Branding is mistaken by many people as simply slapping a logo on something and looking how far that will take them. While having a meaningful logo is essential, the other aspects of branding are just as important. Read on to learn why.
Consistency is the Key to Brand Equity
Once you have built a strategy that fits your brand, it’s important to use it consistently to get it ingrained in your customers’ heads. If they see the same logo, design and language on all your products and promotional material, people will have a very clear idea of what your brand stands for. Of course your marketing or PR campaigns should still be creative and eye-catching, but in a way that reflects your company’s identity and style. This will lead to your brand equity getting stronger, giving your products and services added value because of the name and what is associated with it.
Why You Want Strong Brand Equity
Strong brand equity is not just about people remembering your brand and attributing certain qualities to it. It’s also about the perceived value and emotional attachment customers have for a brand. This can enable you to charge more for your products simply because they are part of your brand and your target market associates a higher quality and better performance with it than with similar, unbranded products.
This is another reason why it is so important to be consistent with your branding. If you send mixed messages that confuse buyers, your brand will lose this equity and along with that the edge it had over competitors.
Turning Buyers into Loyal Customers
Marketing campaigns help you get the word out and let people know who you are and what you do. In short, it helps you find buyers. But branding is what will turn a one-time buyer into a loyal customer. If you can deliver on the brand promise and give your customers the experience you advertised, they will keep coming back for more. They will most likely also share how they feel about your brand with those around them. That’s great free marketing for you, and probably the most powerful kind there is, as people tend to trust friends or family members that are advocating a product more than an advertisement.
Strong Branding for a Strong Team
Another aspect of branding many companies don’t think about right away, is the effect it has on a company internally. Staff and management are just as strongly impacted by the company’s brand and its perception as potential buyers. A business with a strong brand and distinct message inspires its employees to work efficiently towards a common goal that is clearly outlined and understood by everyone. They can take pride in their work, know its purpose and communicate it to everyone around them. But if a brand is only vaguely defined it becomes harder for a team to move in one direction together as everyone will have a different understanding of where they are supposed to be going. This can lead to a waste of time and other valuable resources, including good staff, that prefer to work for a brand they can identify with and contribute to in a meaningful way.