Small companies usually have to put more efforts into building a recognizable brand, but in the end, it might become the most important asset of that particular business.
However, you should know that building a strong brand image is not a static process. You have to put continuous efforts into this process and keep up with your competition. You may not be able to turn your brand image so strong like Kleenex, but it’s worth putting in all the efforts to make your company known at least on the local market. Below are three simple steps that will help you pave that road.
#1. Determine your brand’s target audience segment
The cornerstone of a strong brand image is establishing what your target audience is. The demographics will offer you a better idea of how you should approach the rest of the steps more successfully. For instance, if your company manufactures walking devices for the elders, targeting your marketing and branding efforts at youthful, healthy individuals will be pointless. Different products are tailored to meet the needs and interests. So, no matter what your products are, you can make everybody happy and meet their personal needs. To be successful, a product has to solve some of the daily issues a category of people has. The more specific that you can be with your target audience segmentation, the more successful your branding efforts are going to be. Try to split your audience depending on the following:
- Age. This will offer you more information on the language and the tone of your messages.
- Gender. The gender also matters, especially in the case of gender-specific products (think personal hygiene products).
- How tech-savvy your target audience is. If you offer software services or smart apps, it would be unnecessary to adopt a common and irrelevant tone and vocabulary, because those less tech-savvy wouldn’t use your products either way.
- The income level of your target audience. It’s pointless to build a brand image for all income levels if only high-income social categories will be able to afford your products.
With a solid picture of your main consumer, you will be able to start other palpable steps toward building a strong brand image.
#2. Work with an experienced branding team
Once you have your target audience segment quite clear, you can go ahead and hire a team of branding experts. Of course, you can always collaborate with similar teams from the beginning, with higher rates of success in accurately defining your target audience. Such companies are able to establish the fundamental connection between your brand and consumers. Teams that specialise in branding are able to understand at a deeper level your consumer’s need and maximize your company’s branding efforts. What will a collaboration of this kind bring to your company in terms of brand image? Plenty of information on the following matters that are undeniably important for your branding efforts.
- How to gain more visibility on the local market and higher levels of consumer awareness.
- A clear outline of your company’s strongest traits and characteristics.
- Will offer you more information on how to make your company stand out on the market and set a more pronounced image compared to your competition.
- What position your brand should take to meet your consumer’s demands and needs.
- Threats and opportunities among your competitors.
- Additional information on how to keep up with the latest market trends and development for a stronger brand in the future.
As per the information provided by Sapio Research, companies that invest in professional branding research and efforts, have higher chances to position themselves on the market higher than their competitors who don’t. Also, am audience research conducted by a trusted branding company will always be more accurate than one that you can do in-house.
#3. Create a representative brand logo and moto
When you think about creating a strong brand image, you want to have a representative logo that everybody will be able to recall at a later time after seeing it for the first time. Visuals matter enormously when trying to improve your brand image. Think of big brands such as Coca-Cola. You are able to tell this company apart from others that might provide similar products instantly. Try to do yourself a service and try to come up with a recognizable brand logo. The tagline associated with your logo also matters enormously. For instance, Nike has its notorious logo, always accompanied by the “Just do it.” tagline.
Invest time and money in creating something exceptional that will set your company apart from the rest of your competitors. When thinking of a logo, you want to consider the following:
- Colour palette;
- Logo size and placement;
- Fonts and typography;
- Image style;
- Web elements for your online platforms and official accounts.
These will help you create a more cohesive brand image strategy.
#4. Find the right marketing approach for your brand
Now that you have the aspects above clear, try to find a marketing strategy that might work best for your company. Ideally, you would try to combine several marketing methods. Is your company a good candidate for guerrilla marketing efforts? Does content seem to bring more benefits to your company? Is influencer marketing a good choice for your brand? Another effective strategy to consider is experiential marketing that brings your brand directly to consumers. A mobile marketing tour can help you reach your target audience in their own communities, creating memorable face-to-face interactions that build stronger emotional connections with your brand. This approach is particularly valuable for product launches, sampling campaigns, or building awareness in specific geographic markets where your target customers live and spend time. See what seems to work best for your enterprise and then implement the strategy. Ideally, you would collaborate with a company able to conduct a research on which marketing strategies might work best in your company’s case. There are plenty of options to choose from, and a great approach might work in your company’s favour.
These three simple steps will help you set your company aside from your competition and build a more prominent figure on the local market and not only. Make sure that you combine a good implementation strategy with spotless research services, for the best results. It might surprise you to see how much your audience’s opinion about your company changes for the best if you follow the steps above.
