Branding – an Essential Element for You and Your Business

Author Maria Ross just completed a fascinating article for Women Entrepreneur. Whether you own a business, you're writing a book, or you simply want to increase your online profile, these tips from Women Entrepreneur -- and Maria's book -- will show you the way.

Top Seven Tips for an Irresistible Brand

Decide what your brand's about, and then deliver on that promise.

By: Maria Ross | 10/19/2010

What makes certain brands so darn irresistible? Why are some customers so devoted to certain brand "tribes" that they will wear a designer's ad on their clothes, put bumper stickers on their car or even tattoo a logo on their body (Hello, Harley Davidson)?

Some small-business owners think the secret lies in eye-popping advertising budgets or edgy viral social media campaigns. While a healthy budget can help reinforce brand meaning over time -- how much money has Nike spent making that "swoosh" evoke athleticism, victory and competitiveness to us? -- effective branding is not just about how much you have to spend. Building an irresistible brand is within reach of any entrepreneur who can articulate a clear brand strategy and consistently communicate it across every customer touch point. Clarity and consistency are key.

Brand is more than your logo or your slick, expensive ads. It's the core promise your businessmakes to customers. So when you make that promise, make sure you are living your brand inside and out; otherwise, customers won't be fooled. Here are seven tips for how to build a great brand and attract rabid fans -- regardless of company size or marketing budget:

1. Aim for a target and serve them well. Too many businesses try to be all things to all people ("My target customer is anyone who wants to buy sweaters."). Well, that's a huge ocean to boil. If you really want to create a brand that connects, you have to focus on exactly whom you want to reach. My mother and I both buy sweaters, but I have very different tastes, needs and requirements than she does. In reality, we're not both going to buy the same sweater from the same place.
   
   Think about the specific persona for your ideal customer, and ensure that all your activities align to reach that person. If you try to please everyone, you will end up alienating one group or another. Focus on two or three ideal customer profiles if that makes sense for yourbusiness. Who are they? Where do they live? What do they do for fun? What is their income? Where do they get their information? What is their style? What do they care about? Have fun with it: Create a character and name him or her. What does Jane do for fun? To which clubs does Jim belong? Even the big guys do this exercise, no matter their budgets.
   
   This doesn't mean people outside that net can't buy your product. If the brand resonates, they will come. This is about where you will focus your time and money on marketing -- and about intimately understanding the person you're talking to. Your brand communications will form a closer connection with the customers you want if you speak their language.
   
2. Customers are selfish. Remember: It's not about you, it's about them. Do you tie all your brand communications to statements like "We have the most experienced sales reps," "We won all of these awards" or "We offer the largest selection of widgets"? So what? Who cares? Why should I, as a customer, spend time listening to you talk about how great you are?
   
   Customers are selfish beings. So tell them what's in it for them and why the claims you are making benefit them. If all your communications start with "We do . . ." then maybe you need to dig a little deeper to the "You get" statement. You might try reframing your statements this way: "We offer the largest selection of widgets so that you can save time finding exactly the one you need in one place." That is a customer benefit. What is the big aha they get from using your products or services? More time? Less stress? More energy? Think about the brand from their point of view, not yours.
   
3. If you're going to promise, you'd better deliver. Authenticity is key. Brand is about a promise, and if you fail to deliver on it in everything you do, the customer will have an issue. You can't just slap a coat of "brand paint" over your business and expect people to believe.
   
   Either build a brand that takes advantage of your existing unique strengths and experiences or create the future brand you want by changing your operations, offerings or employees to align. Begin with what you already have going for you. Your brand strategy should start from your authentic strengths and differentiators -- but then you need to be set up, inside and out, to deliver on that brand promise. Brand is communicated visually (logo, colors), verbally (words, tone) and experientially (what is the buying experience really like?). Brand is more than just marketing's job, so ensure that your company is firing on all cylinders before making empty brand claims.
   
4. Create a brand strategy before you embark on tactics. If you've gotten caught investing money in an event or an ad just because everyone else did, or because you got lured by the sales pitch, then you are not operating from a brand strategy first. Too many businesses start hiring designers and building websites before they've even thought through what they want those things to communicate and to whom. Before you spend a dime on designers, writers or another marketing program, take a step back and craft your brand strategy first. Clearly articulate your business's brand promise, personality and ideal customer before you pick a name, decide on a logo or invest in that ad. A brand strategy serves as a compass to guide you to the right investments -- and helps you avoid the wrong ones.
   
5. The devil is in the details. Brand goes beyond visual expression into both the verbal and experiential. This means that every single customer touch point needs to convey the brand consistently. These little details are also what make your brand "buzz worthy" and get people talking about you. How can you delight your customers in ways that reinforce your brand promise? Can you do something clever or "on brand" with your voice-mail message, e-mail signature, or even with the thank-you gifts you send to customers? Some businesseshave delightful packaging. Others have a distinct "voice" and tone to their copy that carries over into even the most boring of communications, like an autoresponder or an invoice. All of these customer touch points are opportunities to convey your brand and build buzz, so don't waste them. It's often the simple or inexpensive touches that add the most sizzle and further convey your brand in surprising ways.
   
6. Don't skimp on quality design. Brand is more than just the visual representation you show to the world -- but, still, first impressions do matter. Colors, shapes and fonts all communicate something about you, and your target audience will respond -- consciously or subconsciously. Once you have your brand strategy baked, it's important to ensure that your look and feel are on target, on message and that they don't repel your target customer unconsciously. Small-business owners constantly try to cut corners, hiring a neighbor's 15-year-old or relying on an analytical programmer to define their aesthetic. Worse yet, many people opt for a "logo generator" website, where you get pretty pictures that are not aligned with your brand strategy. Maybe you only spend $150, but what will you lose in sales because you are conveying the wrong message to the wrong people? I once coached a woman whose website and logo looked completely feminine and "soft," yet she was competing for business from senior male executives. Talk about customer confusion.
   
   Good design is a skill, so hire a designer who knows how to communicate a concept visually. They should ask about your target audience, about the personality you want to convey and also about your competitors. Not only do they need to create something that communicates visually, but they also need to make it stand out from everyone else in your field. Your visual identity and materials should be strong enough to last you for a while. Don't skimp on this important step toward your future success just to save a few bucks now.
   
7. Make deliberate brand choices. Every customer touch point should convey your brand promise. If you want to represent playful and whimsical, then your e-mail autoresponders need to be worded in a specific way, and your employees should have a certain demeanor when greeting customers. Sending brand communications into the world just to "throw something out there" is a bad move. It wastes precious airspace and attention -- and in this crowded market, you can't afford to do that.
   
   I once got an e-mail from a winery. It was boring, black-and-white and completely utilitarian. Not exactly the casual yet sophisticated Tuscan dinner party I usually have in mind when I shop for wine. By not taking enough care to inject a brand connection into this e-mail, the winery made a brand choice. It told me its wine was boring, nondescript and perhaps not very good. I don't think that was the image the company wanted to convey. But the lack of brand choice actually repelled me, a wine lover, from buying that product. That is where ineffective branding impacts your bottom line.

Not every brand has to be hip, cool or trendy. There are markets for all sorts of brands out there. You just have to decide what your brand is really about and whom it is meant to attract. Every word, every color and every marketing activity makes a statement about your brand. Ignore that at your own risk.

Maria Ross is founder and chief strategist of Red Slice, a branding and marketing consultancy based in Seattle. She is the author of Branding Basics for Small Business: How to Create an Irresistible Brand on Any Budget (2010, Norlights Press). http://www.womenentrepreneur.com/2010/10/top-seven-branding-tips.html