In my last article, I described the difference between public relations, marketing and branding. After doing so, I realized that a lot of business owners know that they need a brand, but don’t necessarily know what a good brand includes or how to build one.To begin to build a brand, you must determine what your company stands for and then focus on delivering that promise to your customers. For example – my company’s brand consists of hard work, knowledge, professionalism and honesty – that is what I provide and is also the promise that I give to anyone that interacts me in any way, including my clients. Think of your favorite major brand (like Coca-Cola or Apple). Can you say what they stand for and what they promise to their customers?
There are 5 elements that every great brand has.
- Their brand message is delivered clearly.
- The message confirms their credibility.
- Their brand connects to their customer emotionally.
- The brand motivates the buyer to not only buy the product
- Concretes user loyalty, so that their client becomes a repeat customer and gives your business and/or product great word of mouth (which is amazing free advertising for your business!).
Let’s go back to our earlier examples of industry giants, Coca-Cola and Apple – can you see how they have built successful brands according to the 5 elements I’ve described?
A successful brand is not built overnight. It starts with determining what your company will stand for and then figuring out how to deliver on that promise to your customers. Then, it incorporates 5 distinct and important elements – after doing so, you put your brand and company on the track to success. But please note that a brand can evolve and can change and there are more ways to build a successful brand, so make sure to keep reading my articles on Imperfect Concepts!
