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The goal of branding is to create in the mind of the end user the belief, or curiosity, that something special exists that didn’t exist before. The brand happens when you describe what you do in terms that build you into the partnership with your client – either based on what they tell you they want, or things you see happening that they haven’t yet identified.

Three ways to brand your business:

Personal Brand – Your brand is created by you and the people at your company. You emphasize the image of your company and de-emphasize the product. If you ask your end users, they will easily be able to identify your “people brand.” The most notable example of this is IBM. You can’t help but picture blue suits, white shirts and red ties. You can make a conscious decision to change your personal brand if it isn’t what you would like it to be.

Product or Service Brand – Brand is simply by virtue of the product or service being differentiable. The implication is that the service aligns with something the consumer wants – either by fulfilling a need, or solving a problem. Revlon is an example. They sell beauty, not cosmetics.

Market Brand – You brand by virtue of the target market that you take the product or service to. Your expertise and your specialty need to reinforce your target market. You won’t find a Rolex advertisement in Fishing or Popular Mechanics, but you will in Skiing and Fortune.

Your brand will only have power if it is constantly reiterated and reinforced in the marketplace by everything you do – advertising, promotions, word-of-mouth, PR, etc. (Touch Points)

The goal of continually positioning your brand is to situate your product or service permanently in the mind of the consumer. The realities of your product or service have no bearing on the decision to use your brand. The only decision-making criteria that counts is what your customers believe.

So whatever you do, don’t be generic!

If you do not create brand identity for your product or service, you are selling something generic. Positioning your product or service to be “brand identifiable” is measurable in the eyes of the customer.

For this to happen, your customers must:

1. Understand what makes you different
2. Articulate it to others
3. Value your brand and be willing to pay more for it
4. Embrace it and defend it when it comes under attack

If the customer cannot differentiate your product or service on these criteria, then you will fall into a large gray, amorphous category – generic.

The goal of branding is to create in the mind of the end user the belief, or curiosity, that something special exists that didn’t exist before.

If your Brand is ….. not working!!!!

Contact us today and start Marketing, Branding and Building your Business!!