Simple Steps to Strategic Branding
Branding is a multifaceted concept that affects you. Your brand exists even if you don’t know it. It exists in the minds of consumers. People will stereotype, categorize and classify you according to their total experience with your brand. Your brand is the sum of each individual consumer’s experiences and perceptions.
Sometimes you can influence those perceptions positively and sometimes you can’t. Strategic branding endeavors to position your product as the most beneficial option for consumers. Effective branding should set out to create an image of what your brand stands for, differentiate your product within its industry and state the benefit.
Create an Image
Your brand should create an image of what it stands for. Every interaction that occurs between you and your customers should support that image. Amazon.com is a great example of a brand that has created a strong image. CEO Jeff Bezos said, “We’re not in the book business or the music business. We’re in the customer service business.” Customer service at Amazon.com extends beyond the warehouse to your front door. You can log on and track your order, cancel it or change the shipping method. If the product is subpar they will ship you a new product before you send the original one back.
Differentiate Your Product
Your brand must be clearly differentiated from competitive brands. Psychological positioning is extremely important in markets with similar products. It’s the difference between buying Acetaminophen and Tylenol. Customers don’t just buy products or services, they buy brands. They buy the feeling it gives them, the reflection it has on them or the benefit it affords them.
State the benefit
Make the benefit clear to the consumer. Don’t try to be too clever, and don’t focus on more than one benefit at a time. For example. Apple’s slogan “Think different” endeavors to position Apple products as a tool to help you stand out from the crowd.
Remember, customer perception of the benefit you offer is important, but following through is even more crucial. To garner user loyalty and build credibility you must live up to your reputation. Delivering products of value is an important aspect of obtaining return customers. Apple follows through by consistently providing quality innovations to their customers, as evidenced by their massive and fanatic following.
The Takeaway
Developing a branding strategy will help you convey what your brand stands for, separate you from your competitors and clearly communicate the benefit you offer.
Tags: Branding, communications
Good points stated clearly. My pleasure to retweet!
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