Creating a brand is great.
But clearly understanding why it will bring value to your business?
That’s when you can slap a giant “S” on your chest…
…because you’ll be unstoppable.
In fact, branding is the secret weapon of most companies.
Want to know why?
Let’s dive right in…
Table of Contents
1. Branding helps people identify and recognize your products and organization
Brand stewardship is more than just a name, a logo design, or a snazzy strapline – it is everything that encompasses your organization and helps to set you apart from others. For example, branding can be achieved through:
- the visual identity of the brand (logo, website, and colors, are just some examples).
- advertising and communications
- product and packaging design
- in-store experience
- pricing
- sponsoring and partnerships
Think of a brand as a person, each individual has their own personality, way of dressing, communicating, their own values, friends, characteristics, and story to tell. It is this that makes up who we are and it is also these characteristics that make a brand.
2. It’s what makes your company different from the competition
People don’t tend to have relationships with products, they’re loyalty and commitment is to the brand. So looking at an example we used in the article “What is branding”. If no branding were applied to the product of bottled water, your consumers would buy just water and any water, it didn’t matter which as they all look the same.
But with branding you make your product different, it is the reason your consumer walks into the supermarket and purchases your water above your competitors. And it’s not because it tastes different, it’s because they can relate to and are loyal to your brand. The promises you have made to them and the secret salesman packaging have resonated with this consumer and they have chosen you.
3. Branding helps you connect with customers emotionally
Building a brand helps you to create trust with your target market, it helps to create brand loyalty, so these customers continue to keep coming back. We’ve touched on branding encompassing a number of elements and your values are one of them. It is these values that are embedded in your brand which then help to create an emotional connection with people and how your brand makes them feel.
4. It helps your consumers know what to expect by making your products easy-to-choose
Brands provide consumers with reasons to choose their products or services. A company that communicates a clear brand promise and actually constantly delivers this promise over time, will probably build a solid number of loyal customers.
This is why strong brands are often perceived as “shortcuts” in consumers’ purchase decision process. A consistent and clear offering together with a positive brand experience puts the customer at ease because they know exactly what to expect each time they engage with the brand.
5. Branding is the best strategy to attract top-quality talent
Employer branding is used to attract quality talent to your company and help retain your top existing employees. It helps your audience understand “why I should work for you” in a way that showcases your organization as a great place to work.
A great example of a brand that is good at attracting and retaining employees is Google. They make all their employee perks (nap pods, free meals, international careers) known over the web. Also, Google Career’s tagline alone, “Do cool things that matter,” could convince anyone to work for them.
Conclusion
Branding is more than a design on a product, a logo, or a strapline. It is about all of these things and more, customer experience, brand promises, company philosophy, and culture. It is all of the characteristics of what makes you, you. Going back to the human example, every individual is different, unique, and has something different to offer. It is this difference that sets us apart, how this is portrayed and marketed is what makes companies leaders in their industry.
