BRANDING IS A LONG PROCESS
SEEMINGLY A SIMPLE undertaking involving a logo, packaging or promotional tagline, branding is anything but straightforward. It is the foundation for the representation of an organisation and building on that bedrock is a long process. For smaller businesses in particular it can look like an insurmountable challenge. It need not be like that.
Firstly, don’t confuse branding with advertising, even though it will be an integral part of every campaign. It is not a single activity. Rather, it is how the business is seen, how it goes to market as a whole. It adds all around credibility and is a conduit for sharing values with whomsoever might be in a position to affect progress.
Having established values – what the enterprise is all about – consistency is the key to making a brand memorable. This will allow the small business to communicate a clear identity to large and many audiences.
AT THE HEART
The brand should be at the heart of what the business does. Messages surround core values, principles and the corporate culture. They tell the story.
Nowadays, social media is to the fore as a mechanism for notifications. It’s a means of letting any business communicate in detail. Every online platform – and there are many – sets opens a window to show what the brand is about and invite dialogue.
Whether or not owners and managers of small businesses appreciate the reality of branding, it is out there already. For good or ill, it will be impacting someone or something from day one of trading. The sooner it is brought under positive influence the better.
There are so many publics, not least of which are the staff. Employees are motivated by more than remuneration. They want extra. They want job satisfaction and part of that process concerns buying into the business ethic. Companies should be making the work meaningful: showing the brand and facilitating participation.
WIDER AUDIENCE
There is a wider audience to influence, of course. The customer base, together with business partners in the widest sense, need to feel connected. If they like what they encounter they’ll want to build relationships. This leads on to credibility, trust and better business through brand loyalty.
The entire customer experience is a fundamental element of the brand, inviting contact, inspection and the call to buying action, through explaining the why and wherefore. The customer will have the last word, based on how the brand is presented and perceived.
A brand is an essential feature of business life. It is any company’s navigation system and driving force. It is the identification mark and has to be seen to very best effect.
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