Carson and Company

Building Brand Identity

Sometimes as Brand Builders and Marketing Professionals we have a difficult time in explaining to pr clients what branding is all about.

Too often, pr clients and other companies think branding is flashing your logo or company name over everything in sight. That WILL get you noticed, but it isn’t branding. Not really.

Think of branding as a person, not an actual human. A good article on branding written by Thomas Brown puts the perspective into human terms. Saying things like, if you have a mindset about branding as a human you will nuture it, rather than manage it.

In another view the Branding Camapign could be divided into three areas:  Mind, Emotions and Physical. All have their specific reasons and teaches you how to re-think your company’s image, brand.

Do you know someone who is exceptional, all knowing (in a good way) someone who is very helpful? Then imitate and apply some of these traits into your company branding program. You just might see something new take shape in your company as well as the people who discover you.

See Also

• Making your brand a reality
  Learn how to make branding human

Where do you start?

In order to build a successful branding program for a company name, or a product requires several steps. To begin, you need to make sure you have a plan in place.

Branding is more than plastering your name on ads, flyers, or on your web site. It is more than running a bunch of radio or TV spots. Yes, this will get your company noticed, but only for the period of the media schedule.

It starts within the company. It is the culture that is developed. Some people mix their branding with a company’s "mission statement", or their company philosophy. These are separate and need to remain separate. Building a brand takes time. Some company’s are impatient and cannot wait the few months it takes to gain recognition, so they spend a lot of money on various media to get the word out.

This will help jump start any branding campaign, but it is short lived. You need to have a consistent plan that is more than a one shot campaign. I could go on to explain this further, but it will only become a long blog. <a href="http://www.technorati.com/claim/uwjgsy8u4d" rel="me">Technorati Profile</a>My point in writing this is to help pr clients realize that branding should be a very important part of your business plan and should be implemented in order to compete in today’s market.

If your company needs some guidance in developing a branding campaign, please give us a call. Our free consultation can show you how to incorporate a successful branding campaign into your company.

See Also

• How to create a succcessful brand
  You need to create a positive business culture

Branding is still the leader for name recognition

Creating a branding campaign is more than doing one ad, or placing a tagline onto your web site.
It is a constant image builder of your company’s name/tagline.

The ultimate goal is to have your brand recognized by your potential and existing customers. But it is important to make sure that the branding is a positive image.

What makes a Brand?
First, you need to identify what makes your company, service or products unique. With Avis, many years ago they positioned themselves as being the #2 car rental company. While everyone was fighting for the top spot, Avis figured out that no one is proud of being second, so they took that position and it worked. The "We Try Harder" campaign is still memorable.

Also a few years ago, 7-up bottling company played on the fact that their product was clean (clear) free of any added chemicals like caffeine, The healthier campaign help to position the "brand" as an alternative to the different and unhealthier colas. The UNCOLA brand made a strong hit.

Build the brand from within the company
Before you get the image to the consumer, or to your B2B clients, you need to start the brand awareness campaign inside the company. This includes the top management from the CEO and President of the company to the receptionist.

Branding includes a variety of things from slogans, to pictures on the walls, how you answer the phone, and the email signatures used in daily correspondence.

Finding that special brand for your company
Building a brand doesn’t happen by chance. And you should not borrow another company’s slogan, or idea to make that your branded image.

Find what separates your company from the industry. What is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? Find that one or two points to help create your branding. Don’t go overboard and use this branding campaign throughout the entire office…there is a point of over saturation. Be practical and be proactive when using the branding campaign. It can be your chance in becoming the next 7-up.

See Also

• Building a Brand
  Branding is important for marketing