Branding
A bottle of Coke is not just a “soda bottle”, Maggi is not just an instant “instant noodle, Audi is not just a “great automobile”. These give rise to various kinds of emotions in an individual, on different levels, about the products or services being offered by any organization.
There are a range of activities which can be utilized to create an “experience” for the customers of the brand. That experience would work as the motivator; the next time that customer would consider using that category of product. That becomes an effective and affectionate marketing tool. Simple things like the communication language used on social media channels to the colour of the name or fonts to the shapes used in the promotional materials become a part of the process. This process of creating an unforgettable experience, to be associated with a brand’s products and/or services is known as BRANDING. Some of the parts of this elaborate process consists of:
Judging the Appropriate Target Audience
The path to creation of brand awareness, trust and ultimately revenue generation starts with identifying the customers who would purchase the brand’s offerings. The tone of the messages should match with the mindset and preferences of its audience.
Identification and Highlighting the Unique Benefits of the Products/ Services
The level of competition may be fierce or subtle in your sector. What is the unique feature which your particular product/ services offer is to be brought to the attention of the customers. Making a list of those features would be step 1 and then would follow the steps to highlight those to the target audience.
Creation of Enticing Visuals
The images, logo, fonts, colour palette etc form the visual image of the brand. These should be selected carefully to create a lasting impression.
Selecting the Right Channels of Communication
The method chosen to communicate with the target audience is a key element. A “brand story” has to be carefully crafted for etching it in the minds of your customers.
An Overall Approach
The brand story needs to be followed through all the forms of marketing used. It should be even across all platforms, tangible or intangible, like the website, social media posts and accounts, product packaging, advertisements and even for sales and customer service channels. There should be a continuity of the story/ a theme, in all formats used to market the product/ service.
It takes some time to build a brand and you should start doing that from the budding stage itself to reap its benefits in the long run.