How to Give Your Brand a Makeover
If you find your brand strategy isn’t working for you and you don’t have the position in the market that you want then maybe it is time to give your brand a makeover. If you feel frustrated because you don’t have the brand recognition that you deserve then it is time to go back to basics and make sure your brand image is communicating the right things about your business.
B – Business - Does your brand image reflect your product and service and tell people what you do.
R – Responsibility - Does your brand image express your ethos and brand promise.
A – Awareness - Does your brand image stand out above your competitors.
N – Niche - Does your brand image appeal directly to you niche target market.
D – Dynamics - Does your brand image have regard to colours, shapes or images that relate to your business.
BUSINESS
Think about your brand image as being a complete sensory package, the “Personality”, likes and dislikes of your brand. It is not just about a pretty picture. A brand image can produce subliminal thoughts linking it to smells, tastes, sounds, environments and so on. Take a coffee shop for example. A nice luxurious rich coffee coloured visual will make you think of smells, tastes and the environment you associate them with. This principle is just as relevant for corporate business to business identities but on a less direct level. Whatever is conjured up in the mind of the viewer or potential customer when they see any part of your branding is what is going to have a lasting impression on them. If you have managed to hit the nail on the head with your branding then even when someone sees something completely unrelated but it is in the same colour or has the same feel as your brand image they will immediately think of your business. It is important therefore that your brand image does in fact reflect and express what your business is about. Your slogan is equally important and will have massive impact in expressing the value of your brand. Your slogan should reflect the right emotion or action for your business and be something that people will easily connect with and remember.
RESPONSIBILITY
Your brand promise, your ethics, your mission statement, everything you promise to deliver to your client and the level of customer care you provide should also be considered for your brand image. Your brand promise is what your branding is based upon. If Corporate Social Responsibility features in your business or you are actively reducing your carbon footprint and recycling and so on these are factors which make up the backbone and character of your brand.
AWARENESS
It is important to be aware of your competitors and your industry in general. Spend a little time researching other brand images within the industry. See what works well about them and how they relate to their companies place in the market. Be aware of trends and developments in your industry. If you want to be seen as a premier brand then your brand image needs to portray you as being a forward thinking company who is a brand leader and ahead of the game. It is important to stand out from your competitors and be refreshingly different. Encompass all the personality and character of your brand but take it to another level creating an added desire and appeal for your brand.
NICHE
For most businesses it is important to target a niche market to reap a higher crop of high quality clients and glean a position as a brand leader in that niche sector. If your brand image is too general it will not benefit from a strong identity appealing directly to your target market. It is important therefore to really consider the niche client you are aiming for, after all these are the people who can make or break you. Think about their likes and dislikes. Draw a mental picture of your ideal client and then look at your business from their perspective. What are they looking for, what will appeal to them. What is most important to them in the nature of your industry for example is it someone who is reliable, highly skilled, someone with ‘green’ credentials, someone with lots of experience and so on. If you have these answers and can translate the information into your brand image then their perception of your brand will be very good indeed.
DYNAMICS
For most industries there are some colours, shapes, forms and fonts which are naturally associated with them and there are others which just don’t reflect them well at all. To define these natural associations it is really about getting back to basics and it is worth making a note of the things that won’t work and should be avoided as well as the positives when branding or re branding. Just because some general icons, symbols or colours will naturally link to your industry, it doesn’t mean you have to use really cliched imagery. You can take elements of these natural links to create something innovative and unique which expresses the personality and character of your brand.
Brand development can be hindered if your brand is not being perceived in the way you think it is. Ask some independent professionals with strong knowledge of your target market to assess your brand image to see if others perceive your brand in the same way you do.
There might be elements of your brand image which work really well but other parts that let you down. Consider if your Logo has a strong, eye catching, easily recognisable, flexible image which reflects your business in a positive way.
Your Logo and Slogan might be spot on, but perhaps by not using the right media to communicate with your target market you are not getting the impact and response that you deserve. For example, having cheap business cards made up with your logo and a bit typeset on standard stock card or getting 5′000 cheap flyers on flimsy paper with poor quality images and cramming on bullet points of your services may seem like a bargain but it is really a false economy. They are fine of course if you want to attract customers who want everything as cheap as possible and will probably undervalue your business, but for most, attracting high quality customers who appreciate the value of your services, are willing to pay good money for the benefit of your services and are likely to go around recommending you are a much more desirable option. To attract better quality customers you should show them you offer a professional and high quality service by getting the most from design led and well targeted marketing materials. A bespoke business card will get you noticed. Bespoke and well designed presentation folders and inserts that are designed and printed with quality in mind will have a far greater impact than those that business owners so often print out themselves on the PC with standard typeset and a few pictures dropped in.
Once you have established if there is a problem and where the problem lies you can think about either developing and launching a totally new image or re branding to get the most from your brand.
Take time to do research, make mood boards, list key words and sketch mind maps to help you develop ideas. Carefully consider each element of your brand image and how it will translate to different brand applications from printed materials to your web presence.
Creating the best brand image is not something that will happen in 30 minutes with the free graphic software on the PC. It is a process of refining and analysing until the right brand image emerges ready to drive your business forward to new levels evolving as your business grows.
Of course there is more to getting increased sales and better quality clients than just improving your brand image but that is certainly a big step in the right direction, followed by steps of marketing, PR, SEO improving sales techniques and so on.
A solid brand image is the foundation on which to build all other business development though so it is important to get it right. If you want to stand out at the top you have to be bold and be noticed.
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