Branding: Laying the Foundation of a New Business

|| For Freelancers & Entrepreneurs |

Branding is one of the most critical aspects of any business. For one thing, a brand sets your business apart from other entities that offer similar/identical products or services. Brands tell consumers whether your product or service is reliable, whether it's easy to use, or whether it demands quite a bit from your customer's budget. Remember that your brand should convey a unique value to your target audience and that this value (or set of values) should be consistently reflected in your brand name, logo, tagline, key phrases, and your particular mode of providing service.

Any company or entrepreneur that conducts successful branding campaigns is sure to reap not only tangible but also lasting rewards eventually. There are a few essential factors that you need to consider if you are planning on establishing a brand for your business. One is to accurately identify your target market. Remember that each product or service should have a unique set of features that cater to a specific group of consumers. Once you have established which of these groups is the segment you will profitably enjoy serving, then you should start aligning your brand in a way that will make it resonate with the needs, preferences, and ideals of this niche market.  

The next step is to adopt a message that will strongly appeal to your market, using language that instinctively pique their interest, compelling them towards a deeper engagement with your products or services. Recall some of the greatest brand messages that have been conceptualized: Just do it (Nike), A diamond is forever (De Beers), Think small (Volkswagen), Impossible is nothing (Adidas), and Think Different (Apple). You should then conduct different marketing campaigns that consistently promote the core values of your brand. Finally, getting campaign feedbacks and establishing accurate analyses and conclusions from these feedbacks should help you hone your brand to truly capture your audience.