This will be more beneficial if you read the following post on our website (about branding).
People often mistake "first impressions", with a first meeting.
You won't get to make a first impression twice, but when is a first impression made?
I've been going to my local cafe for three years.
I'm always polite to the owner (and staff) but like to be left alone, to read the paper.
They know that.
It's why I go there.
I had never really formed an impression of sorts, the cafe was clean, staff were professional, and they served good coffee.
They minded their own business which is sought after by some patrons (like me), but not others.
All of a sudden one day I'm at my table drinking my coffee, reading my paper as usual and the owner comes over. She starts talking to me about horses.
The next thing I know she's gone inside to bring out some photo's of her horses.
I have no idea what prompted her to do this (after three years serving me with little more than polite small talk being exchanged), but I do know this.
My conscious impression of her (and her cafe brand) was made on that day.
Not any of the days over 3 years I had been frequenting, prior to this day.
(this eMail is not about how or why my impression changed)
I went 3 whole years without consciously forming an impression (although I did had one) to forming a completely different impression on this particular day, this insight was a “big lesson”.
I have never forgotten it.
That lesson being:
"If a brand changes the status-quo in the relationship they share with customers, their customers impression under-pinning the brand, can change on a dime (for better or worse)."
Therefor brands (big and small) must remain consistent, changes to the status-quo must not be taken lightly.
That would include (especially) all new marketing, and advertising strategies.
As a business owner, to attain consistency you must first align your brand's purpose with a core belief system.
(one that’s honest & sustainable)
It's your brand's belief system that drives your messaging which must not only be distinctive (to your brand), but memorable, effective and consistent across “everything” and “anything” representing your brand.
Where to Start?
First,
...why not take stock of the existing assets that make up your brand today.
Things like:
- Your logo
- Your website
- Your Twitter channel
- Your Facebook fan page
- Your brochures
- Your signage
- Your advertising
- Your stationary
- Your telephone scripts
- Your staff uniforms
- Your workshops
- Your social networking campaigns
...and so on.
Take stock of all offline, and online communications representing your brand in their current form, see if they:
a) Are consistent.
b) Represent the perception and performance you want consumers to see in the brand.
Next, research your competitors to list what you perceive their brand to represent.
Use this analysis to find open windows in the consumer's mind, through which you can re-position your products, services or "the brand" itself --- in a more prominent way.
Then you must define "one" concise, clear and consistent brand strategy for the benefit of consistency, in the eye's of your staff, consumers and social communities.
Your goal is to align your personal (as a business owner) belief system with any and all communication that is published in association with your brand.
In today's climate it has to be assumed that all consumers are:
- Web-savvy
- Intelligent
- Connected
… communication (online more so than offline) demands transparency, authenticity and accountability.
You must protect your brand's appearance to the world.
Every experience and expression associated with your brand must be positioned in ways that compel your desired audience to want to be a part of your brand story.
Your brand creative (design elements) must be unique and compelling enough to initiate “the” desired action amongst your online business and social communities.
Your brand's creative must initiate awareness, goodwill and loyalty, and importantly, profits.
(without profits there is no brand)
Your goal is to build a brand around a belief system that is both unique and distinct, represented by creative messaging that's compelling enough to put your online community to work for you.
Your ability to design and maintain a community under your brand, consumers who are loyalist of your brand, will become "the linchpin" in business success, or failure, throughout the next decade.
To achieve this we must drive a never-ending conversation with consumers (and customers alike), facilitating a communication platform that puts them in touch with each other so they can become part of "a tribe".
A tribe held together by your brands story, as “it’s” common thread.
To succeed in any business now days we must figure out ways to encourage customer enthusiasts to want to stick around under our brand, and share our story.
Digital marketing is the best vehicle to for most small businesses to achieve this.
Simon U Ford
Engage Smarter.
P.S. Read our post on branding, here.