I could have called this blog ” 5 steps to a successful brand” but it would not be entirely true. For a successful brand the steps would go beyond this blog into a bespoke method which would lie upon your own contributions as a business. Instead this blog focuses on a general building for the basis of your brand. It’s short and sweet because I know you’re busy
Step 1.) Who are you?
Thinking always in business terms (not “My name is Peter and I like fishing “). Who are you as a business?
- What do you provide & why?
- What makes you different?
- Why do you do it differently?
- Are you a sole trader, LTD, charity?
- Do you have staff and offices, if so how many?
Everything about your business should contribute to your brand. You need to catorgorise yourself and then un-catorgorise yourself showing your worth in the marketplace but also your distinction. Check out your competitors to see what they are doing, (not to copy them) but how you differ (are you actually any different).
This plays a huge part in creating your brand, it what defines and separates you as a business to compile your unique company values.
Step 2.) What you were and what you will become?
Your past, present and future show great insight to a business, not just who you are but how you became what you are and where you’re going next. It’s a sign of strength, longevity and future contribution to your industry. It also provides interesting press release content.
Example:
The Three mobile phone network.
Past: They were a HIGHTECH revolutionary mobile phone company specialising in VIDEO calling and hoping to capitalise on BUSINESS users for conference calls. (With very bad customer support)
Present: An ever growing mobile phone company winning customers with CHEAP bulk voice minutes and MIDRANGE phones for the PUBLIC. (With very bad customer support)
Future: Fast pushing into mobile INTERNET, changing the way tariffs are created and setting trends for other phone companies. (With bad customer support)
Step 3.) Who are they? – Your target audience.
Define who you are selling to and reflect your brand towards them. You must appeal to them with your own niche defined in step 1. Make them apart of your brand.
E.g. Tescos – Every little helps
Step 4.) Personification
People relate to people, its human nature and how we judge each other, in fact that’s how we judge everything, by personification.
Personify your business with character. What characteristics does your business have?
It maybe one, two or none from the list but personifying your business shows character and builds a public perception of confidence and expectation.
E.g. Nike the Greek goddess of victory – Dynamic and confident appealing to athletes
Ecademy – Connecting Business People – Professional, business focused with a friendly approach
Apple Mac & Pc’s – Apple Macs advertising campaigns personify computers as a means to
creating a relationship to the potential buyer
Step 5.) Bar of excellence
An important part of defining a brand is to stick to it. It’s all well to say this is who we are, more importantly you need to consistently show who you are. With steps 1-4 you should have a basis to your business brand, a guide to who you are and what you will achieve. Use this as a benchmark for all work so you can uphold and build a reputation to become a successful brand.
Further steps for defining a brand include brand-image and corporate identity as a way of graphically communicating your brand to others. First of all define who you are strategically then move on to graphic communication.
If you do this at least once a year you will yourself see how your own brand has defined and changed over the years.
