Brand with a Capital “B” (The Essence of Branding)

This post is about Branding, Content Marketing / 4 minutes

It’s great when a product delivers on its promise.

It’s even better when that product has a great name, an iconic logo and a signature tagline.

You’d think that you would be set—but in essence all you have is the makings of a potential brand with a capital B.

If you don’t intentionally do, you’ll risk your Brand’s demise or fall short of your Brand’s potential.

In order for a brand to become a Brand, it must start to act.

It’s important to not only look like a brand—it’s important to “walk” like a brand.

Whether you are in corporate marketing or a business owner, selling yourself or a product, essentially, the act of becoming a brand is the same.

A Product becomes a brand and establishes itself as a leader within its market segment when it makes continous use of the 3 initiatives below (that’s branding in a nutshell).

1. Be Consistent

Recognizing a brand instantly is the key to success.

If your target consumers always see your product different in style, color, tonality or voice, how will they ever relate to it?

It is imperative to determine what the brand layers are for your Brand and feature your Brand within the same context, consistently, consecutively and simultaneously.

Establishing a Brand can only be achieved if the message is always presented in the same way.

Don’t take any shortcuts when developing a brand.

Sometimes you’ll need to spend a little more in the short term, but it’s well worthwhile.

Cost-cutting measures early in the game will often harm the Brand’s development and business potential.

2. Be Visible, Be Repetitive

No communication is too small not to be important.

Whether it’s placing a business card-sized ad in the newspaper or sponsorship event or a full-scale TV campaign, consistent visibility is imperative.

Brand messaging must be consistent with every communications initiative.

Each communication effort is like a drop in the bucket.

Think of building your brand one drop at a time, eventually filling the bucket.

Branding is about repeating your same consistent message, in a variety of different channels: social media, advertising, premium giveaways or your website.

Each channel adds to your overall visibility and all or that visibility must go into the same bucket.

3. Be Original

Dare.

For your brand to stand out, it  must be un-ordinary.

Be over the top—be “extra”-ordinary.

Trying to achieve your personal brand?

Or thinking about launching a product?

Make an impact and dare to be bold in how and where you communicate.

We all know that no two people are truly alike and so, the same applies to Brands.

If they are brands.

Take one element of your Brand’s Persona (big or small) and run with it, all the time, every day, every initiative, every channel.

This refers to color, typeface, logo, or even an audio logo.

However, whatever component of your brand that you decide to hang your hat on, must be your Brand’s and your Brand’s alone.

Owning the market is key to any Brand’s success.

Others can and will try to mimic your brand, but they will end up falling short.

So don’t be afraid to walk the talk and become a “Brand” by exercising consistency, repetitive visibility and originality.

Miriam is the Chief Creative Officer and co-founder of 3H Communications Inc., a full service branding and advertising agency. Her experience has enabled her to bring together strategic business savvy with an all-encompassing creative vision to product and service marketing, which she shares here, in her many posts. Join the conversation, register here. Miriam’s own brand of marketing experience and expertise is the basis of Marketing Understood, this first in a series of ebooks. Download Marketing Understood here.

Originally posted on: Written on November 2, 2012, Friday

Contributor to IAWSEO: The person who authored this post is a guest writer who pitched me an idea for IAWSEO and was approved to write. To learn more about the author of this post, please find the Author's Bio above, at the end of the post. Thank you.

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