Walking through the mall, a lady’s multicolour shirt brings to mind a particular company. You make a guess about a company opening up in your area, based on the architectural style of a building under construction. You end up being right. A peculiarly shaped child’s water bottle brings to mind your favourite drink. These are all instances of branding in action.

Every business that is determined to stand out, must be serious about branding. A business without a strong brand is like one more drop in the ocean; hardly noticeable. From helping you grow a reputation as a new business, to building trust with your customers or clients, branding is more than a pesky little thing to cross off your list, when you own a business.

As with anything worth doing, there are right and wrong ways to go about branding your business. A review of five rules will let you know if you need to make some adjustments.

1. Choose A Winsome Design

‘’Aesthetic pleasure is not to be taken lightly. It’s very important for the spirit and therefore the health.’’ The quote above may be credited to Robert Bateman, but it holds true for almost all of us.

People love beauty. Your logo summarises your brand at a glance hence it is important that you carefully choose one that represents your core value(s).

You cannot afford to pick your brand colour(s) without careful thought. The right colour can increase the chances of your brand getting recognized, up to 80%. Tap into your customers’ emotions by choosing the colours that excite them.

2. Have A Consistent Message

Your brand should have a core message. It should be consistent at every touch point of your brand, be it on social media, on the web, in the news, with your staff or with the product itself. Having a consistent message makes it easier to build trust with your customers, which leads to higher chances of customer retention.

3. Listen To Your Customers

Listening takes practice when you are a business owner. Oftentimes, you know what you want to do, what you want to show, and what you want to say. But, you also need to listen to your customers as you build your brand. Listening leads to a better understanding of your customers’ needs. It will enable you to make the needed changes, thereby improving your product or service delivery.

4. Create A Quality Customer Experience

‘’People may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.’’ This quote by Maya Angelou remains popular because it is valid. ColdStone is generally known for great customer experience, from the greeters that welcome you with amazing smiles, to the servers that treat you like a king. Great brands integrate a memorable customer experience with their product and service offerings.

5. Give Back To Society

As much as you are in business to make money, you cannot create a strong brand without giving back to society. This should go beyond the value obtained from your products or services. Explore different ways to contribute to your community. When people realise you care, it gives your brand ‘top of mind’ awareness.


Credit: Alder Consulting