Branding Bits for Every Business

by Kelley Briggs

“Branding” has been a buzzword in the advertising/marketing arena for the past decade, and it’s a word that slips into business conversations every day. Having a strong “brand” for your company is important because it is one of the critically important aspects of your business. It is what sets you apart from your competition. It is what compels your customers to buy from you.

In order to remain competitive, companies need to build and maintain an image that will attract more customers, clients, and/or other businesses. A company’s brand image should resonate with its customer, and can be as diverse as that of Jaguar and Wal-Mart, two examples of successful companies with a ‘brand image’ that people can instantly recognize, relate to and remember day after day.

Branding is important whether you are just launching a new company or have been in business for a few years and now want to ‘establish an image’ that is more recognizable and memorable to your target audience. These 10 key points are applicable for any stage of the branding process, from initial development to a “brand facelift”. By controlling your brand, you are protecting one of your company’s most valuable assets – your company’s image.

1. Perception is Reality. Customers decide whether (or not) to do business with your company based on what they see, hear and feel about you. These emotionally driven responses are based on and directly related to the messages your company sends out at ALL levels. Your “brand” is the experience your customers have with you. It is everything from how the phone is answered, to your visual identity, to your charitable contributions. So if you think you don’t have a brand, think again. And if you think your company’s activities don’t affect your brand, again, think again.

2. It’s All Connected. Establish cohesive links between who your company is, who your company wants to be, how your customers see your company, and how your employees see the company. If your staff and executive team champion and embody the brand, the links become stronger. If not, the brand becomes diluted and less effective at every turn.

3. Lead, Don’t Follow. Branding is a way for companies of all sizes to achieve a high level of awareness among their customers and competitors. A strong brand can differentiate your business so that you stand out and are top of mind. Likewise, a weak brand – one that doesn’t compel or persuade, or is not memorable in any way — creates uncertainty and is often quickly forgotten.

4. Spread the Word. Most executives know their company's values and brand message, but often they fail to make sure that everyone else (their customers, their employees and the community) knows them too. The result is a weak brand that conveys different messages inside the company and out in the marketplace.

5. Size Doesn’t Matter — Consistency Does. No matter what your budget, use the same color palette, fonts, design, tone and messaging throughout all your marketing materials and in every channel. This includes EVERYTHING from business cards and letterhead to the Web site to promotions and tradeshows.

6. One IS Enough. A singular look on ALL sales and marketing materials creates a unified, consistent marketing message. Find one look or message that describes your business and stick with it — it will build trust, which in turn will breed loyalty and repeat customers.

7. Keep It Simple. The most effective strategies are the simplest strategies — plans that your customers can fully understand and become engaged with, plans that they can relate to and that move them emotionally, plans that make a connection with them.

8. Take It Step-by-Step. A successful brand strategy has four steps: Identify core values and your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Create a focused brand message. Develop a distinctive brand personality. Develop and deploy the symbol or mark that embodies your brand.

9. Leave It To The Professionals. Put away your clip art and concentrate on your business. Microsoft Publisher and Photoshop may be cool, but if you use every trick these software packages offer, your company will end up looking messy and unprofessional.

Kelley Briggs is the Executive Creative Director of Hudson Fusion, an integrated marketing firm that takes a synergistic approach to its clients’ sales, marketing and business growth goals. They offer a full spectrum of marketing services including strategic planning, brand and corporate identity, website design, print collateral, search engine optimization, direct marketing and advertising. Hudson Fusion is located at 30 State Street in Ossining. Kelley can be reached at 914.762.0900 or via email at kelley@hudsonfusion.com