Branding Your Company Image
by Sales Creators
Branding ´Magic´
Today´s customers think of branding as that creative thing companies do
with the name of a product or service. It is the packaging of a product
which includes the visual impression, logo, the jingle or tune that your
customer´s mind conjures up when they hear your product name, and the
identifiable phrase that keeps your product´s name in front of the buying
public. Branding can be as simple as designing a new wrapper or it can be an
exciting long-term media campaign for print and television that communicates
the brand message.
Today´s buyers use their instincts to determine the worth of a product or
service, and it is based on visual impressions. Potential buyers make the
subconscious decision of whether or not they want to do business within the
first few seconds of exposure to your company or product. This visual
impression comes from the packaging of your product, the impression they
have of your web site, and presentation information, such as brochures or
business cards. A successful image is the foundation of every successful
company. The image of your brand determines your credibility in the mind of
new clients, and establishes the value of your products and services.
Create the Right Impression
Your company has only one chance to make a great first impression. Here are
some of the areas that companies use to make favorable first impressions.
- Logo Design to create the value of your product or service
- Letterhead, Business Cards and Invoices
- Web site and interactive design
- Brochures and Handouts that explain the products and their value to the buyer
- Business presentations, beginning with the telephone
- Exhibits and Trade Show presentation
- Product and packaging design
- Professional Customer Service
Unlike graphic designers, media-driven ad agencies and bloated branding
firms, Sales Creators build company brands from the outside in, rather than
from the inside out. That is why our brands get remembered with the people
who buy them and use them. Branding is more than making a new logo or
company slogan. It is the silent message that the buying public receives and
motivates them to tell others about their purchase. Real branding increases
the profitability and lowers the cost of getting new customers.
Impact of the Internet on Branding
The Internet has caused problems for many brands because most companies
think of the web or the Net as just another advertising medium, like radio,
television, newspapers and magazines. While the WWW is a mass communication
medium, the difference between the web and any other mass medium is that it
is interactive. The user of the message is in charge, not the sender. What
the Net marketers have discovered is that people do not want advertising. As
a result, when you try to advertise on the Net, people turn it off. They do
not pay attention. Assuming the Web will be the same kind of a medium as
television causes the biggest mistake in branding – it is not the same
process, and different strategies are required in order to build a brand on
the Web. The Web is a great place to start in branding your products or
services.
You build a powerful Web brand by making the brand itself interactive,
allowing the customer access to further information. If you are an
established company with a well-known brand, the first question you should
ask yourself is, "Should we move our distribution of this brand to the Web?"
Every brick-and-mortar company should have a web site, but it should be an
information site, not necessarily a branding or business site. It should be
a place where customers can go if they want more information about a company
or product.
Advertising and Product Brochures Must be Positive
Branding must be consistent and positive with a single message that can
be understood by all buyers. Your message must have powerful graphics that
not only capture the buyer’s attention but also explain the message. A
picture may be worth a thousand words, but make sure those thousand words
are positive and memorable. Company and product brochures create a lasting
impression that impact a customer in either a favorable way, or in a
negative way that will cause them to shop elsewhere. If the company brochure
explains the product and tells the reader how it will benefit them, the
reader will want to read more. Most buyers today want to feel comfortable
with their buying decisions and they are limited on time, so you must be
concise and show them the value they will receive from their investment in
your product or service.
Make the Company Name Count
It is better to have one quality advertisement that costs a little more
than five inexpensive ads that do not have a positive image of your company.
Before the final ´OK´ is given, have a few of your trusted advisors or
employees critique the advertisement and ask them for an honest evaluation.
Rather than tell them about the purpose of the message, let them tell you if
you have a quality ad or not. They should be able to express the purpose and
the ´bottom line´ of the message for the ad.
Press releases are a great way of getting your brand in front of the
buyer and this message is free. Find something that is newsworthy: perhaps a
sponsorship program, free training for the public, new hires or promotions
all qualify. Send the information to your local paper and they will find a
spot in an upcoming edition (they are always looking for good stories).
posted on Jun 2, 2007
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