I know what you’re thinking . . . branding is for big, international companies like Tide, Chevrolet and Target. That’s not the case in today’s world. Small business, non-profits and even individuals use branding as a way to give the company and organization a personality, a persona. It’s a way to give your small business a human characteristic so that consumers can better relate to the company.
So how can a small business brand itself? First, it’s important to understand how consumers currently perceive your company. Do they think you sell cheap products or high-end products? Do they perceive your business as classy and trendy, or cheap and dingy? Conducting a short survey with customers will help you better understand how they perceive your business or organization. If you’re a small retail shop, you can ask customers a couple of questions as they check out and record the answers. Or, you can supply them with a post card with a few short questions that can be filled out and left at the store, mailed back in or returned at the next visit. Offering the customer an incentive (say, 10% off their next purchase) is a great way to encourage customers to participate.
Once you have an idea of your customers’ perception of your business or company, then you can determine if you need to make changes or continue with the strategies you have been using. This also allows you to start incorporating visual, digital and auditory elements into your marketing to help improve or enhance your brand identity.
One of the first things that I feel is important when it comes to branding is the company’s mission statement. An effective mission statement will be customer centric and explain how the company will meet the needs and wants of the customer. Oftentimes, companies will use a mission statement that says something to the effect of “We will provide quality products to our customers to increase sales and market share.” When you stop focusing on the customer, the customer will stop focusing on your business.
Additionally, everyone in the business should know that mission statement. When I worked for a national nursing home company, we held a meeting with all department heads every morning at 9:00. The first thing we did was recite the mission statement. The mission statement not only became the goal of the company, but the goal of the employees as well. Print your mission statement on the back of business cards, post it in the staff lounge, frame it and put it in your lobby, tape it onto the cash register. Keep it readily visible for everyone to see and help them keep on track.
Once you get the foundation of your branding started . . . that is, understanding how people perceive your small business and writing a customer-centric mission statement that everyone knows by heart . . . you can begin creating brand awareness and developing a personality with which consumers and stakeholders can relate and will want to interact. Keep your branding goals in mind as you develop marketing strategies to deliver consistent messages across all media to avoid confusion. If you want to be classy and trendy, all of your print, radio, TV, online, social and mobile media should resonate with a classy, trendy look, feel and sound.
It may take a little work, but in the long run developing a brand perception for your customers and prospective customers will allow your company to grow and be successful. Asking for help from a marketing consultant will cost some money, but they can help you get on the right track and will end up being an investment in your small business instead of another bill to paid. How do people see your business? Do you want to change their perception to improve your company’s image and ultimately the bottom line? Sure you do!!
