Let’s say you're an artisan producer and make jam, or bread or cheese. A lot of other artisans make jam, or bread or cheese. So what makes your jam, bread or cheese different? How do you stand out from other jams, breads or cheeses? What makes a consumer choose your product over the others?
Well, it’s your branding.
It’s your promise to your consumer, of what they can expect when they buy your product. It’s your brand story, your purpose, your vision and the values you operate by that all mean something to your consumers. It’s your customer service, your packaging, your tone of voice, your marketing communication, your logo, your website, your social media, your great photography. It’s basically your branding.
Your consumers like you and choose you because of these things. They like you more than other similar products and buy your brand as their preferred choice.
Investing in your brand gives you advantages over your competitors in many ways. Here are 5 really important reasons to invest in building your brand.
1. Investing in your brand allows you to stand out and be different. Once you understand what is unique about your brand, it sets you apart from others. In highly competitive product categories where you are fighting for stand space, shelf space, share of voice (being heard), you need something that sets you apart from others. You need to differentiate yourself in the market place. Don’t be a me-too. Be an only.
2. Investing allows you to build brand equity – ‘equity’ is that intangible value that your brand oozes that allows you to charge a higher price than competing products. Having a higher price also positions you higher when it comes to product quality and those who are looking for quality will choose your brand.
3. Investing improves your brand recall. You want to be the first brand that pops into people’s heads when they think of jam, bread or cheese. You need to be top of mind so that recall is easier. Being top of mind means always being seen by your consumer. If you continually communicate and engage with your consumer and build a relationship, that recall is pretty well cemented!
4. Investing allows you to build a reputation. It allows you to be known for something. It could be your amazing customer service, your modern or unique packaging, your quirky logo, or your witty tweets. This gets people talking about you.
5. Having a strong brand means that you have loyal consumers. A loyal consumer is pretty much the icing on your cake. Loyal consumers provide predictable, regular sales and also ensure future sales. A loyal consumer becomes a brand ambassador, championing your brand and recommending your brand to others. In fact a loyal consumer is the cherry on top of the icing that’s on top of your cake!
Please don’t think that ‘investing in your brand’ just means paying for a logo and a website. It’s so much more than that. It’s everything that your consumer sees, hears or touches of your brand. Every element of your brand needs to be consistent and build on a single vision and a set of values.
What element of your branding are you most proud of? Tweet me @lisafromklarity and let me know.
What element of your brand are you most embarrassed by? Can you change it?
Do you know how to build and strengthen your brand? If you feel you need a familiar and experienced hand to guide you, have a look here.
Happy brand building!
Lisa from Klarity x