Principal Image's Blog

What is your first thought when the word ‘branding’ is used? I can safely bet that logo flashed through your mind and you were correct, at least part of a company’s branding involves a logo but the concept of a brand extends far beyond just your company logo.

It extends to your business' core values and to every interaction you have with customers and suppliers. In effect, your brand creates and maintains your reputation and so reflects your customers' experiences of your organisation.

A brand is really your organisation's reputation - its 'personality'.

Your brand is what you are really selling to your customers, not just a product or service for which there may already be many existing providers. A strong brand can make any business stand out from the crowd, particularly in competitive markets.

The first steps in creating a brand

We, Principal Image, need your input more than you might realise if a successful brand is to be made. A brand must promote your strengths, your values and reputation. Start by thinking about what your business is good at and what you believe in as a business. For example:

• particular skills - such as excellence in design
• high-quality customer service
• providing the best value for money in your marketplace
• innovation - perhaps in a niche market

You need to be sure that you can always deliver your promises using your strengths, sometimes referred to as 'brand values'.

It’s all about what your customers want

Your brand values need to be on par with your customers' requirements; if you’re planning to sell luxury yachts then your brand values should reflect this.

What drives your customers? What makes them buy? In most cases, it's not only about price or performance. If it was then Apple Mac would be out of business.

Ask existing customers what they like about doing business with you. And asking potential customers what they look for in their buying decisions can also give you useful information to help develop your business - and your brand.

Maintain a strong brand

If you want to build and maintain a strong brand, you'll need to focus on what your customers want and how you can guarantee to deliver it. You'll need to be consistent in your service and every other point of contact customers have with you - for example phone calls, letters, emails, etc.

Reviewing your brand

When reviewing your brand, remember that your customers and employees will have often built up an emotional attachment to it, and even feel a sense of ownership of it. It is therefore critical that any changes you make are sensitive to their existing relationship with your brand. Use your findings from consultations with your customers, suppliers and employees to assess the wider perception of your brand.

Growth opportunities

The reviewing process can often give you an indication of areas into which you can expand your business. However, it is equally important to use the findings from your review to check if your brand can withstand being stretched to other products or services. For example, if you find that customers strongly associate your brand with particular products, it may be wise to introduce new products under a sub-brand, which may include a different logo.

To grow your business, you should encourage innovation and the development of your products and services. This will help you to stay ahead of your competitors and respond to the changing needs of your customers. However, your brand should always underpin your core values and provide customers with a consistent and reliable experience. Your brand may therefore become synonymous with innovation, but in itself may never change.