Branding with the Best of Them

We are in the third week now of Relationship building month here at Crafty.  We have talked about how to make new connections and how to foster those new relationships about.  But how do you keep them coming back?  Or even better tell their friends about you?  The answer is easy, branding.

Think of how many products you can name from just the sight of their logo.  Sometimes even their font or the single letter they use.  I went to a marketing class a few months ago and the instructor put up a slide with about 50 logos and asked how many we could name.  They were all pretty bug brands but I got 48 of them.  Not only did I know what they were, but I thought they were great products that I would recommend to a friend...because they were a great brand.

You don't have to have a multi-million dollar advertising campaign to create an effective brand.  There are lots of ways to brand yourself and your company that don't cost a thing.  Here are some of the things big brands do, you can do too!

Brand can be anything! 

Nike has spoken to people's emotional connection with sports and fitness, Starbucks has worked their way into people's daily routine by being so accessible and no one has any idea what an Intel processor does or how it works, but they know they want it inside their HP.  Your brand is what you make of it, but you have to have a brand to make it.

A great brand knows itself!

Some brands come naturally, from the owner, inventor or event the product itself.  It takes on a personality and that personality is incorporated into everything.  Whether it's a mission statement, business card, packaging, advertisement the brand is in line with that image.  Similar to a personality it has to be ever evolving to keep alive through the long haul and stay relevant, but that core always remains.  

Tap into emotions!

Everyone wants their brand to be the best one out there.  You can't stand apart from other brands just by claiming you are the best.  Your neighbor could be doing the very same thing.  We have to recognize that we live in and emotional world and those emotions are driving decisions people make everyday.  Strive for that connecting experience rather than just trying to explain why you are the best company or product out there.  

Be Consistent!

I think this one speaks for itself, but my favorite saying from journalism school was that is is better to be consistently good than to be occasionally great.  Help people to learn what to expect and get them to come back to you because they know and expect that you will be/do good. 

Be Relevant!

A big mistake that a lot of companies make is trying to be cool and hip or the next best thing.  A great brand will meet what people want, or performs the way people want it to, or provides a service that people need.  Consumers want something that has lasting value.  Just take a look at all the review sites now, where anyone and everyone can share their opinion.  Consumers are looking for quality.