One of the golden keys to success in business is creating a strong brand. Brand image impacts everything from how consumers view your brand itself to how they feel about your products. Coca-Cola’s branding has been so effective that there are parts of the U.S. where their brand name is synonymous with their product (i.e., there are parts of the country where people call all soft drinks “coke”). That’s the power of strategic brand management.
So, how can your company use effective brand management to its advantage? Continue reading to learn about branding and how to use it to increase your brand awareness and promote customer loyalty.
Use your Brand Identity to Inform your Marketing Plans
Many people make the mistake of thinking brand management and marketing are the same things. In fact, many new entrepreneurs begin marketing their products and services before they even have a brand and kind of fill in the blanks as they go.
However, it’s your brand identity that should inform your marketing strategy and not the other way around, which means you need to have a brand identity before you begin marketing anything. Indeed, your brand strategy will inform what marketing techniques you should use as well as who you should market your brand to. Once you know what your brand is, what it looks like, and who its customers are, you can begin working on a marketing strategy.
Use Brand Activism to Build an Emotional Connection with your Target Market
One thing we’ve seen in recent years is the power of businesses to impact positive social change. You can strengthen your brand awareness and recognition with brand activism. Pick a worthy cause that matches your brand ID and affects your target audience, and make it your own. Ben & Jerry’s and Nike are prime examples of brand activism.
Ben & Jerry’s used their social media to spread their message of equality in the aftermath following George Floyd’s death. Nike took a stand by siding with Colin Kaepernick when the NFL banned him for kneeling during the National Anthem to bring awareness to social injustice. There are also examples of brands dropping celebrities from endorsement deals and pulling the TV ads from certain networks to show their disapproval of their words or actions. Many of these companies saw their popularity increase due to their brand activism, and yours could, too.
Create Brand Assets that Fit your Brand Attitude
Another thing the right brand strategy can do is help you to create brand messaging and other brand assets that match your target audience. With analytics, you can learn what people are likely to be interested in your brand, what colors are popular with them, and much more. Using these actionable insights to create your brand assets is a great way to create a personal connection with your customers. Also, once you’ve created your brand, it’s critical that all your brand messaging and images match your brand attitude.
Effective brand management can take your business to new heights. One of the key ways to use branding is to develop your marketing strategy. Brand activism is a great way to form an emotional bond with your target audience. It’s also crucial to form your brand assets, such as your brand logo and color scheme, based on your target market. Also, with a consistent brand identity, you can maximize your brand recognition.
The hallmarks of a successful brand are widespread brand recognition, growing brand awareness, and significant brand loyalty. Indeed, having a great branding strategy will make life much simpler for your marketing team and build good relationships between loyal customers and your brand.