A lot of small business owners think branding does not apply to them, or they can't compete with larger brands. Guess what? They’re all wrong. Branding is important to small businesses. It’s important to every business no matter what size, shape, product or service you provide.

Branding has become such a broad term used in business, marketing and advertising that the meaning has become so diluted people really have no clue what branding really is. If you don’t understand what it is then how could you give it any importance? Hopefully I can clarify in a few paragraphs what branding is, and how your company might benefit from branding.

Don't think branding is for your company? Think again.

Branding is the essentials, the essence of your company, the feelings a customer gets when they hear your name, see your logo, your colors, use your product, and interact with your employees and it’s also how your employees make your customers feel. Branding is customer service, it’s a unique identity, it’s a memorable tagline or message, the way your vehicles look, the way your dressed when you meet a customer and the way you answer your phone when someone calls.

Branding has everything to do with anything and everything a company does, says and stands for. Branding is not just about an identity guidelines manual that lays out a set of rules for others to follow so the company has a consistent look and feel. Branding is everything that is not said but conveyed to a customer or client. Branding is your employee handbook. It’s your companies mission and purpose, and it should be conveyed, protected and advertised in a consistent manner.

Your whole company needs to be on board for branding to work

It’s important to make sure you and your employees understand how important branding is for the future development, and the overall success of the company. Big brands spend millions of dollars a year protecting the brand. Making sure the correct feelings are conveyed to their customers. Why? Because it works.

A starting point to building a brand

You might think that branding takes a ton of money, and your right. It can take a lot of money, but money will not speed up the process. There are also ways to create a brand without breaking the bank. Taking it slow and focusing on your companies target strengths, developing a consistent marketing message as well as guidelines for how your company should look and behave is a good starting point to building a strong brand.

Good or bad every experience (we call them touch-points) shapes the customers opinion of your brand, so make each one count.

Ready to talk about building your brand, or creating a platform to grow from? Contact us for a free consultation.