Sunday, February 7, 2010

The Branding Process - The key to success.

Branding is more than just a logo design, it's an identity (Brand Identity). It's the who, what, where, when, and why of any business. Branding is the image a company portrays to the consumer or company it would like to potentially do business with. Brand Identity stems from the logo you design right on through to the marketing programs you implement, the collateral materials you develop, and even the people who represent your company.

Consider your business as it stands today... How are you received by your customers? Your competition? What kind of visibility do you have in your market? How well do you compete? What is your rate of growth? Are you profitable?

If the answer is "not sure" to any of these, you probably aren't doing enough.

You are in business to make money, and if your products or services are equal to, or better than your competition, you should be holding your own. If not, you've got work to do.

Make some basic comparisons

The Who...
Is your company brand (logo) effective? How does it compare to your competitions? Does it convey integrity & value to your customers? What kind of visibility do you have in the market?

The What...
Are you effectively getting your message out to your market place? Do they know what you do? Do they prefer you over the competition? Are your advertising materials and website up-to-date? Do you use other types of media on the web?

The Where...
How easy is it for your customers to find you? This can come in many forms. Physical address, Your web site, in print, social media, word of mouth, advertising on company vehicles to mention a few.

The When...
Do your customers know when you are available? Is there always a friendly, knowledgeable person on the phone to answer your customers needs?. Can customers contact you or place orders via your website?

The Why...
Why is your business a better choice over the rest? Do your customers know this? Do you convey a value added persona?

As a business owner you might think that to achieve all of this would be cost prohibitive and mostly impossible. Not so. There can initially be some costs attached, but there are many things you can do that cost very little to achieve.

An effective program with a mix of the right types of mediums can achieve these goals even at a slow and steady pace. As each goal is attained, then you can proceed to the next level as time and finances permit. To persevere is key, and in time you will succeed.

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