Whether or not you intentionally brand your company, the image you put out there is the first impression that will be received by your audience. The most important marketing decision, as a business owner, is to make a solid, well planned branding choice for your company. As a business owner, you have only one chance to make that outstanding, and often times, lasting impression.
An effective brand is a positive combination of logo, words, design, colors, personality, service, and price, to list a few.
For example, when you think of some top brands like Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Apple, and Whole Foods, these companies offer a brand promise to their customers and meets their expectations.
From my viewpoint as a marketing strategist, the top five objectives that a respectable brand will achieve are:
1. Distributes your message clearly: The perception of your brand is what the public says it is and more important what you need it to be. Consider doing some research with your customers and prospects before you put your message out there. What message is your competition presenting?
2. Endorses your credibility: If your promise or message of your brand is distributed clearly then it will provide credibility for your business.
3. Connects your target prospects emotionally: Once your target audiences trust your brand then the public will naturally connect emotionally with your products or services.
4. Motivates the buyer: It is essential as a business to keep your brand promise to the public because it will impact the behavior of the buyers. Also, brand trust is important for creating a strong brand loyalty for your company.
5. Creates a strong Brand Loyalty for your company: Creating a strong brand will increase the loyalty of your prospects, customers, and even create higher staff morale. Also, small businesses have advantages with creating brand loyalty because it will create a unique experience with customers, prospects, and the community.
To have build a strong brand you must first understand the needs and wants of your customers and prospects. In today’s market it is more important than ever to spend time investing in a sound marketing strategy for your brand. Therefore, solid execution on these top five objectives should be a backbone in your successful branding strategy.