Always remember that your logo is only a visible part of your brand. The brand’s essence and power are in the minds and hearts of your audience. Branding a new company or rebranding a legacy business is never a one and done exercise. Authentic branding is day to day, ongoing and progressive.
Creating a brand strategy, on the other hand, should be an intensive and focused process that delivers a concrete result – a well-defined position in the market. Notice the grammatical difference between “branding” (verb) and brand strategy (noun). It’s important to distinguish these word usages. More importantly, to apply them in your business!
Your Brand Lives
It would be an error to say, “We already did our branding and now we’re in sales and marketing mode…” or something like that. Why would anyone really care about a random business initiative going on somewhere by a group of strangers? But that’s what your branding exercise (your brand strategy) is to prospective customers. Almost meaningless… unless the idea behind the brand tickles their emotions or speaks to their immediate need.
The brands you know, and especially the ones you like and purchase, won you over first by the relevancy of their message to you personally, and now by the consistency of quality in the service you receive and the products you use. Neither of these things happen immediately. They are daily operational processes that gather strength and cement in customer loyalty over time.
Authentic Branding Helps Everyone…
The one and done attitude in branding won’t be enough for the business that knows its customers and cares about them. Branding is all about making your customers know your company and understand your value proposition accurately. It serves everyone’s best interest to deliver your brand experience as promised with consistency over time.
Keep reinforcing your brand promise in your advertising. When people clearly understand the difference between options, they make better decisions and save time. You attract the right kind of customers, and they get their needs met in the way that’s best for them. It’s win-win!
…Even the Competition
Branding is obviously good for you and your potential customers. It’s good for your competition too! A worthy competitor will understand your brand’s positioning and clearly communicate its authentic differentiation from your brand and other competitors. In this way the entire market can clearly understand its options and customers can make better choices.
Chuck, well written and spot on. Great information!
I hate to use a cliche but this one fits…
“Rome was not built in a day.”
Thanks Dom! Cliches are simply oft repeated truths.