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Seven Key Branding Principles When it comes to taking advantage of halos, few tools are more crucial than an effective brand. Your brand is a promise about the kind of experience customers will have with your offerings and your company. Branding helps customers and prospects create a "shorthand" for your company – for example innovative, reliable, responsive, hip and so on. A well-defined brand positions your company according to what is most important to your prospects and customers, and distinguishes your business from your competitors. In fact, experts say that effective branding can cut the sales cycle significantly. You don't have to be a Fortune 500 corporation or spend a fortune to create a brand. You can build a winning brand as long as you're willing to spend the time. These guidelines can help: Define your brand personality Your brand personality shapes how customers think about your company and offerings. Spend time analyzing your business to identify how you stand out from the pack. How do you want customers to perceive your organization's personality – is it formal? Fun? Elegant? If it was a person, who would it be? Brainstorm the terms you want people to use when they think of your company. State your position Develop a positioning statement that describes your business in one or two sentences. If you already have an "elevator speech," use that as a starting point. Your statement should start with your company name, followed by a short phrase that describes your business, the market you serve and the unique benefit you bring to that market. Use this positioning statement to ensure that all of your marketing materials reflect this position. Listen to the marketplace Market research will help you identify your position in the marketplace and learn about your audience and your competition. Depending on your budget you can talk to customers, vendors and prospects informally, or conduct more formal research through focus groups or surveys. Keep track of what people are saying about you and your company on message boards, blogs and in the press. Create a brand strategy How will you present your brand? Specify the marketing message and the media you will use to communicate your brand message. An integrated campaign consisting of multiple complementary vehicles – such as print, online, direct mail and public relations – amplifies your message beyond what any one tactic can do. Don't forget branding messages for your employees. Because they represent your company daily to the outside world, you want to ensure that they stay on message and consistently create a positive perception. Audit your look Remember that every impression of your company shapes the brand experience, so be sure that your message is consistent across all possible points of contact. Examine all your company materials – from letterhead to logowear – with a critical eye. Are the colors, fonts and graphics consistent? Do your marketing materials match your brand personality? Update your image If your company imagery looks dated, invest in a good designer to update your visual identity and coordinate the entire complement of communications. Make sure that your logo supports your positioning and helps you stand out in a crowd. Consider adding a tagline, which is a short, descriptive phrase that captures the essence of your business. Review your media mix Is your message reaching the right audience, especially as communication preferences evolve? Consider starting a blog to communicate with prospects and customers, or writing articles in your area of expertise for posting online. Open a wiki and invite your customer's comments and suggestions. If you deliver on the promise your marketing materials create, then you may even find that your customers become your advocates, helping to spread your brand message for you. |
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