BRAND BUILDING (PART ONE)
In order to understand how to build your brand I will first define what a brand is and some characteristics or properties that make up a good brand. A brand is simply the features or distinctions that make your product or services unique from that of others. Now some defining elements that make up an ideal brand include; -
The name of the product, this is what would be used to market the product by the company and be identified by would be consumers. The logo gives visual representation to your brand and is equally as important as the name the product is called Packaging of the product serves three main functions, as it creates a distinction between your product and others. It should be alluring in design and serves as a visual reminder of the product.
Other characteristics of a brand largely depends on the product being put forward, and could be the unique aroma, the color combination and design and many other factors that further define the product. Now how do you effectively build your brand? Branding is not accomplished over night; it all starts with a brand strategy that is set in line with the company’s goals and long term agenda in order to inspire consumer confidence and loyalty. Effective brand building is a delicate balance between company goals and objectives and consumer or customer needs. It is crucial that the brand is built with the target group and needs of that group in mind.
The first step towards brand building is the connection of you brand to the business model. It should be understood that the brand name is under the company which serves as the parent. For example Coca-Cola Company has many brands some of which include Coke, Fanta, Sprite and a host of others. These brands are independent of each other thereby have different logos, colors, packaging and might also have different marketing strategies employed, they are not independent of the parent, which is the Coca-Cola company. Once again remember to align your brand with the company’s long term agenda and design a consumer oriented brand.
While it is easy to put forward an interesting and catchy idea/design for a brand, the real task comes maintaining the appeal and keeping redundancy at bay. By being consistent, the brand stays relevant and this is achieved through adverts, rebranding and other promotional techniques. Team members have to continuously conduct consumer analysis and compute consumer sentiment as it relates to the brand. How consumers in Asia react or perceive a certain brand could differ with that of the Americas. Consistency is a never ending process, it should not just reflect on the brand but also on the team member’s lifestyles. For example if your brand’s catch phrase is “Smoothly refreshing” that phrase should reflect on the way the team members go about their activities, this will help keep the brand alive as new ideas will be generated from members.