Branding is, according to the American Marketing Association (AMA), “intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those other sellers”. In other words, your company’s name, signs, symbols, stationery-, Web- and product designs are the public face of your company, its identity, and therefore, should communicate several things to a potential or existing customer.
Core Message And Credibility: Your potential customers should get a clear understanding of what your company’s main business is through its brand. Equally important is that it conveys the values most important to your enterprise. This proven successful strategy is used by both big and small companies. Symbols and signs of superior products and materials, craftsmanship, low prices, certain manufacturing processes and, specifically, indications of important attitudes and ideologies can be seen used effectively by successful businesses the world over.
Your business’s name, logos, stationery designs and Website’s should communicate your approach, track record, specialist knowledge, expertise and other attributes that gives your company credibility. Noteworthy achievements and prominent successes should be factors that inform your choices with regard to your brand materials.
This need not be complicated – Toys ‘R’ Us says it all in the name: they make toys, they know toys, they sell toys, they are all about toys. Disney’s signature and magical castle logo with Tinkerbell’s touch of fairy dust both embodies the fantasy, fairy-tale nature of the company’s products, its children-friendly attitude, the legacy of its founder and Tinkerbell herself reminds us of one of their most beloved animated features, Peter Pan.
Connect Emotionally: It is crucially important to know your target market. Find out what your potential customers value, which attitudes they hold, what they prioritize, and work to exemplify those qualities in your brand strategy. Trust is, above all, an emotion. To persuade your customers of your company’s trustworthiness, your brand needs to evoke a positive emotional experience.
Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ tagline, combined with the affirmative curved tick, is a good example, especially in the ads that feature men and women who are passionate about their sporting activities. It infers both a sense of action, power and imminent achievement, giving the viewer/listener/reader an immediate sense of the company’s products, but also a positive image of the company as one that empowers and helps you, the customer, to achieve your athletic goals. This kind of underlying emotional association can be extremely powerful.
Motivating the Buyer And Building User Loyalty: This could be said to be the ultimate goal of every branding strategy. If you clearly and attractively communicate your core message, products and ideologies and manage to connect with your target customer on an emotional level, you are half-way there. Make sure that your brand is remembered as something pleasant and valuable. Consider the promotional strategies of companies you admire but be creative and different for the best results.