Branding. It's a scary word isn't it? It reminds you of HUGE corporations such as McDonalds and Microsoft. Brings to mind the thought of you writing cheques with a lot of zeros on the end. Branding is for big business isn't it? Not for small or medium sized businesses such as the one you own. You don't need branding, right?
WRONG!
Let's look at it another way: do you worry about your reputation? Out in your town, your village, at the local pub, picking up the kids at the school gates - do you worry about your personal reputation, want it to be good? Of course you do - let's face it, no-one wants to be thought of in a negative way or have other people look down their noses, now do they?
Well, branding IS about reputation - in fact we'd go so far as to say that Branding IS reputation.
So let's change that mindset a little:
* For Branding, read Reputation
* Don't think about building a Brand, think about building a Reputation
Doesn't that sound a little less scary? And a whole lot less expensive?
See, branding doesn't need to be expensive for you two partner Accontancy firms or one man band retail website owners, or any number of other businesses out there that don't have multi million pound marketing budgets.
It's not just about press and TV ads, huge marketing campaigns or massive direct mail attempts. It's about REPUTATION. It's about YOU.
Your reputation is the thing that dictates the kind of product and delivery your customers expect. Let's go back to McDonalds for a minute (figuratively, not for a Big Mac!). When you walk into any McDonalds restaurant, you know EXACTLY what to expect. You know that by their reputation. By their branding. Now think about your local greasy kebab and burger shop. There's one in every town, but their reputations vary wildly, and in some places you'll be taking your life into your hands stepping over the threshold. Thought twice about buying that burger and chips? The chances are it was their branding that stopped you - how the shop looked, the look of the menu, the reputation the shop carried.
Ask yourself, as a small business owner: Should I worry about my reputation? Without a doubt the answer is yes, of course you should. With the correct branding, your business can develop and grow.
Many small businesses are started by people wanting to be their own boss, and the first thing they do is put their own name on the business. John Smith's Accountancy Services. Mary Jones - Interior Designer. Lucy Abbott & Co. But in a few years, they've outgrown the name - maybe they now have staff, maybe they want to delegate responsibilities but customers continue to ask for the figurehead of the company, maybe there's another John Smith in the area. It's of great importance that you think through the name of your company from the beginning, and a branding expert will help you to do that. They'll help you to think about the shapes and colours that represent your business, what impression your logo exudes, how to produce flyers / websites / brochures that will encourage people to buy.
So that X years down the line you won't be looking at a name change, confusing customers and suppliers alike.
Remember, there is a psychology behind every buying decision made by every customer, and every details of your branding and reputation is taken in by them on a conscious and subconscious level. Your branding can be the difference between gaining a sale, or losing it to a competitor. When we put it like that, isn't it worth considering your reputation?
We'd love to help you make the most of your brand - why not contact us now for a free brand review?
