Branding strategies that any company can apply

Something as simple as your outdoor
banner stands should be designed with your company branding in mind.  The branding strategies you employ must be
consistent, as well as fundamental to the values that your company wishes to
communicate.  

Building a quality company brand takes time, and when you
are coming to the market for the first time can feel it is unimportant.  However, you cannot dismiss the power of
brand building.  It could be the factor
that sustains your position in the marketplace once you have traction.  Therefore, company branding should be a vital
part of your business plan.

To help you in the pursuit of your branding, here are five
powerful lessons that you can learn from those more prominent companies.

All-encompassing brand standards

Coca Cola is the best example of taking a brand standard and
making sure it appears everywhere. 
Everything produced by Coca Cola has the name printed in its iconic
font. We don't even have to read the words to know what it represents.  The same colour and font are on the
packaging, the internet and television.

The company then work hard to link feelings and expectations
to this brand.  Whenever the red and
white can appears, people seem to be having fun while being refreshed.

It is possible to do the same for your company, from the
start, if your idea of your brand's vision and emotional impact is clear.

One person’s vision

Once your vision for your company and the emotions you evoke
are clear, you need to dedicate one person to the creation and enforcement of
your brand standards.  Nothing should be
more important than the reputation attached to the brand being created.  Your brand ambassador should be all over your
packaging.  They should also have time
with your customer service reps.  No
matter where in the company this brand ambassador strays, they should be
welcome and the importance of the role understood.  Any slip from this consistency can create
confusion that is difficult to reverse. 
Imagine if a purple can was allowed to flow down a Coca Cola production
line.

Storytelling is the key

Nike is an excellent example of the power of
storytelling.  They created the Find Your
Greatness campaign.  The video created
the feel of a film.  There was the
unlikely protagonist, a moral lesson and a narrator.  It feels like a Hollywood movie and sucks you
into the tale being told.  You watch
every moment of the video – thanks to the power of storytelling.

You don’t have to make a film to tell a story.  Make sure people feel an emotional connection
with your company by telling stories through case studies of your evolution.  Try not to sound like a marketer. Share the
things that make your company unique in an authentic voice.  Your customers will take your stories and
tell them as they pass on your name as a recommendation.

Big Data is an essential

Big Data might seem like one of those uncomfortable buzz
words for the more prominent brands. 
However, using data is attainable for smaller companies too.  It just means that you are using data analytics,
such as that provided by Google, to help develop and evolve your relationship
with your customer.

If you are convinced that you need to use data, you now
require a starting point.  If you do not
have a clear idea of how you want to use the data, you can quickly become
overwhelmed.  Therefore, from the
beginning, set out what your critical success factors are.  What will data indicate if your company is
successful or not?  You then need to use
all the tools available to track these data sources.  You should then run sales reports each month
and then reflect on these.

Be a part of your community

Branding, at its core, is about drawing people into your
community.  The best way to ask people to
join your community is to be an active part of their community too.  Once you start being involved in your local
community, you begin to share a bond. 
Look at Expedia's "Find yours" campaign for a prominent brand
example.  They encouraged people to share
travel stories and so created a robust community of people who loved
travelling.

Whatever approach you choose, you aim to encourage the
customers to share experiences with your brand. 
You will likely have your favourite brand, and you probably do not know
why you think of them above others.  It
might be worth reflecting whether the brand has encouraged you to be a part of
their gang somehow – and how they did this.