Branding is one of the major aspects of any #business, whether large or small, retail or B2B (Business-to-Business). An efficient and effective branding gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive market.

Branding goes beyond just a logo or graphic element. When you think about your brand, you really want to think about customer experience, from your logo, your website, your social media experiences, the way you answer the phone, to the way your customers experience your staff.

Your brand can be described as your promise to your customers as it tells them what they can expect from your products and services. It also differentiates your offering from your competitors. In summary, your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.

The following are ten reasons why brand building is important.

1. Branding Promotes Recognition

If your brand is consistent and easy to recognize, people will feel more secured patronising your products and services.

2. Branding Differentiates You From Competition

Your brand is no longer competing in the local markets, it now fishes in the global #economy. Branding helps you stand apart from the crowd.

3. Branding Tells People About Your Business DNA

The full brand experience from visual elements like logo, to the way phones are answered tell customers the kind of establishment you are.

4. Branding Provides Motivation and Direction For Staff

Your brand gives staff clarity on how to act, how to win and how to meet the establishment’s goals. It provides staff with what they need to succeed.

5. A Strong Brand Generates Referrals

People wear brands, eat brands, listen to brands and constantly tell others about the brand they love therefore if  your brand is not strong enough, it could affect referrals and viral traffic.

6. Strong Branding Helps Customers Know What To Expect

A strong and consistent brand helps customers to know what to expect each and every time they experience the brand.

7. Your Brand Represents You and Your Promise To Customers

It is important to remember that you are the brand, your staff is the brand and your marketing materials are the brand. What do they say about you and your promise to customers? Your brand represents you.

8. Your Brand Helps You Create Clarity And Stay Focused

Your brand helps you stay focused on your mission and vision as an organization, as it is easy to wander from idea to idea with nothing to guide you.

9. Your Brand Helps You Connect Emotionally With Your Customers

A top-notch brand connects emotionally with customers, they feel good when they patronise the brand. Purchasing is an emotional experience and it helps people feel good at an emotional level when they engage with the company.

10. A Strong Brand Provides Your Business Value

A strong brand will provide value to your organization beyond physical assets. Look at big companies like Coca-cola, Wrangler, Apple, Ford etc. these companies are worth much more than physical assets because their strong brand has created a value that is far greater than their physical value.

Here are three tips for using your brand responsibly. Tips on how to stay on-brand with your business:

1. The Right Logo

Make sure you always use the right logo. If you have refreshed your logo and branding recently, complete a brand stocktake and discard anything with the logo from templates and clothing and accessories.

Don’t Alter Or Change Your Logo

Though it is common to alter logos in special instances or to run special campaigns, in every other instance, a logo should remain the way it is.

Always Ensure You Convey The Right Brand In Your Communication.

Everything you put to the market place should include the right logo, designs, fonts and colours which constitute your brand. Your brand also encompasses the wording, look and style of communication you use.

In conclusion, the best branding is built on a strong idea, an idea you and your staff can hold on to, can commit to and can deliver upon. Your brand needs to permeate your entire establishment and when your business is clear on the brand and can deliver on the brand, you will see tremendous fruit while building brand loyalty among your customer base.

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