Don't be fooled into thinking you can create a brand through a one-time
process. A brand is the entire experience your consumers get through the
products, services and messages you put out in the world. It's the character
imbued in all the elements of your business, and it helps you stand apart from
your competitors. So how can you get started?
1. Uncover and articulate your values. First and most important, to
brand a product or service, you must be very clear about what you stand for and
value most. Set up a chart of five to 10 values you want identified with your
business before you start sending out any communications.
2. Create a brand statement. Take the list you've brainstormed and
change its primary focus to the needs and desires of your consumer. Focus on the
type of long-term bond you'd like to establish with your clients and how you can
achieve that. Merge the needs and desires of the company with those of your
consumer into a single, concise statement and, voila, your brand statement is
born.
3. Develop short- and long-term objectives. What do you want your
ultimate consumers to experience when they come in contact with your brand? How
will it make them feel? What emotions will your brand evoke? A positive brand
experience is created by aligning your company's core values with the actual
product or service you deliver. To accomplish this, evaluate each and every
detail that goes into the delivery of your product or service.
4. Hire employees who understand the importance of branding. As the
saying goes, "There is no 'I' in 'Team.'" Hire employees that have the same
values as you and your brand so they can serve as ambassadors for your company.
By hiring the right people, you'll create the right energy to meet short-term
goals and objectives, and ultimately, the vision of your brand.
5. Get the whole company involved. To achieve your objectives, your
internal team must be on the same page. Here are some of the questions you and
members of your staff should ask yourselves daily: What are the customer's
needs? What's the value of the brand to the customer? What do we want the
customer to say about us? How do we want our messages to appear to our customer?
The answers to each of these questions should remain consistent from one staff
member to the next.
6. Create benchmarks. Set specific performance goals and objectives to
meet your business's needs. Benchmarks are anything that is measurable in your
company--from quantitative measurements like on-time delivery to qualitative
ones like improving employee assessment scores. Your goals should encompass
target consumers, ideal employees and strategic partners. And you should assess
them at least quarterly.
7. Communicate your brand to the public. Use your company's values to
position your product in a way that clearly states who you are and the value you
offer your consumer. The medium you use to communicate your message, whether
direct mail, newspaper editorials, TV ads or your website, should be clearly
funneled to your target audience. If it isn’t, you're wasting your money.
8. Focus on the client experience. Place yourself in the position of
your company's targeted consumers. Consumers want to have a say in what they're
sold, what needs they want fulfilled and how they want that fulfillment to look
and feel. Consumers are more sophisticated and apt to share information than
ever before, so engage them and use their input to help grow your brand.
9. Continuously evaluate your brand's progress. Know that a brand is
always evolving and as it grows, it must remain true to its values and visions.
Branding requires the same kind of discipline as playing a competitive sport:
You practice, perform and evaluate to become the best you can. You can always
improve, so play the game as though branding is never complete.
10. Remain flexible. Remember that there'll be obstacles along the
way. Flexibility is essential, and being able to adapt to changes and meet
challenges is part of the road to success. One common challenge is that success
sometimes breeds complacency. When complacency sets in, your innovative thinking
diminishes, and the brand identity you've established could begin to lose the
initial passion. Refresh yourself and your company with new ideas, new
challenges and new people. Above all, listen to your customers'
insights--they'll tell you what they need from you.