How to Create a Brand that Sticks
Most people, when they hear the word branding, think logos -
but in fact, branding is really much more than that. A brand involves blending
the image, purpose, and focus of your business, with your core marketing
message, and coming up with something which will stick in the minds of people
who encounter it. As a business or an independent professional, it is who you
are and what you do, packaged neatly, clearly, and memorably. A logo is only a
tangible representation that works to reinforce a brand.
So - what kind of personality does your business have? Is it conservative and
solid? Outgoing and fun? Or robust and strong? And, what is your business
focused on doing? Whom do you want to work with? How does your business differ
from the competition? And what makes it so special, after all? Do not try to
name every special quality or unique selling point - you can actually build a
brand on just one unique quality! Once you can answer these questions, you can
begin to create your brand. The question is what you want YOUR brand to leave
behind in people's heads.
Practically any business or professional can benefit from a strong brand. But
branding is even more important for micro businesses and independent
professionals because they face tighter competition. A well executed brand and
identity can help them compete on a larger playing field, appear more
professional, and stand out from the hordes of competitors.
Once you determine how you want to be remembered, your image and your message
will need to communicate that. The image can simply be a consistent look used in
all your correspondence, a logo that marks everything that comes from your
business, and the identity you use on your web site and brochure. The message
can be a tag line, your 30 second "elevator speech," and woven through the
content on your web site.
A logo is only one manifestation of brand identity, used to create a memorable
impression, but it is useless if you have not clearly defined your audience and
the focus of your business. There are plenty of clearly branded businesses using
only consistent fonts or colors in their marketing collateral. But whatever you
decide chose one image to stick with through all your business communication,
and make sure that image is professional. In other words, if you do not have the
resources or finances right now to have a professional image developed for you,
work with less, rather than using badly formatted clipart or a layout that makes
you look amateurish or cheap. That approach can only hurt your business and your
brand, so find the level that works for you without a negative effect.
Once you determine what brand you want to create, and have developed an
identity to accompany it, the work has just begun. You will need to vigilantly
reinforce your brand every moment you are in business. Your brand needs to
affect everything your business does, everything you and your employees say, and
every bit of information that comes out of your office. Letterhead, invoices,
proposals… these should all consistently promote your brand. In your voice mail,
in your email sig, and every time someone says, "What do you do?" your brand
should come out to shine. Domain names and web site content should, again,
reinforce your brand. Everywhere you use your brand with consistency, you are
communicating with the voice of your company.
Be aware, though, that this does not happen overnight - your brand will need
to build over time. Develop a strong brand, and use it consistently, and more
and more often, your brand will pop into people's minds when they have a need
that you can provide.
© 2004 Eileen P. Parzek, SOHO It Goes!
Eileen 'Turtle' Parzek is a veteran marketing designer
and online communications consultant who has been working
from home and virtually since 1995.
Her business, SOHO
It Goes! (www.soho-it-goes.com)
specializes in providing technology driven design, marketing
and communication services to small businesses and organizations.
Date Written: 2004-03-02
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