Ask Andi: Our business lacks branding. My husband and I have worked hard to build the business. Now we are learning more about how marketing can help us grow. We’re told to start with a clear image and message. We don’t have the identity of the company defined.
Thoughts of the Day: Branding your business requires homework. A picture does speak a thousand words. Give your business a physical representation by figuring out what image best conveys what your company stands for. Work through a series of exercises to get clear about messaging. Decide on a symbol that represents the company now and for the future. Be consistent in the use of identifiers.
Branding your business requires homework
Convey what your company stands for in your identity. Notice how pictures help you get in touch with the personalities. Your image represents the unique personality of your company.
Customers can tell what your business is about through the use of imagery. Use color and messaging to enhance the snapshot. Unify. Inform. Identify. Engage. Electrify. Represent. Visualize. These are all words to consider.
Define market sectors your company operates within. Professional services, retail, government contractor, manufacturing, product distribution. If unknown, use SIC code to define the sector. Review same sector companies to gather ideas.
- Create a message. Put into words what your company is all about
- Develop a mission statement to explain the purpose of the business
- Gather customer quotes that explain the value they receive from your company
- Have employees contribute what they believe the company stands for
- Ask key vendors to best define what they know about the company
- Explore why founders got into the business in the first place
- Welcome everyone to brainstorm about the business’s future
Branding requires a creative mindset
Get creative. Put information into a hat. Pull out words and phrases to create a one-paragraph representation. Branding your business. Tie descriptions together with the company story. Where it is going, who it serves, and why.
Once you have a clear understanding of the company’s purpose. Create a mission and vision statement. Turn that into a picture that says it all. Look for a core symbol that fits the written description you’ve created. Decide if that symbol should be contemporary, formal, humorous, ancient, off-beat, classic, etc., depending upon the tone you want to convey. Pick colors that send a message.
Hire people to help you with the design of a logo and letterhead. One mistake owners make is trying to do this work themselves. Formal education on effective use of colors, layout, and artistic design pays dividends. The last thing you want is to put out a bad design that backfires.
The face of your business
Develop multiple concepts. Show customers, employees, and key vendors various designs and ask them what they see. Don’t go with what you like, go with what your customers and employees identify with. Take enough time and expend the effort necessary to build an icon that will last for many years. Give your customers a reason to select your company and pay a premium when they do so. Give employees something to be proud of and to rally around.
Once you’ve decided on the mission, the logo, and layout, be consistent in their use. Customers want reassurance that your company is well organized. Build customer and employee confidence by demonstrating that you understand how important it is to properly represent your company.
Looking for a good book? Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, by Al Ries, Jack Trout, and Philip Kotler
