Small Business Blog: branding 101 - Tree.com

In marketing, branding is the act of making your brand stand out among your competitors. Even if your product is identical to the rest, branding gives the illusion that it's better. Branding activities may include:

• Sponsoring a sporting event
• Your logo and packaging
• Advertising
• Customer experience

Essentially branding helps people boil down what you're good at. So if you want to be known as delivering quality organic fast food cooked on the spot, that's how you should position yourself. It should come across in everything you do, including the experience you deliver in your restaurant (or store, or whatever).

Let's say you're shopping for a bank. All banks in your town are essentially the same. They offer savings and checking accounts, as well as ATMs. So how do you choose? Then you remember the bank that sponsors the annual Art Walk. Your family loves that event. Immediately, you have positive feelings about this bank, even though its services are no different than the competition. Sometimes this branding makes all the difference to a potential customer, and it's the one thing that makes them choose your business.

Defining Your Brand

Before you slap your business' name on a stadium, let's look at what your brand stands for. Ask yourself and your team these questions:

• What products/services do we offer? What are the characteristics of these products?
• What are our core values? What is our mission as a brand?
• Who is our target market? What's important to them?

List out words that describe your business. These could include "superior customer service," "top of the line custom clothing," or "dog food your kids can eat." They can be tongue in cheek. The point is to get a sense of the direction you want to take your brand. If you haven't designed your logo, use this input to tailor it to your brand's personality. If you're a law firm, your logo will likely be serious and professional, while if you sell kids' clothes, it should be more fun and whimsical.

Getting Involved in Community

Find local events that are in sync with your company values. If you work with kids, find children's festivals or partner with local schools to donate books. The goal here is to brand yourself as a community-oriented brand that cares (and you do, right?). Start being known as a participant in these events, and soon, that will be the differentiator that separates you from your competitors.

Branding is an ongoing effort, and one you'll need to get your whole team involved in. Look for ways to make your company stand out and you're sure to succeed.

Photo: Flickr user m.gifford. Creative Commons 2.0.

Source: http://www.tree.com/small-business/blog-blog/archive-2011-05-12-branding-101.aspx

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