I have posted one problems for a company to deal with not knowing and understanding its customers already.Within this branding problem, we are about to make a complaint much further into the previous problem (in our previous post). You should know that today's customers aren't just buying what you sell; they're buying who you are.
Many Small Businesses have a poor company image or worse, don’t have one at all. Do you as a consumer buy goods from people that don’t appear professional? No - so don’t expect your prospects to buy from you unless you provide them with the confidence to do so.
In any business, big or small, people buy from people - they buy your personality, so your brand also has to be a reflection of who you are.
Often the look and feel of the promotional material produced by small business doesn’t match the type of product or service they sell. Their business and / or product name is not reinforced or leveraged within communications to their target market.
Most smal business owners think of branding as unaffordable and only for Big Business. In fact the opposite is true. Branding is more important for Smal Business, as by definition Small Business is more competitive therefore the need to be noticed and to differentiate is greater.
Branding Pop Quiz
Q. How many major Telephone companies are there in Australia?
A. Five - Telstra, Optus, Virgin, Vodafone, 3
Q. Which companies dominate the Australian Canned Foods?
A. 3 - Heinz, Edgell, SPC
Q. Which brands own the majority of the Soft Drink Market? A. 3 - Coke,
Schweppes, Pepsi
Q. Which 2 companies dominate Australian Confectionary?
A. Mars and Cadbury
Q. How many Breweries are there?
A. 2 - CUB and Lion Nathan
Q. How many major banks are there?
A. 4 - Commonwealth, ANZ, NAB, Westpac.
Q. What do all these companies have in common?
A. Well established brands that differentiate them and drive their campaigns.
On the other hand:
- How many Mortgage Brokers are there in your city?
- How many Accountants are there in your suburb?
- How many Interior Designers are within a 5km radius of your home or business?
- How many Real Estate Agencies in 2km radius of your house?
To be memorable and to stand out from the crowd it is essential for a small business to invest in its success by utilising branding and positioning.
Solution
SBE’s deserve to have the same access to branding savvy that large corporations have. The goal of branding is to become the name people think of immediately when they need what you sell.
Branding is how to create relationships and build trust between the brand and the consumer. Brands offer reassurance through customer recognition, familiarity and a promise of reliability.
Once your brand is established and consistent, all customer communications increase in potency and results.
However communication alone does not create positive brand feelings. Positive customer feelings come from the total ‘Brand Experience’. Create a Brand Experience for your company and stick to it. Congruency will provide the necessary confidence to your existing and new customers to choose your product or service.
Brand proposition must be extended through your entire business. Every interaction between your business and the customer must be carefully managed.
Pay more attention to your Brand Image. From your positioning statement, logo, business cards, and stationary through to the way goods are displayed in a store. From the look and performance of your website, to the way the phone is answered - all portray either a positive or a negative image for your business.
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