Brand Your Business

Brand Your Business
Building a brand is an ongoing process for both small and large businesses to develop a memorable identity. Since customers have high expectations of the companies they rely upon for goods and services, it’s important that businesses constantly monitor their brands to ensure they represent the core values and needs of their existing and potential customers. Branding efforts can cause companies to change aspects of their businesses, such as logos, or cause them to add new products and services.






Step 1
Talk to current customers to get their feedback on your business, your products and services and ways you can improve. Find out what led them to start a relationship with your business, and what keeps them returning. Use customer surveys, focus groups and one-on-one interviews to gather these facts.
Step 2
Identify potential clients and determine their impressions of your business. Although potential customers have never made a purchase, their insight is invaluable in helping you determine how your business, products and services are perceived. Find out what would motivate them to buy from you and why they have never before tried your products or services.
Step 3
Ask employees how they feel about working for your company. To solicit honest responses, give them surveys they can return anonymously. Include questions that reveal likes and dislikes, as well as opinions they may have heard from customers.
Step 4
Use all the information elicited to devise a list of brand values that represent the company. These values could include "superior customer service," "cost effective," "environmentally friendly" or "community service." Brand values represent the essence of a company and would be damaging if changed or removed.
Step 5
Work with a graphic designer to include the brand values in the company logo, product packaging and other materials displaying the company’s identity. Redesign existing marketing materials if a current logo or tagline needs updating to fit the new brand values.
Step 6
Reinforce the company’s brand through all activities--from greeting customers entering the store to submitting a customized client order to planning a sales event.
Step 7
Build a team of employees who understand the company’s brand. This means training new employees from their start date about company culture and brands. Use seminars and motivational events to invigorate current employees.
Step 8
Give the business a face. Introduce customers to the company owner, regardless of company size. When customers can assign a face to a company, it helps personalize and strengthen the brand.


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