Branding is about defining core essence of a company—what makes it different from competitors and unique in the marketplace.
There always lots of talk of the logo, imagery and look and feel—what a customer sees. But what about what a customer hears? The biggest branding mistakes come from prioritizing the visual, outer layer; but it’s the content inside which differentiates one company from another.
If your prospects don’t know what you stand for, how you’re different and why they should choose your company over competitors, the logo, color palette and pretty pictures really don’t matter.
Your brand’s message takeaway should stake an ownable position that your competitors can’t claim. A unique selling proposition is vital, and is unfortunately what often gets overlooked. If you can easily swap out your competitors’ name for yours, you’ve failed the branding litmus test.
Aesthetics and presentation is like the icing on the cake that makes a brand compelling. Cakes without icing are not that enticing, but a big old plate of frosting doesn’t hold up very well, either.
Bear in mind some creative branding agencies are more design-focused and less marketing-oriented. If you’re clear on your content and messaging, a visual identity refresh may suffice. But if you’re struggling to develop a competitive positioning, copywriting is critical and should not be overlooked.
When investing in branding, consider what a customer may not see but hears is equally important and might be the branding piece you need the most.
Of course there’s only so much a marketer can do; a brand experience is created by all the touch-points a consumer has with a company, including sales and customer service. The ultimate goal is to create an integrated experience that positions the brand as the solution to a customer’s needs.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
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