"Ordinary people can spread good and bad information about brands faster than marketers." - Ray Johnson BRAND IMAGE
Companies are always looking for ways to differentiate themselves. Whether through a company name, website, logo, tagline, or advertising campaign, it is vital that you offer something that helps your company stand out among competitors. Though you may offer the same services as your competitor, you must find ways to market a different approach, lower cost, or added benefit. Here are 5 simple ways to build your brand image: 1. Internal Communications Branding education & training for employees is key to building your brand. It is essential to equip staff with the tools to educate others about your products/services. Every employee is a marketer for your company and their bad attitude or lack of information could potentially influence your brand and reputation. 2. Relationships It is important to appreciate the value of good relationships with customers, business partners, and vendors. Each relationship offers benefits that will help to strengthen your brand and your service/product. 3. Customer Experience Creating the best possible customer experience can be tedious and difficult, but it is worth every moment of your time. Take a holistic approach while pinpointing the key components that define a customer’s experience. Begin to take notes on how a customer is treated by your company. Are there ways to improve their experience? Finding ways to better meet your customer’s needs will help to build a great brand image. 4. Word of Mouth What are people saying about your company? It is important to address the good, the bad, and the ugly. What are you doing right? What are you doing wrong that can be improved? What things are you doing that need to stop immediately? Growth is sure to occur when these issues are addressed on a consistent basis. 5. External Communications Each piece of external advertising needs to have a clear, cohesive message. Whether it’s signage, collateral, corporate identity, direct mail, uniforms, or advertising – all components need to convey the same message. Maintaining consistency within your brand helps to strengthen the trust between you and your customer. Good examples of trustworthy brands include: Hershey Co., Kraft Foods, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Home Depot, Apple, UPS, Coca-Cola, and Google. These brands have images that have remained consistent for years and have been extremely successful in delivering on their brand promise. Thus, building a lasting brand image. Look out for more "Branding Beast" blogs (from a "well-tamed" branding beast: Jennifer T. Graham) with topics to help build your brand! Jennifer T. Graham, MBA | Creative Director | Branding Blog Post #002 "Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind." - Walter Landor THE BEAST
A lot of organizations struggle with the "b" word. And not the "b" word that quickly comes to mind either (which I am assuming was booze, bacon, or bananas). A different "b" word: BRANDING. Branding can be somewhat of a beast if not handled with care. Building a strong brand, much like building a house, requires the investment or both time and resources. A solid foundation is essential for constructing a lasting brand image. FEEDING THE BEAST It is very important to be mindful of the obstacles that may arise when building a brand. Much of my life is centered around building brands for organizations as well as individuals and I have encountered several stumbling blocks when helping companies rebuild their brand images. Many of these issues are the result of something I like to call "feeding the beast." Feeding the beast involves a series of negligent, marketing decisions that cause a brand to get out of control. Once a brand is out of control, it begins to send messages that conflict with its mission and causes the value of the brand to decrease. Customers will begin to no longer value the product or services and the brand equity will be lost. In order not to loose that hard-earned brand equity, one must "tame the beast." TAMING THE BEAST "How does one tame the branding beast?" you may ask. It is quite simple and can be done in 3 steps: 1. Develop a Plan Develop a plan to strategically control the messages that are sent out on behalf of your brand and make it a company-wide priority to follow that plan. When the mission of the company or individual is at the forefront of every marketing decision, the product or service will benefit greatly. 2. Implement the Plan Many companies are able to successfully implement their branding plans through the use of a corporate identity manual. A corporate identity manual is a management tool that will help ensure the correct application of the corporate identity on various levels. This will help to ensure that the brand does not get out of control and consistently sends messages that reinforce the company's mission and vision. 3. Maintain Quality Control Much like a map, a plan is no good if you do not use it. It is necessary to manage your brand and make certain that the guidelines that have been set in place are being followed by all involved with company matters. It is vital that everyone understand that they are responsible for upholding the brand standards of the company. If you are managing your personal brand, be sure to make decisions that consistently send the same message to your target audience. So, the next time you are faced with a branding dilemma be sure to "tame" and not "feed" the beast. Look out for more "Branding Beast" blogs (from a "well-tamed" branding beast: Jennifer T. Graham) with topics to help build your brand! Jennifer T. Graham, MBA | Creative Director | Branding Blog Post #001 I am always in pursuit of new stones, jewels, beads, and findings for my new Etsy shop! It is a new passion that has truly brought a lot of life to all my work. I have been finding great things locally and on different trips outside of Savannah. A couple of weeks ago I made a trip to one of my favorite local shops in Savannah, Epiphany Bead and Jewelry Studio. In an effort to find some new jewels, I found some wonderful, raw African Turquoise. It's perfect for the summer and adds a refreshing touch of excitement to the shop. Check out the shop for the newest addition: African Turquoise! Did you know that I make earrings too? Well, now you do! I opened an Etsy shop on April 29th of this year and it has been a very exciting adventure. I am learning a lot about jewelry and (ironically) marketing too! It's not enough to just have a product. You must market that product effectively too. This is something I have learned in my advertising studies for many years and now it's time to put it into play! Making my jewelry is a great way for me to keep my creative juices flowing as an artist. I love crafts and fashion. Jewelry is the perfect combination of those two things. My jewelry mixes natural, earthy colors with bright, fun hues. I am inspired by almost everything that I see and enjoy creating new pieces for the shop. Click here to check out my work! |
JENNIFER T. GRAHAM
This is a visual blog of all the things I love: design, food, travel, work, family & life. Enjoy!
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