Branding how important is it?

Make no mistake that your brand is experienced everywhere, whether it is your website, logo, packaging, an interaction with your staff, or social media.

It is essential to have a health check on your brand and all interactions your customers have with your brand. Brand marketing is the nucleus of your business, it should not be an afterthought. Your brand perception is the roadmap to driving business success. It is less about what your brand does and more about how it makes your customers feel, it is emotive.  

Let’s look at how famous brands that uses emotion to connect with the audience. Take the shoe and sportswear company Nike, now they don’t tell you they make shoes, they align themselves with famous athletes. In fact, they grew their business significantly by signing major basketball stars such as Michael Jordon. Their campaigns focus on people getting out there to “Just Do It”. They create a narrative that greatness is for everyone, it is within reach, and Nike will help you get there. It’s this kind of psychology that helps their audience to connect with their brand to build brand trial and loyalty.

This psychology of the brand needs to permeate through the business, it is essential your staff have the brand mission and vision as part of their everyday vernacular. All touchpoints with your brand such as social media, website, client presentations, marketing and customer service needs to convey that brand consistency to ensure that your brand values are perceived as authentic. The minute a customer interaction has a disconnect with your brand authenticity, then you are at serious risk of losing that brand trust or disengagement with that consumer. 

Branding is everything in communicating to your customers of your brand ethos. So do everything you can to protect it and extensively train your staff on your brand mission and vision.