Be The Brand

Photo from oyova.com

 

Branding. When someone wants to start a business, the first few things they should be thinking of are:

1. Who is the target audience?
2. What is your image/brand?

a. What is your focus?

b. What are your brand's image and sound?

i.Your image and sound include logos, slogans, packaging, and products.

1. How will you reach your audience? (Kumar 2020)

When researching your target audience, find out who will buy the easiest. Who is your competition, and what do the competition's customers have in common? Your target audience is the customers who want to buy your products and/or services. Age, gender, income, location, and interests define target audiences. Is your business based on a niche such as knitting or sewing, or is it broad such as athletic wear? (Evolution 2022) Your target audience will be the easiest to sell to, but you still need a brand to keep them coming back. When they start talking about your products/services, you need to imagine what they will say and how they will say it. When you think of branding, think of businesses like Nike, NFL, Cocoa Cola, or Louis Vuitton.

Branding your business is the most important thing you can do when launching a new business. Entrepreneur.com states that your brand is your promise to your customer. It gives your future customers an idea of what to expect from you and your services. Your brand should set you apart from competitors; it tells who you are, whom you want to be, and whom you perceive to be. Your brand is integrated into everything you do, including your logo, website, packaging, and promotions. (Williams 2022) Your brand should be consistent in colors and fonts unless you have a subset business; you want everything to be cohesive. If you are into crafting, you want something fun and appealing to the eye, versus if you are a lawyer, you want something to be bold and robust. Think of whom your business represents, and the images that come to mind should influence your branding.

How does your business sound? When you begin to brand the business, think of your tone. Is it more serious, or is it fun and flirty? When you think of a brand, you may think, why sound? Sound is vital because your brand sets a tone. For instance, Shoe Dazzle is an online company that sells shoes and other women's clothing. Their focal product is women's shoes. The tone of their brand is fun and flirty. They often show images of women going out on dates with their friends or significant other. Their television and radio ads are always of women having fun, whether leaving work to head to happy hour or dancing with their friends on the weekend. When I think of places like Joseph A. Banks, I immediately think of working men in suits. Joseph A. Banks's brand is simple yet bold and appealing. Imagine driving in your car listening to the radio; what do you hear? There are no visuals when ads play on the radio; the sound must grab your attention. I remember my days of working in radio, and this was always a struggle for small businesses because they never thought of how their brand should sound. Sound and tone should always be considered for your brand; even if you decide not to advertise on the radio, you may consider videos on social media or on your website. 

Photo from wordstream.com

What is your brand's image? How often do you receive a package and see a brown box and think, "Wow, that is boring?" I order quite a few things from Amazon and Walmart. Though Amazon's packaging is not unique, I know when I receive a package from them because it is typically a brown box with black tape that says Amazon. Walmart's packaging is a little different; it is usually a blue box with the Walmart*com on the side and brown or clear tape. I once ordered a planner from a small company on Instagram, and the planner was delivered in a pink box with the company's name across the tape. Inside the box, the planner was perfectly wrapped while lying in pink and gold paper confetti, stickers, and a new pen to match my planner. I was genuinely excited about opening my package. I took pictures to post on my Instagram and told everyone I knew about how cute it was packaged. If you have watched an influencer "unboxing" video, you understand the importance of packaging. 

           There are so many great options when it comes to branding your packaging. There is a tape with your logo, ribbon, tissue paper, postcards, stickers, or a handwritten thank you note. "Humans are visual creatures, and appearances help us form first impressions." Think of your packaging as an extension of your digital brand. Branding your packaging is your opportunity to create a tangible experience for consumers. Great packaging makes for strong loyalty from consumers and furthers brand awareness. (Strang 2022)

Once your brand is developed, you now must develop a strategy. Ask yourself, how do you plan to communicate your brand (visually and verbally)? It is essential to remain consistent when branding your company. The brand will represent you everywhere you go and vice versa. Consistency is key. How your business will stand out from others is how you consistently brand your business. Your company's goals are more important when developing and defining your brand. You must know your company in order to brand the company. What do you offer, and how does it benefit your customers? What qualities do you want customers to associate with your business? There are many things to consider when branding your company. Remember to develop your brand, define your brand, and become consistent. You want to think of images and sounds for your brand because of how you reach your target audience. There are many advertising channels, like social media, television, radio, posters, and billboards. You may also consider emails and text messages for returning customers.

Branding makes for a great valued customer experience. Branding makes a promise to your consumers; it tells them what to expect and holds you to their expectations. Personalized notes help create loyalty and brand awareness. Sound, tone, and images make your business more memorable. Branding lets consumers quickly identify you and sets your business apart from competitors. You never want to brand false hope to your consumers. For instance, you cannot brand yourself as luxurious if your items and brand do not look and feel luxurious. Better branding creates more brand awareness which means more people are talking about your products and services. 

Create The Brand. Be The Brand. 

-Jaleesa

Diggin' This Information

References

Evolution, Marketing. 2022. Steps to Find Your Target Audience. July. https://www.marketingevolution.com/marketing-essentials/target-audience.

Kumar, Braveen. 2020. How to Build Your Own Brand From Scratch in 7 Steps. August. https://www.shopify.com/blog/how-to-build-a-brand.

Strang, Elly. 2022. Brand Packaging: Why It Matters and How to Nail it (With Examples!). August. https://looka.com/blog/branded-packaging/.

Williams, John. 2022. The Basics of Branding. https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/business-the-basics-of-branding/77408.