Let’s take the example of two different sports drinks; Powerade and Aquarius. These two drinks have different images which appeal to different kinds of people. But give a group of people a taste of Aquarius and tell them it’s Aquarius. Then give the same people a taste of Aquarius but tell them it’s Powerade. Ask them which one they prefer. They’ll think the two drinks are quite different. They are not tasting flavours, they are tasting images. They don’t choose the drink, they choose the image of the particular drink. The brand is what appeals to customers the most, and therefore, it’s where most of your focus should be devoted to.
What is branding?
Your brand is not only your product, your logo, your website or your name. In fact, it is something way bigger than that; it is more related to the intangible things, the feelings and emotions that companies are able to waken within us.
Branding Strategy at Brize
1. Purpose: This is relevant because it is more specific by serving a differentiator between you and your competitors.
2. Consistency: This is important because it contributes to brand recognition, which in turn, fuels customer loyalty.
3. Emotion: You should always keep in mind that customers aren’t always rational. By appealing to emotions on your branding strategy, you provide customers with an opportunity to feel like they’re part of a larger group with principles and beliefs that are meaningful to them.
4. Flexibility: This allows yourself and your business to make adjustments that build interest within your customers and distinguish your approach from that of your competition.
5. Loyalty: This is a critical part of your brand strategy, because if you highlight to potential customers the relationships between you and your existing customers, it will set the tone for new ones and what they can expect if choosing to do business with you.
Branding Vs. Marketing
Many questions arise when discussing branding and marketing strategies with our clients. Though these terms may be similar, they are not interchangeable. While marketing is tactical, branding is more strategic; brand is what sticks in customer’s mind even after implementing marketing strategies such as the marketing mix, digital marketing, social media marketing or mobile marketing. And a brand is also what determines if someone will become a loyal customer or not.
Before visiting your business, most of your potential customers will Google you. Branding is therefore becoming more and more important due to the steady and increasingly expanding role technology is having in customers’ expectations and experiences.
What my team and I can do for you
My name is Jesse van Doren, founder of Brize, a marketing agency which specialize not only on marketing strategies but also branding. I pride myself of being experienced in implementing branding strategies and brand identities for StartUps, SMEs, corporation and non-profit organizations, both in the Netherlands and abroad.
Contact Jesse and his team to find out how they can enhance your business with their branding experience and strategy today.