The Truth About Branding

People often have three reactions when they hear the word Branding:

1) They don’t need it – “People are buying my products/services just the way things are.”

2) They think it’s hard or overwhelming – “I need to ‘do’ better/more/different branding!”

3) They think it means just their logo and website – “Our brand is fine, thanks, we already have a website my cousin made.”

The truth is that brand is really the soul of your business.  It’s what makes you unique, like your personality.  Brand is about the entire experience a customer has when hearing about, seeing, or doing business with your company.  And your brand should come out in everything you do, visually and experientially, for your business.

Debunking #1: You will have a brand whether you mean to or not.

 Everyone needs brand just like everyone needs a personality.  If you don’t shepherd it, then the public perception will do that for you.  If you’re lucky, it will match something that helps your business along.  But who wants to leave something as important as business perceptions up to luck?  So take the time to think about who you serve, what value you provide, and what type of experience you want to create and ensure all your customer touchpoints reflect that.  Good brands like Apple and Nike don’t happen by accident.

Debunking #2: Branding is not hard – it’s who you are. 

 Everyone thinks branding as a concept is hard.  It’s really not rocket science.  It just requires asking 10 key questions and then ensuring all your communications and customer experiences reflect the answers.  For you DIY’ers out there, check out my new eBook, 'Build Your Own Brand Strategy in 10 Easy Steps" Guiding you through 10 key questions, you can easily craft your own brand strategy that will ultimately save you time and money on all of your marketing efforts.  Don't spend a dime on a designer, writer or marketing program before you do this process for yourself!  If you can't afford a consultant right now, this snappy and sassy book is a bargain - well worth over $1000 of consulting hours at only $50. Check it out here

Or, you can attend a free teleseminar on Thursday, May 21 at noon pacific time: "The Truth About Branding: What it is, What it does and How a Clear Brand Strategy Can Save you Time, Money and Headache", given by myself and Heather Nelson of Champion Assistants, a full service marketing and sales agency. We'll be discussing the secrets of effective branding and marketing and how following some simple rules will ensure your marketing is more targeted and effective than your competition.

Debunking #3: Brand is more than just visual – it’s the entire experience and perception people have about your company.

It’s the perception people have of your company, your products, your services – even you.  Saying it is just a logo or website is like saying a person’s soul is their car.  Your brand is what you are; your logo, website and all your other marketing efforts simply communicate that claim to the world.

 Once you understand that brand is not some mystical, elusive thing but something that authentically represents the experience your company provides, the easier it will be to work with designers, writers – and even the press – to blast that message to the world and attract new customers.

Same holds true when the product is "yourself" - you are job hunting, changing careers, etc.  You need to create your brand and represent it consistently across all media.  This is where a winning elevator pitch comes in, and I wrote an article on how to create a killer one on Biznik before. When you are your own brand, you definitely don't want to leave it up to others; you want to ensure your true, authentic, unique values and talents come shining through. Each and every time you are in front of them.