In an age where products and services are being bought more than they’re being sold, some experts claim that brand is no longer relevant. Their position is that your brand is equal parts the quality of your product or service and the way you treat your customers.While those things are important, your brand image (especially in the absence of selling) becomes a way to sell. Most importantly, your brand image becomes a way to differentiate your product or service from all your competitors.
The power of your brand increases as your focus narrows.
Your brand must not try to appeal to everybody, but to be the BEST at one specific thing. You can’t tell customers that you are the best at everything, or they simply won’t believe you. Harley-Davidson has an incredible brand when it comes to motorcycles, but when they tried to extend their brand with Harley-Davidson brand wine coolers (a true story), they only confused customers and diluted the power of their brand. The fastest path to killing a brand is to put its name on everything.
Brands need advertising to survive.
Once a brand is created, it needs to be nurtured with consistent doses of advertising. This is the only way to maintain a brand over time.
Your brand needs to be synonymous with a word in the customer’s mind.
You want your brand to be the first thing that pops in the mind of your prospective customer’s mind. Just like when people think ‘overnight’ they think FedEx, or when they think ‘copies’ they think Xerox, you want to own a word for your customers.
Authority is the key to credibility.
While there are many ways to become an authority in your market, one of the best is to be the leader. People assume that the best seller is the most popular for a reason, and they use this knowledge as a shortcut to selecting a product or service.
Brands are more important than companies.
We often forget that customers buy brands, not companies. Your brand name should always be your focus, not your company name.Remember always that brands are not built overnight. If they are cultured over time, they will pay dividends for years to come.
If you wish to discuss brand image and your business in more depth contact: Berry Burgess at Armadillo Creative on 0191 257 8380 or visit www.armadillo-creative.com
