Branding Like a Pro

In the daily battle of brand recognition you need to ask yourself: “will your potential customers think of you when it is time to buy?” Let’s be real here; branding is consistent hard work once you know what the hell you are doing.

For your customer, it is overwhelming to record everything they see each day mentally. Subconsciously they will let things fall away, and this is likely to be your product or service if you have not mastered the art of a badass brand.

Whether you have never put any thought into this topic, are failing at it miserably or just need a little nudge in the right direction, we can have you branding like a pro in no time – we all need to start somewhere.

We found an excellent place to start, exactly where your favourite famous brands started. When we got started, we decided to study some of the top performing brands in the world and also the fastest growing start-ups. We found they all had a few things in common.

The kind of growth you are seeking doesn’t just happen. It’s made to happen, by following a basic formula to create your brand before you hit the ground running. We all need a plan, right?

Here are the core branding principles we found in major brands all over the world to help you brand like a pro.

1. Be Courageous

Launching a brand is not for the faint of heart – it takes courage and tenacity to build something from nothing. Prepare yourself with extra courage and confidence for a road with much doubt and criticism and write down a reminder for yourself; when things get tough, keep going.

2. Value yourself

In a saturated market where every bidder will be throwing out the lowest price, remember point one: don’t doubt yourself and stick to the plan. Cheap price tags do not create loyalty to your brand. It only creates “loyalty” to that price tag. As soon as your customer is offered a better price, they will jump ship without giving you a second thought. Brand dominance is created by having the highest brand value, not the lowest price tag.

3. Be the original

This is no cookie cutters club – you won’t find a good brand in that club. Originality is something you need to apply to every last inch of what you do. Be original, be unique and do it better than everyone else.

4. Creativity is not dead!

Engineer ideas – don’t settle. When you have an idea, spend the time to break it down and build it. Creativity is where you find all the juicy stuff that customers love best.

5. Know the difference

It is crucial to know that social media isn’t a brand strategy, it is a platform where you can execute part of your plan. The one thing we can’t stress enough is to remember that you need to have something valuable to say. That is your strategy; the content you place on platforms like social media.

6. My competitor’s product isn’t that good!

But my product is better? I am sure you had said this before and wondered why another product is outselling you? Likely it is their brand – history is filled with it. Superior branding will surpass a superior product 9 out of 10 times. Why? Because customers will buy from who they remember.

7. First impressions count

You have heard the saying “first impressions count.” This goes for your brand too. A customer has a first moment with your brand to either fall in love or to keep looking. Which would you rather it be? Be honest with yourself and look at your brand with fresh, objective eyes and ask yourself if your brand makes customers stop in their tracks or are you part of the consumer amnesia that is common with 8/10 brands daily.

8. Passion is key

FACT: People never get passionate about mediocre. Nobody searches Google for an “average mascara that does the job.” People search for the best and get all giddy, like on a first date as the pursuit kicks off. They will ask their friends who will tell them about 1-2 brands they can remember. Or they will search social media that will deliver brands their friends are looking at most or the brands with the best strategy and well, we know how this ends.

9. It is all about the logo

Is your logo important? One of the first things you will always hear about your brand is that it is more than a logo. While this is all good to say it is essential to know the logo is one of the celebrities to any brand. It is the one constant that is seen in everything you do, the face and the way people perceive you as a company.

10. There is no manual

Brands are built on highlights of the past or upcoming hype. While the highlights have blueprints becoming a soon type of hype does not. Both things have something in common when you are building your brand. It is a bumpy road, and you are likely not able to pick up a manual for it. You are going to find yourself in territory that feels scary but if you stay on track and get the job done, you are likely to have people asking questions like “why didn’t I think of that?” Build a culture around innovation and creation and don’t be scared of that. Successful brands keep going, even when people are asking “what are they thinking.” Be bold!

11. Find your right audience

Great brands adhere to this important detail: A lipstick will complete your look is just a fact. To the wrong audience, it’s irrelevant. But to the right audience, it’s a passion. Find your right audience.

12. Deliver

Do it on purpose! Great brands ask questions and deliver on purpose. Ask your customers what they want and then provide it without guessing what it is they want. A good brand will deliver what the customer wants not what they want.

13. People buy solutions

Today’s buying market is different. Purchasing behaviour is an evolution, and many brands make the big mistake in trying to “sell their stuff” rather than clarifying the problem or convenience people are buying. People don’t buy products; they buy solutions.

14. Leave your mark

Do you know what is sexy? Having something that someone else doesn’t. This goes for your brand too. An alluring sense that you can offer something that other brands can’t. Set this as your standard and make it your brand stamp. People can’t help following sex appeal – what is your brand’s sex appeal?

Now you have some powerful secrets to build a brand like a pro. Consider this the ingredients to brand success. The most effective way to leverage these secrets is to focus on one to two of them every few days and take some action into implementing them into your brand and your strategy.

These kinds of tips don’t happen overnight – they take consistent hard work to implement, follow through and see success. Go back to point one; be courageous and start today! We promise, a month from now, you will feel more in control of your brand than ever before. You may even be reaping the start of the fruits it will bring.

About the Authors

WOLF AND GEEK: Serial Entrepreneurs | Brand Strategists | Social Savages Obsessive Compulsive Disruptors | Imagination Engineers

www.wolfandgeek.com.au |Facebook: wolfandgeek | LinkedIn: wolfandgeek