What is your Branding Strategy?

Particularly for B2C businesses, a branding strategy is extremely important. Because your business’s brand gives people the idea of your company’s purpose, in order for customers to understand who your business is and what types of products or services you offer, your brand image needs to be clear. Today, we’ll take a look at how you can create a brand strategy with your in-house team. Know your Goals: Every business starts for a reason. As an entrepreneur, your personal reasons for starting the business are likely different from the business’s purpose in the marketplace. To broadcast your brand effectively to your customers, you need to know what problems (both business and ethical) your company solves. Decide on a Consistent Branding Strategy: When the time comes to start developing a brand strategy, be sure to stick to consistent message tone, brand colors, and company ethics. Pick a group of “brand” colors to represent your company on business signage, and tailor your content to cater to customers in different parts of the buying cycle. Solve Problems, Don’t Strike Fear In the past, the “fear tactic” has been a popular advertising method. We strongly advise against using fear-based motivators in your brand strategy, as it has a potential of creating an association with your brand. Instead, focus on the things that make your customers happy, and find ways to make your product or service synonymous with that experience. For example, a bathing suit brand who targets beach-goes and sunbathers know that their clients enjoy spending time in the sun. Acknowledging that the sunshine evokes happy emotions in the customers, the bathing suit brand may choose to use a call to action like “enjoy the sunshine in our suits,” because it incorporates something their audience already loves, the sun. Reward Loyalty No matter what industry you’re in, rewarding your customers for their loyalty is a great way to build great relationships with your community and drive word of mouth advertising. Today, there are hundreds of great customer reward programs both online and in print. B2C businesses may benefit most from hanging punch cards out to their customers, while B2B agencies should consider an online-driven loyalty program through a website with custom logins. Remember, there is no substitute for a strong brand presence. Companies like Apple, Nike, and the New York Times have made empires out of their agencies as the result of excellent, consistent branding. Because 54% of people don’t trust brands due to previous experiences, being as transparent and honest as possible with your advertising is a must in order to create a foundation of return customers. To advertise your business, use a combination of digital and traditional advertising methods to grow your brand presence. Consider using vinyl banners and sidewalk signs outside of your storefront to drive pedestrian traffic, and digital campaigns like blogging and paid ads to increase your brand’s visibility online. If you have any questions about using signage to support your brand strategy, contact us today.