good as the people it employs and great workers love working for businesses that they know and care about – and that have personality. If the idea of working with a bright, diverse group of people every day doesn’t convince you that building a stronger brand is a great idea I don’t know what will! Our team of experts can help you build a strong, cohesive brand, from conceptualisation through to design and production of marketing collateral. For more information please contact us…
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