A brand is perhaps best described as the personality – or should we say persona – of a company, non-profit, or administration.
We say ‘persona’ because the brand is in the eye of the customer. We each have our own opinions of the signature franchises dominating Australia, for example. Branding design is a collective word for what organisations do, to try to influence our appraisal of them.
The Best Branding Design Builds on Quality Service
Jeff Bezos believes “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” Therefore branding design should reinforce what we are doing particularly well already.
A burger is a meat patty in a sliced bun with some relish, and a few chips on the side. Branding is the art of presenting a particular burger so it stands out as truly unique. Although the ambience of the outlet may be the more important illusion
And that’s really the nub of the matter. We already have the product but we need marketing to add the glitter. We’d like to add a word of caution first before we move on to considering branding strategies.
Simon Mainwaring, founder of marketing counsellor We First says “The keys to brand success are self-definition, transparency, authenticity and accountability.” If we lie about our product or create false expectations our market will find us out, and our business will suffer.
Four Essential Branding Strategies to Influence Your Market
Do you remember Jeff Bezos’ observation ‘it is what we do that counts’. Therefore, each and every employee in your company is an ambassador for your brand and there are no exceptions.
Step 1: Your people engage your market at the point of sale. Inspire them at the emotional level and you are on the way to success
Step 2: Make sure your people are all on the same page regarding your branding design and what you hope to achieve with it.
Step 3: Not all of us are born brand ambassadors. Provide the training and the resources and tools they need.
Step 4: Motivate your brand ambassadors by rewarding success in ways that encourage participative competition among them.
Branding is Something We Do as Long as We Are in Business
Branding design is a never-ending process. We have to adapt as our competition tries to overshadow us with fresh offerings. Brand is what we are in our market’s mind, and that is an ever-changing reality we must manage.
