Do Customers Judge you Based on Branding?
I am inaugurating this blog with a subject I’m very passionate about: branding and its importance.
I constantly explain clients why is worth investing in their business’ branding and why it is so crucial to their success. Here, I will give you a first look into why branding can’t be overlooked by anyone who cares about their reputation, image and success.
First of all, what is branding? Let’s take a look at it. Merriam - Webster dictionary defines branding as:
: the promoting of a product or service by identifying it with a particular brand.
Brand is defined as:
: a public image, reputation, or identity conceived of as something to be marketed or promoted.
From these two definitions, we know that branding helps consumers identify you, and to be identified, you need to have an image and reputation that can be used to promote.
There are many ways a consumer can judge a product. Its quality, taste, price, convenience, functionality, etc., and while is true that there are different types of tastes and needs, it is also true that consistency and the way your company presents to its consumers is key.
We can think of all the big brands like Apple, Samsung, Nike, Adidas, FedEx, Chanel, Gucci, McDonald's, Coca-Cola... etc. If you take a look at these big and successful brands, one thing each of these companies DO have is consistency. Consistency in their image, in style, in the voice and message. Just do it = Nike, Impossible is Nothing = Adidas, and so we identify many of these brands miles away even without having to look at their logo directly. We know instinctively who they are because we’ve heard about them and seen them so many times without variations in their message that we are now completely aware of who they are and what they do. That is branding.
The consistency in your message, in your values, in the communication, the purpose behind your company or product over and over again is something consumers value. And how could you achieve this without branding? You can’t. Yes, you could come up with a name for your company right now and tell your friends and people around you about it and they will know about your business, but will it stick with them? Is there something of value they can take with them right off the bat? Ask yourself that type of question.
If you have been hitting a plateau in your business’ expansion, you should consider evaluating how well you are branding. Think about how you judge the products you love and buy; what makes you want them? What makes you so loyal to them? I am sure your answer to each of these questions will be related to how well the products and companies you love are branding themselves.
So the answer to this blog's question is, do you judge the products and companies you consume by their branding?
