The key to successful branding…
If the key to successful real estate selling is location, location, location! – then the key to successful branding is repetition, repetition, repetition! – until a brand becomes “top of the mind” when consumers think of a product or service. What’s the first thing you think of when someone mentions “cola”? I’ll bet it’s “Coca Cola” – not any of its competitors. So you say, “But I’m a small business and don’t have the marketing resources of Coca Cola?” Of course not, but you can use the same principles to be successful in your marketing niche. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel – use what already works.
How to create a brand…
Your first step is to create your brand. Not exactly sure what is meant by branding? According to Wikipedia, “A brand is the identity of a specific product, service, or business. A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color combination or slogan. The word brand began simply as a way to tell one person’s cattle from another by means of a hot iron stamp. A legally protected brand name is called a trademark. The word brand has continued to evolve to encompass identity – it affects the personality of a product, company or service.
Photo by Marnie Somers
Choosing a style of brand…
Brand names come in many styles. A few include:
Acronym: A name made of initials such as UPS or IBM
Descriptive: Names that describe a product benefit or function like Whole Foods or Airbus
Alliteration and rhyme: Names that are fun to say and stick in the mind like Reese’s Pieces or Dunkin’ Donuts
Evocative: Names that evoke a relevant vivid image like Amazon or Crest
Neologisms: Completely made-up words like Wii or Kodak
Foreign word: Adoption of a word from another language like Volvo or Samsung
Founders’ names: Using the names of real people,and founder’s name like Hewlett-Packard or Disney
Geography: Many brands are named for regions and landmarks like Cisco and Fuji Film
Personification: Many brands take their names from myth like Nike or from the minds of ad execs like Betty Crocker.
Why you must have a brand…
The act of associating a product or service with a brand has become part of pop culture. Most products have some kind of brand identity, from common table salt to designer jeans. A brandnomer is a brand name that has colloquially become a generic term for a product or service, such as Band-Aid or Kleenex, which are often used to describe any kind of adhesive bandage or any kind of facial tissue respectively.
Bridging the gap between brand image and identity…
The outward expression of a brand, including its name, trademark, communications, and visual appearance. Because the identity is assembled by the brand owner, it reflects how the owner wants the consumer to perceive the brand – and by extension the branded company, organization, product or service. This is in contrast to the brand image, which is a customer’s mental picture of a brand. The brand owner will seek to bridge the gap between the brand image and the brand identity.
Effective brand naming…
Effective brand names build a connection between the brand personality as it is perceived by the target audience and the actual product/service. The brand name should be conceptually on target with the product/service (what the company stands for). Furthermore, the brand name should be on target with the brand demographic. Typically, sustainable brand names are easy to remember, transcend trends and have positive connotations. Brand identity is fundamental to consumer recognition and symbolizes the brand’s differentiation from competitors.”
Changing your brand identity…
Perhaps you already have a logo which appears on your business card/stationery. If you are satisfied that your logo is the absolute best visual representation of your business/product/service, then you are already on your way. If not, then spend some time thinking about what might serve you better, based on the definitions above.
How colour affects your brand…
If you decide to create a new visual identity, then be aware “That color is one of the most important components in creating brand identity”, according to Branding Strategy Insider. “In a visual system, the two most powerful components are the consistent recognizable shapes and colors. It is best if these shapes and colors are distinctive (at least within the product category). Color can have a significant affect on people’s perception of a product or brand. For instance, burgundy and forest green are perceived be upscale while an orange label or package indicates an inexpensive item.”
Implementing your new/revised brand…
Once you have satisfied yourself that you have exactly the right brand for your business/product/service, the next step will be to incorporate it into Your 2011 Marketing Plan In 7 Easy Steps, (my previous blogpost), paying special attention to Step #7.
As always, I welcome any questions or comments or suggestions you might have to add to this post.