Why you should care about branding (even if you are a small business).

In today's world, we are surrounded by brands and by branding, even if we are not always aware of it. It permeates almost every part of our lives, from the moment we wake up and brush our teeth with Colgate or Crest toothpaste, to the moment we lay down in bed and scroll through brand after brand on Instagram or essentially any other website you could possibly fathom.

Branding is an essential part of a business, but why? Let's start from the very beginning.

What is a brand?

To understand branding in its entirety, we should first address what it actually is, because it is so much more than a logo or a website. These are important pieces of the puzzle, but certainly not the entire puzzle itself. A brand is the emotion behind what someone sees, feels, or thinks when they interact with a company or business in any way, shape or form. It is truly an emotional experience. A brand is a company's unique personality and identity that sets it apart from the rest. Thus, it is crucial to create a clear, consistent and creative brand strategy to invoke a positive response and memorable experience from the market.

Branding and the Customer Experience

Customers are one of the most important components to running a successful business. Without them, there would be no business! Thus, it is imperative to create a positive customer experience in order to obtain new business and retain existing business. If a brand is an identity that a potential or existing customer perceives when interacting with a business, then logically, one must create a kickass brand, of course. In short, your brand is how the market perceives your business.

Let's think about the customer experience for a moment. A brand is the very first impression of a business that a potential customer or client will experience. A new customer, for example, may first visit your website or see a post on Facebook, and from these experiences, will subconsciously create an idea of your company from his or her own perspective. You wouldn't answer the phone unprofessionally, and the same goes for every other touch point that a customer may have. In creating a strong brand, you are able to control the customer experience by telling your company's story and creating a unique identity for your business.

Brand Recognition

It is a fact of life that most people prefer to stay within their own comfort zones. By the same token, people also generally prefer to do business with companies that they are already familiar with. If a brand is consistent and easily recognized, it creates a sense of ease and trust within potential customers. You (hopefully) wouldn't buy something from a shady character on the street, and similarly, you wouldn't buy something from a business that seemed unorganized or unprofessional. A brand represents not only the business itself, but also the products and services that the business offers.

Kill the Competition

Branding can set a company apart from other competitors within the industry. Let's use an example to articulate this point. Say you are searching for a place to get a haircut. You find two places on Google with equivalent ratings and reviews, so you decide to investigate further. You visit each salon's website. Salon A has a beautiful website with prices clearly marked, glowing customer reviews standing out on the home page, and stunning images of other cuts and styles. Salon B has a decent website, but it is hard to navigate, difficult to locate pricing, and is aesthetically displeasing. While you may not base your entire decision off of this experience, it certainly creates an upper hand for Salon A. 

Your Brand Helps You Succeed

A good brand provides motivation and direction for you and your staff. The best branding is built on a strong idea that you and your employees can commit to and deliver upon. It provides a clear direction, ideally from the very beginning, of what you want your business to be and how you want it to operate. It helps you stay focused and on track with your original goals and visions. 

Save time and money, because why not?

A well-established brand strategy will save time and money in the long run. By establishing a clear and consistent strategy from the beginning, you are able to avoid discrepancies in your brand down the road. Instead of creating brand materials here and there as you go, establish a vision and direction early on, so you are able to build a clear, consistent and strong brand from the very start. Furthermore, there is inherent value in a good brand. Just look at Coca Cola, Nike or Apple. These companies are not valued by their physical assets, but by the power of their brand.

Understanding how the market's perception of your business aligns with your company's visions and goals leads to an informed brand strategy and is crucial to developing a brand that will endure the test of time. Thus, the question is not 'Should I invest in branding?' but 'When should I start?'.

Sources:
https://strategynewmedia.com/why-is-branding-important/
https://www.fatrabbitcreative.com/blog/why-you-need-a-brand-not-just-a-logo