The new year is here! As we all gear up for a great 2017, chances are there are plenty of goals you’re thinking about for your business. One area that is a HUGE determinant to successful growth for any organization is your brand strategy. Whether you’re a large corporation or a small start up, your brand strategy is something that should always be incorporated into your daily efforts. As we seem to see this word “branding” so much lately in business and entrepreneurship, we’ve come up with a few questions you should think while developing your brand strategy.
1) What are your brand values?
Consumers want to connect with brands on a personal level. Transforming your values and ethics into an engaging story will begin to generate this personal connection with your audience. Maybe your audience is passionate about eco-friendly products, so you stress the environmental benefits of your packaging and printing measures you take. Maybe it’s giving back to your community, or helping people inside of your organization reach success. Whatever they are, each of your values should be deeply integrated into your business, your branding and all content you publish. YOU have the opportunity to consistently place your messaging in front of your audience via print and online channels. Yes, this has led to a marketplace much more cluttered with ads, but those who can leverage their values, ethics and offerings into an engaging story will set themselves up for success. You care. People care.
2) Who is your target audience?
After you’ve developed you brand values and crafted your core message (you might also refer to this as a “Mission Statement”), you may have an even better idea of who will connect with them as far as potential customers. If this message directly aligns with your current target audience you’re in great shape. If not, no biggie, you can tweak things to make sure they better align. Use your current customer data and future goals to determine whether to double down on an existing target audience or connect with a different one. Speak the language your customers speak. If your customers all speak different languages, speak to each of them in a way that they will connect most with them.
3) What differentiates you from your competition?
If you’re going to the marketplace with a product or service no different from your competition it may be extremely difficult to build a following and generate customers already committed to other brands. Whether you can provide a solution cheaper, offer better value or service, or have a completely new method for a process, being unique will pay off greatly. These are some of the most important aspects to your brand positioning as they are factors will help you to generate or even become your key selling points. Combine these factors with your core values, and you’re on your way.
4) How does my visual identity relate to all this?
All the information you’ve developed up until this point should be reinforced by your visual identity. You want your visual branding to match your customer’s interests, values, and fit this identity to match what appeals to them. You can love your logo all you want, but if your target audience doesn’t think of it as appealing as you do, then you’re in trouble. If your primary audience is millennials, you need to create an identity that appeals to them. People, industries, non-profits, they all different. Don’t treat them as if they were all the same. A brand perception is one of the hardest things to change once created.
5) Do you have a content marketing strategy?
Once you have all these pieces developed then comes the time to implement them into your daily marketing efforts. Every single marketing and advertising piece with your name and brand identity on it should evoke emotion and use a consistent voice. If it doesn’t, you could be sending mixed messages to your audience. Begin to develop a strategy choosing which which channels will be used, timeframes, goals and budgets. Then let the creative juices flow as you’re on your way to engaging and interacting with your customers.
Does any of this seem like exciting to you? We think it is! Give us a shout, and we’ll answer any questions you may have.
black dog DESIGNS is an energetic branding agency that's having fun and being effective. Keeping it real, and helping take our clients to their next marketing goals.
