Attending several business conferences and seminars throughout the years, one constant themes rings loud and clear: be strong, consistent, and efficient in your branding efforts. Along with the resounding theme, they give you tips on how to be a better brand marketer. However, what they generally fail to do is tell you what to avoid throughout your branding trials and tribulations.
One of the biggest mistakes that companies make is trying to make everyone happy. Remember that you have a target audience and you need to appeal to them. It is their job at that point to be your champion and market your product by word of mouth. So, make your niche market happy and allow them to carry your product or service onto the other audiences.
Another error that is significant throughout many branding efforts is using too much industry verbage. Keep in mind that you are speaking to your audience, and the majority of your target audience will not understand technical jargon. However, they will understand and respond better with language that they can comprehend. The rule of “keep it simple” absolutely applies!
Thirdly, remember that your company is not vastly different from your competition. I don’t mean to insult you or your company with this comment, but the truth of the matter is that there are several other marketing and design companies out there to choose from. However, you are here reading this blog for a reason…the way we deliver our products and services. If you are going to be different just to be different, you might as well throw your branding and marketing efforts out the window. However, if you are able to be significantly different in how you deliver your product it’s a slam dunk!
Furthering that same thought, not having a dedicated marketing plan is one of the most significant mistakes that companies can make. Businesses will generate tens of thousands of ideas on how to market and establish a brand identity. However, they typically will not follow through with these ideas due to their financial resources, or manpower. Make sure that you have a well thought out marketing plan that will help you establish a significantly strong brand identity that works within your financial and human resource budget.
Finally, overbranding and not understanding when you have got a good thing going is the most significant mistake that companies can make in establishing a brand identity. Know and understand when your brand is established by analyzing production results in comparison to your marketing efforts. Remember that you do not want to change something that is working until the change is necessary (your audience shifts interest, your target audience expands, your products and services expand, etc).
Overall, it’s very simple yet very complex to establish a consistent brand identity. It is up to you to know when to stop establishing your brand and maintain identity. It’s also important that you create and stay dedicated to your brand marketing plan. Remember that your company is different because of how it delivers products and services, and that your target audience needs to understand the message that you are utilizing through your marketing. The key here is to make sure that your niche audience stays happy! With all of that said, if you need assistance with establishing your brand identity, please feel free to contact Impact! We would love to consult with you and help you reach your brand marketing goals!
Categories: Small Business
Tags: brand concepts, brand identity, brand marketing, Brand Marketing Plan, branding help, branding mistakes, branding tips
