Check out our essential checklist for building a great brand – how many can you tick off?
Building a strong brand is a bit like making a cake. You need to get the basics right – the eggs, the flour and the sugar – before you can even think about layering on the buttercream frosting and handmade sugar blossoms.
So here we bring you a recipe it pays to follow. The five key ingredients every strong brand needs if it’s to land the equivalent of a baker’s Hollywood handshake…
1. An A-grade product or service
First things first, it doesn’t matter if your branding is straight out of the mega-league, multi-award-winning box, if the product or service you’re plying is mediocre you’re going to get found out. It’s a bit like opening a beautiful little blue Tiffany box and finding a Haribo jelly ring inside – it’s going to hurt your customers and leave your reputation in tatters. A useful product that enhances your customers’ lives is the first non-negotiable. And it pays to have a mindset of continuous improvement – what could make it even better? How can it beat the competition? Great brands constantly innovate and are relentless in their pursuit of improvement.
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2. A clear target audience
When it comes to building a great brand you need to know exactly who you’re targeting, otherwise, it’s like archery practise with a blindfold on – not exactly conducive to hitting the bullseye. By being specific about who it’s for, you can craft a product and brand that really hits the mark. Two things to keep in mind – to truly understand your customer you need to go deep, collecting insights like a squirrel collects nuts in winter. Secondly, remember a deep dive into your customer profile isn’t a one-off task. Tastes and habits change all the time, so keep a close eye and be quick to spot the changes. Invest time and effort in this arena and your brand will reap the rewards.
3. An interesting story
These days, people want to feel connected to their brands. Millennials and Gen-Z, in particular, are choosing companies that stand out for their strong values, sound morals, and goals that go way beyond making a profit. Good storytelling is a way to convey that information in a memorable way and forge a lasting emotional bond fast. Think about who you are and what you stand for, then look for ways to communicate that in an engaging way. A word of warning, though – be authentic. Yes, people want brands that make a positive difference in society, but you need to walk the walk AND talk the talk, or you’ll be exposed faster than you can say ‘once upon a time’.
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4. A customer-first approach
Part and parcel of building a great brand is excelling when it comes to customer care. Look for ways to not just satisfy but excite your customers and make them feel special. Think spontaneous offers, free samples, redeemable points, exclusive events, the inside track on new products – you can be as creative as you like. And when things go pear-shaped, look at it as a chance to wow them. Offering them a chunky discount off their next order will get you brownie points and convert a negative review into a good one.
5. A seamless look and feel that reflects ‘you’
We’ve already talked about the importance of trust with today’s consumers. And there’s one area where brands repeatedly fall down on this front – consistency. Customers need to be confident they’ll get the same level of quality from you at whichever touchpoint they choose to engage. Equally, they need to be met by the same persona, the same look and feel across the board. It’s one thing adopting a fun, laid-back brand personality at the selling stage, but don’t then adopt the tone of an uptight, officious solicitor when things have gone awry – you need to be ‘you’ throughout the entire experience, whichever platform you’re on.
If you want some outside help, contact us today.
A specialist Brand Agency
An award-winning strategic branding agency, Threerooms has spent over 15 years making brands stronger and businesses more successful. Whether modernising brands with meaning or crafting effective marketing campaigns, our amazing team is focused on delivering brand transformation while providing exceptional customer service.
