Branding presentation 2014 for LocalFest

transcript

BRANDINGA presentation by Kate Austin-Avon

What is Branding?

“A Brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and

services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of

other sellers.”

— The American Marketing Association

What is Branding?Your Brand is a promise.

It represents your quality, performance and other dimensions of value that set you

apart from your competitors in the minds of your customers.

It's a discipline for how you communicate. It's the experience your customers

What is Branding?

Beyond just your graphics, logo and marketing, your Brand is also reflected in your staff, your story, your location, your

online presence, your pricing, your professionalism, customer service & more.

Every time the public interacts with your Brand, their experience defines what that

Brand represents.

What is Branding?

You have a Brand already.

The questions are:

Do you know what your Brand is?

Are you in control of it?

What is Branding?

What are you known for?

What makes you unique?

Why should any consumer choose youover your competitors?

How do folks know that you're YOU?

What is Branding?

Origins of the term go back to brands on cattle — a symbol burned into the

animal's skin with a hot iron stamp.

When you looked at a cow, you instantly knew whose farm it belonged to.

It should be the same with your business.

What is Branding?

WHY should someone choose you?

How do YOU stand out against your competitors in a crowded marketplace?

Start with what makes you different.

What is Branding?Take a look at these logos and

pay attention to the feelingyou get about each one of them.

• Are they familiar?• Do you trust them?• Do you spend your money with them?• Beyond just the logo, what other things are called to mind

when you think about these companies? Think about price, quality, customer service, charitable efforts, innovation. The colors and cleanliness of their locations, the uniforms their employees wear, the friendliness of their staff, their ads, etc.

• What is their Brand message?• Who are the people who patronize these businesses? • Do you want to be associated with those people?

Logo/Brand Examples

What is Branding?

Here are some local examples.Ask yourself the same questions:• Are they familiar?• Do you trust them?• Do you spend your money with them?• Beyond just the logo, what other things are called to mind

when you think about these companies? Think about price, quality, customer service, charitable efforts, innovation. The colors and cleanliness of their locations, the uniforms their employees wear, the friendliness of their staff, their ads, etc.

• What is their Brand message?• Who are the people who patronize these businesses?

• Do you want to be associated with those people?

Some Local Examples

Why is Branding Important?

Branding = Trust

With so many competing businesseswith similar products or services,

consumers need to know which way to go.

Brands add emotion to theseproducts and services, which createsa relationship between Brands and consumers, ensuring Brand loyalty.

Why is Branding Important?Brands create aspirational lifestyles based

on these consumer relationships. Association with a Brand transfers those

lifestyles onto consumers.

The combo of emotions, relationshipsand lifestyles allows brand owners to

chargea price premium for their products and services — which are otherwise barely

distinguishable from “generics”.

If your brand is clear and effective,Brand advocates talk favorably aboutyou and pass on positive word-of-mouth.

In a world that is increasingly influencedby social recommendation over

advertising,this is positively essential.

Word of mouth marketing is FREE.It's the MOST CREDIBLE form of advertising.

According to Nielsen, a leading global information company,92 percent of people trust recommendations from friends

and family more than all other forms of marketing.

The same study found that less than half of all customersconsider traditional paid advertising to be credible.

Think about it.Don't you pay more for brand name?

Branding is what makes yourbusiness valuable.

Isn't the dollar bill just a piece of paper?

What matters is what people think.

What's familiar is what's trusted.

Human beings are not creatures of logic. We are creatures of emotion.

By and large, we make our buying decisions based on how we feel about a company.

An effective Brand:

• Delivers a clear message• Confirms your credibility• Connects to your targets emotionally• Motivates the target to act• Creates loyalty

An effective Brand

Think about these examples.

What is the message?How do they connect emotionally?

An effective Brand

An effective BrandThe 16 emotional “hot buttons”

as defined by marketer Barry Feig:Desire for control

I’m better than youExcitement of discovery

RevaluingFamily values

Desire to belongFun is its own reward

Poverty of timeDesire to get the best

Self-achievementSex, love, romanceNurturing responseReinventing oneselfMake me smarter

Power, dominance and influenceWish-fulfillment

An effective Brand

The biggest thing is to engage inevery activity with Brand Intention.

What are you trying to say?Who are you trying to attract?

What is your personality & voice?

Look at every activity through that lens.

Keep your Brand updated

Follow cues from your customersas to whether it's time to refresh your

Brand.

If anything in your business has recentlychanged, it might be time for a new look.

Keep your Brand updatedSome questions to ask yourself:

• Are your Brand materials reflective of

the business's current state?• Have your target market

or core values shifted?• Can your Brand easily be

identified from your competitors?

Indicators that your design needs a facelift:

1. It doesn't adapt well to modern media.2. It doesn't represent your current business.3. It was a DIY project.4. Your competition's logo is better.5. It's too complicated.

Where to start Ask yourself these questions:

1. What is the company's back story?2. What are the features & benefits that my

business offers?3. Who are my competitors?4. What makes me different?5. Who is my target audience?6. What are they looking for?7. How can I connect with them

emotionally?

Where to start

A professional graphic designeror marketing agency can help to translate

your answers into images.

You are your biggest brand agent.

Be in control of your brand. Know what it is, and consciously incorporate it into everything that your company does.

Your Brand's marketing checklist

Colors Fonts Voice/Tone Logo Tag line Website Tag line Imagery (photos, graphics, etc.) Printed Materials (Business cards,

brochures, posters, etc.) Advertising Social Networking Signage Promotional Items Email marketing Vehicle graphics & more

Consistency is key!Pick your elements and

stick with them.Appeal to your target

audience.Your brand should be more about who you are now & where you want

to be than where you've been.

Branding is not just visualDon't forget to ensure Brand consistency in:

Tag Lines • Photos • Social Media • Staff Uniforms • Location Design & Style • Price Cleanliness • Customer Service • Website

Advertisements • Jingles • Location • Brand Standards for all Designs • Digital

Marketing

… EVERYWHERE!

Branding is not just visualThe public's experience is what brings the

Brand to life.

The quality of a Brand is determined by the promises made and promises kept.

Do you promise to be fun? To help people? To preserve the environment? What are your promises and how do you deliver

Branding is not just visual

Once you know what your Brand is,let that inform every experiencethat a customer has with you.

Consistency is crucialto trust-building.

Consumer trust and loyaltyis what every business needs to succeed.

Questions?

Ask away!

Thank you.

Web & Graphic Design, Marketing, Publicity,Small Business Consultation & More

Kate Austin-Avonwww.advokate.net

(518) 353-2121kate@advokate.net