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WHAT IS A "BRAND" - EXACTLY?

AND SHOULD YOU CARE?

How do you go about purposefully defining a "brand"?

Your customers, clients, and others who interact with your product or service create it in their own minds. But it may not be what you intend or desire. Consistency, quality, ease of use, appropriateness, appearance, etc., shape a brand, in defineable and indefineable ways. Most of which you are in control.

For instance, Tide laundry detergent markets itself to customers who want and expect to get their clothes clean consistently, with a smell they like, and so on. An economy brand, by comparison, is bought when cost is a concern and the user of the detergent has lowered expectations in return for the decrease in purchase price.

This seems intuitive; the important issue for a business person is that you absolutely know what expectations exist and that your product/service meets or exceeds them.

Going further in simple terms, your brand is created after you've sold the item or service. To repeat, it's in the mind and impressions of your buyers when they use your product or are reacting to the service you performed.

Think of the many "off-brands" that exist. Perhaps it's easier to see what a "brand" is when you compare it to an "off-brand". It could be said that a "brand" is consistent and congruent in all aspects of marketing and presence, and has real or imagined quality (performs as expected) consistently over time.

You have a unique selling point or process. Getting this right will help in obvious and not so obvious ways, even for a small business.

Creating your brand" requires you to think carefully about what, exactly, you are selling. What need does it meet? Are there functional and emotional needs associated with the product or service? What "unique selling point" about your creation could you put into words? People make lots of money figuring that out for others, but you can come up with it yourself or with my help.

Take a mundane product like popcorn, sure, one eats it when in the mood. Price and quality are important aspects, however there is also a possible, emotional component that can be utilized in marketing and identity. Watching movies with friends and family, eating buttered popcorn can have lovely associations.

How could a popcorn producer take advantage of that? By putting graphics and text on the label representing home and good "together-times". Every word and graphic and image created around the product would be designed to reinforce the social and happy message and those important associations.

Some examples of brand taglines (not including their logos): "Volvo keeps you safe." "7-Up is the UnCola". "IBM is building a smarter planet."

You can bet that those companies searched with intense focus for the perfect expression of their unique selling point.

The first step for a small business person is to recognize that creative thinking about their product and why it's unique. Images and graphics and marketing should follow from that USP (unique selling point), once it's defined.

Regarding images, logos and presentation graphics:

We all are familiar with brand image logos such as those of Pepsi, Walmart, Tide (laundry detergent) and many, many more. Perhaps it cannot be explained, but if done well, people would say that the image/logo "fits" the company it stands for.

What logos and graphics give us is lightning quick information.  We take in a picture better than words.  The efforts to promote a company are designed to foster immediate recognition and we either like or dislike the brand.

Suffice it to say that there are many variables and it is a deep subject...certain images would jar, like having an angry tiger logo for baby lotion, we'd more likely see a happy baby or smiling mother.

One important note, here; a lack of consistency or quality control in products or services can destroy a brand, so quality control cannot be ignored or put on a back burner.

Below is a testimonial from one of our satisfied clients:


"After I retired, I wanted to start my own consulting business. I felt like a had a team working for me when I started working with earth citizen design.

Colleen created a logo, which I love, by starting with my favorite picture of an old school house. I quickly had business cards and other print items. And shortly after that, I had a website.

Everything is congruent and looks just like I envisioned it! I also needed an editor for my copy, Colleen had some excellent suggestions. And setting up a merchant account proved to be no sweat. I am very busy and Colleen helped me with tasks that I didn't expect but were a blessing!" Al A.

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