Your company’s brand is its own book that should tell a story. It is not just what others usually misconstrue as a logo. It should be put in a different light than just plain aesthetics. A brand needs to be:
1. Authentic since according to Stackla (2019), eighty-six percent of consumers believe authenticity is a key factor when it comes to consumers’ decision-making.
2. Trust-eliciting as consumers often buy from brands that they find worth their trust. In Edelman (2019), eighty-one percent of the respondents mentioned that they would rather buy products from a brand that they can trust over those that are relatively new.
3. Following the principles of color psychology. Reboot (2019) revealed that brand colors impact people’s perception of your brand. Therefore, by using a signature color scheme, one that is carefully selected and consistent, you can increase your brand recognition by eighty percent.
4. Responsive to first glance believing it can make a good impression. This is in consideration of the fact that it only takes about 50 milliseconds for people to make inferences about your brand (8Ways, 2019).
5. Honest and transparent so that it will be easy for you to live with what your brand stands for and promises. Accenture Strategy (2018) revealed that this is one of the best attributes a brand should have.
These complexities and the researches that vouched for them only prove how laborious a task branding is but it is what can give your company the financial success it greatly deserves. Building a strong brand is one of the keys to any company’s continued growth and profitability.
Hence, branding must be critically thought out as part of your marketing strategy as it is the lifeblood of your company. What you can do to improve your brand is to sit down, contemplate and revisit your efforts to see if they align with the facts above along with some effective others here:
1. Always be consistent.
Customers’ brand experience needs to be reinforcing. This means that whenever your customers go in their own way and see something relevant to your brand, they can reminisce their experience with you through association. Think of how you are reminded of Coca-Cola every time you see a red truck or McDonald’s when you see stripes or the letter “m”.
When the elements of your brand are the same all throughout, it is a subliminal effort to reinforce its existence to everyone who can associate. Having said that, ensure that your font selection, color, texture, and everything else complement each other in the bigger picture. Consistency is key so that brand recall is easy.
2. Look out for personality.
Your vibe should attract your tribe. As such, your employees, campaigns, and others that represent your brand need to be selected purposefully and in alignment with your brand’s personality. You do not want someone who is always frowning to be selling a happy meal and expect it to sell like pancakes.
In the same way, a dark or convoluted campaign will not gain as much emphasis and attention as a bright one would. In developing marketing campaigns, always think if your ideas contribute to your brand’s personality so that you can attract an audience who feels the same way, agree to your purpose, and manifest the same mentality so make sure it is something relatable, relevant, and easy to understand.
3. Find out where your audience thrives.
Much like a lone man on earth, he can start a civilization where there is a huge possibility to live and thrive. The same goes for branding. Platform and channels are important. It is like giving the moon a jab if you campaign where no ears are present but if you meticulously research and find where people are, you can have real engagements that can bring significant changes to your sales report.
Social media marketing has proven such reliability. It is a platform where everyone across various age groups is found. While you are at it, make all steps leading to your business goals. Respond to their queries, suggestions, and comments so that they are reassured their messages are heard. This can help in building a good reputation.
If there is no message traffic, stir some noise. Post and make a discussion that everyone can participate in. Invite their attention so that it will be easy for you to make a conversation with them once they have built a business with you. Ask them to make you a review and provide you with product feedback so they know you value your interaction and their sentiments. These things facilitate affective response which can touch their hearts and remember their experience with you.
With the competition in the marketplace getting stiffer each day, you must determine and strategize how your brand can rise way above the others. Target your consumers’ feelings and emotions to produce a better brand response rate. Each step must constitute an effort to make people remember you fondly. Good luck.
Author Bio:
Natasha Barbeyto-Castaño is a beauty, wellness, and lifestyle writer. She took up Fashion Design and Merchandising in college and was hired as a personal shopper for a high-end department store right after graduating. Writing for the beauty and fashion sections of a society magazine and being head of content for a clothing company kept her busy before getting married and having a little boy.
She learned to read at the age of 3 and wants her son to grow up sharing the same love for books. Nowadays, this organic wellness nut and attachment parenting advocate balances working from home and being a housewife. She enjoys watching psychological thrillers and foreign-language films with her husband during her free time.