The Importance of Branding

Your Branding Must Clearly Showcase Your Uniqueness

Branding your business is a crucial step in creating loyal clients, as well as long-term profitability. So what are all the details required to fulfill the branding process?

Let us first define the term, “branding”, so that we have our base clarified.

"Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.” – BusinessDictionary.com

Rob Frankel, a branding expert and author in Los Angeles, calls branding the most misunderstood concept in all of marketing, even among marketing professionals. Branding, he says, “Is not advertising and it’s not marketing or PR. Branding happens before all of those: First you create the brand, then you raise awareness of it.” Your brand is your identity and ethos.

Branding is much more than a unique logo, it is a concept and business culture that is inviting and highly attractive to your target audience. Branding your business correctly must embrace several factors so that your hit it out of the park.

This is a quote from Entrepreneur Magazine on what branding your business truly entails:

"The foundation of your brand is your logo. Your website, packaging and promotional materials–all of which should integrate your logo–communicate your brand.Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy. Your distribution channels are also part of your brand strategy. And what you communicate visually and verbally is part of your brand strategy, too.”

This serves as a model on what needs to be included within your branding strategy so that you create the most impact within the market place. Here is a basic checklist of items and actions to include in branding your business:

A unique selling propositionTarget audience definedLogoWebsite designContent marketing strategySocial media policy & strategyPromotional materials (brochures, business cards, leaflets, etc.)PackagingDress codeCompany policyDistribution channelsQuality ControlPR messaging & campaignsCommunity outreach=Wishing your success!

Yanni H