Building Your Brand

by Victor J. McCoy, Sr.

A brand is defined in marketing as a name, term, design, symbol, or combination of these elements that identifies your business, product, or service that distinguishes it from its competitors - and all other businesses. When you hear the word McDonald's what do you immediately think of. Do you think of Italian cuisine? Now, the question is what do you want people to think about when they hear your businesses name or see your logo? What is the impression that potential clients get when they view your website or promotional material? For example, you company may want to cultivate a brand that connotes quality, reliability, excellent service, fun, creativity, etc. Whatever you want your brand to connote that must be incorporated into your "brand identity". Your brand is a powerful tool for marketing your company or destroying it.Your brand should specifically target your customers' needs and preferences and should include those elements in your trade name, brand marks, trademarks and collateral material.

Branding is not about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your prospects to see you as "the" only one that provides a solution to their problem.

The objectives that your brand should achieve include:

· Delivers the message clearly

· Confirms your credibility

· Connects your target prospects emotionally

· Motivates the buyer

· Concretes User Loyalty

To succeed in branding you must understand the needs and wants of your customers and prospects. You do this by integrating your brand strategies through your company at every point of public contact.

Your brand resides within the hearts and minds of customers, clients, and prospects. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and some that you cannot.

A strong brand is invaluable as the battle for customers intensifies day by day. The importance of you spending time investing in research, defining, and building your brand cannot be overlooked or neglected. It is the foundational piece in your marketing communication and of tremendous importance.