Building a brand is a central part of your marketing strategy and it should be included within your marketing plan.
► If your business is ‘just you’, then you are the brand.
► All enterprises should ‘think brand’.
► All of your marketing activities affect your brand.
► Your brand is built on your values. Strong values create strong brands.
“The art of marketing is largely the art of brand building. When something is not a brand, it will probably be viewed as a commodity. Then price is what counts. When price is the only thing that counts, the only winner is the low-cost producer.” ~ Dr Philip Kotler
Values
Values are the basis of branding. Here is a list of some of them: Authority, Change, Communication, Cooperation, Creativity, Excellence, Happiness, Health, Helpfulness, Imagination, Integrity, Knowledge, Leadership, Learning, Love, Positive thinking, Privacy, Professionalism, Security, Service, Teamwork, Trust, Value
List your values and ensure that staff, suppliers and customers can find them.
Brand qualities
Successful brands display certain qualities. For example:
* They are clear what they stand for
* They have a marketing strategy, plan and direction
* Their messages are congruent
* They use visual brand identity consistently
* They invest in promotion continually
* They use a wide promotional mix
* They are creative in their approach
* They stand out from the crowd
* They measure results and adjust accordingly
A brand should know how it is positioned within its chosen marketplaces in relation to its competitors.
One way of thinking about it is that:
A brand is a promise
It is the offer that the enterprise holds out to the marketplace.
Some brands have developed a personality which feels almost human.
The way that an enterprise communicates affects the brand.
For example, is the brand responsible, authentic and quick to respond?
An effective brand strategy helps to engender trust.
Without trust, customers will leave the brand and head elsewhere.
Your logo, colours and typeface comprise your visual brand identity. Although these elements are the most visible, it is the deeper elements, such as your values, which create a great brand. Many enterprises invest a considerable amount of money in visual brand identity and when the mood takes them, changing it.