I read an article recently that I thought all my clients and business partners would appreciate. The article comes from the Vice President of Brand Marketing and Strategy Marcella Shinder who oversees American Express’s Open brand marketing program.

Here is the article

Once you’ve developed the best possible product or service, how do you turn your offering into a successful brand?

What is branding? Most of us have some idea of what it is, but — through no fault of our own — few understand its essence. Over time we have built immunity to corporate jargon, and in doing so, we have discounted the significance of branding as a useful tool in developing a successful business. Branding is not simply your visual identity, the execution of logo and design; it is much more than that. Effective branding will drive growth, increase sales and assist in attracting and retaining customers.

By definition, your brand is the distinctive name identifying your product, but beyond your name it’s the associations that people make when they think about you. It’s the telephone manner of your employees, the efficiency of your service and the memorable nature of the overall experience. Branding is the most important element in any company’s dialogue with its customer. Branding is the face, voice and personality of your business.

It signifies reputation, loyalty and emotional attachment, and any enterprise that pays no heed to the importance of branding risks anonymity and isolation. Essentially, branding is the promise you make based upon your core offering.

Of course, the principal concern for any entrepreneur is developing the best product or service in their field. With excellence as standard, a business is in an enviable position to build a brand around this core offering.

Your brand plays a key role in differentiating you from the competition, and helps communicate your key message to the consumer. On these pages are five easily actionable principles to which any business can subscribe; designed to assist entrepreneurs in every industry, these five brand tenets guide the small business owner by asking some fundamental questions.

— Why am I different?

There should be one thing imprinted on your consciousness, and even on your subconscious, and that’s the very thing that sets your product or service apart from every other in the market: your U.S.P. (Unique Selling Proposition). And if you can communicate the “Aha” moment — that inspirational flash you had at the conception of your business which still drives you forward — to your customers, then half your work is done.

— What is my vision?

The old adage that “Rules were made to be broken” simply doesn’t apply to branding. You may add or update, but the rules you create for your own brand should stand the test of time. By building a foolproof mission statement and sticking to it you are in a better position to educate and inspire those you know and those you don’t. The simpler the statement, the easier it will be to remember and convey to your customers.

— How do I communicate my brand?

Once you have identified your unique offer and vision, you have to begin packaging it accordingly. It starts with a visual system and flows through every customer (and employee) touch point. Everything — from your business cards to your business garb, from the way you answer the phone to the décor of your office, from the sales materials you leave with customers and prospects to your Web presence. Every touch point must reflect, reinforce and reiterate your core brand identity.

— How do I make sure my brand is the right one?

It is important to consider how your brand is reflected at each touchpoint with a customer: from how your receptionist greets them at the door to the materials you might leave behind after a sales meeting. Ask your customers how they perceive your brand and then ask yourself whether that is the impression you are intending. If the two are not in agreement, think about ways in which you can better get the message across.

— How do I stay true to my brand?

We can’t all wake up every day with a smile on our face and a spring in our step, but a healthy brand demands perseverance and perspiration from everyone involved. Injecting your brand with all the energy it deserves will ensure longevity and hearty returns. To promote optimism, augment your mission statement with the top five core business values that will keep you true to your brand and post these in a place both you and your employees will see every day as a constant reminder to all.

If you would like more information on brand building or other marketing and advertising services, please visit us on our website (www.designatwork.com) or call 832-200-8238.

Let us change the face of your company!

Posted by:

Brian Waraksa
Design At Work – Creative Services
832.755.6911
brian@designatwork.com
Building your brand, so you can build your business.

Houston advertising and public relations firm specializing in Logo
Design – Brochure Design – Web Site Design – Branding

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