If you think branding and having a brand is something just for big companies like Nike, Coca-Cola and McDonalds then think again. Likewise, if you think that branding is just a marketing gimmick aimed at making some fat marketing company a sack full of money then maybe it is time to look at branding again.
At The Marketing Buzz we feel that recent branding exercises carried out by some very major organizations has put certain parts of the marketing world in a bad light. I mean how can anyone in their right mind justify a £400k price tag for the 2012 Olympics logo? Especially when the public reaction to it was so negative!
Our primary aim at The Marketing Buzz is to help you increase your profits and help you grow your business. If we feel branding and working on your brand will help you achieve this then we will tell you. However, we are not in the habit of spending any of our clients’ money unless it is absolutely essential to do so.
So having said all that, what is branding?
Put very simply your brand is just something customers associate with your company and is something that you can use to help differentiate you from your competitors.
And if a brand is something that customers associate with your company then it could include your:
Therefore whether you a self employed sole trader or a multi million pound organisation you already have a brand. But is it the type of brand that is going to make you as successful as I'm sure you would like to be?
It is important to remember that with any industry, customers don’t necessarily buy a product or service but instead they buy a benefit or bundle of benefits. The benefit could be that the company they use saves them money or is local or a host of other things.
And branding is used so customers can quickly distinguish between one product/service and another with the brand encompassing different benefits to different customers
Brands also represent a set of values that meet customers’ needs. A brand will give a perception of value, confidence and trust so customers’ can easily chose one company, product or service easily compared to their competitors. People buy for many reasons including price and perceived quality but they also buy if they have an emotional attachment with a brand based on the perceived benefits it offers.
At The Marketing Buzz we can review your current brand and offer suggestions to either improve it or keep it as it is. The bottom line is though, if we feel using branding as part of your marketing mix is likely to increase your profits and help your business grow then we’ll let you know (p.s. it won't cost £400k!)
For further information on how The Marketing Buzz can help you increase your profits by using branding or indeed any aspect of marketing, contact us now and let us help you grow your business.
The Marketing Buzz………………..Helping You Grow Your Business