PRstore | Winston Salem

Brand (or branding)…perhaps the most misused terms in modern small biz (SMB) marketing.  Do you know what the definition of branding is?  Care to take a guess?  Anyone?

Okay, I’ll bail you out with one of the best definitions I’ve seen.  It comes from Marty Neumeier straight out of the pages of “ZAG.”

“A Brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product or service or a company.  It’s not what you say it is but what THEY say it is.”

<business owner hat> That is scary to think that it is what THEY think your are not what you tell them. </business owner hat>

Traditionally, you would simply advertise or tell THEM” who you are, what you do and how you do it.  Now, consumers are more savvy and less prone to react to traditional means of advertising.

How to affect that “gut feeling”

Here are some simple items you can use to your advantage to communicate your brand and leverage your brand equity to (here’s WHY you brand) delight customers so that MORE people buy MORE stuff for MORE years at a HIGHER price.

Checklist:

• Logo – visual representation of what you want THEM to think about you
• Slogan/tagline – a chance to describe what you do briefly and clearly
• Marketing materials – keep it consistent – what do you want THEM to think about you
• Employee training – are your employees clearly communicating your brand to THEM
• Website –vehicle for communicating your brand – again, keep it consistent
• Advertising – In many cases, telling THEM who you are still works
• Social Media – communicate with THEM, listen to THEM – let them know who you are
• Signage – vehicle for branding, keep it clear
• Network marketing/Social networking – vehicle for face-to-face branding
• Photography – visual, emotional elements you control.  A picture is worth…1000 words
• Design – Most SMB owners just let somebody else control this…LEVERAGE design – make it work for you!
• Copy writing – Words who do you say you are?  How well is it written?  Is it tailored to your readership

If you don’t take advantage of these items and use it to leverage your brand equity, then you will be wasting time, effort and money at each consumer touch point.

My advice:

Be uncommon. Tell THEM.