Branding is a collaborative project and, though you are responsible for creating your company image if you can’t deliver on the expectation you create then today’s savvy consumers will soon see through the lie and move on – perfectly summed up by Jeff Bezos.
Branding is about creating your identity, your ethos, a concise summation of how you perceive yourself and, more importantly, how you want your customers to perceive you.
It’s one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make – and it can make you stand-out from the competition! However, ultimately, the consumer market will determine your brand positioning, and the truth of that branding will determine your perceived value.
Standout
To help you develop a unique and value-driven brand you should consider the following. Where your brand is relative to your competition? Are you offering different or better products or services? Can you target a different audience with similar products? Can you fill a current niche market or create a new one? Is there a group or groups of people out there whose needs are not being met?
Build Trust
Clever marketing makes consumers try a product for a variety of reasons. Many of us will try a different product because of a special offer – but how often have you been disappointed? In the long-term it is better to have a brand people trust as, when people learn their lessons about buying cheaper and inferior products, they will always gravitate back to such brands. Once people have established they like a product, it does exactly what is says it does, and is priced fairly – then you usually have a customer for life!
Reaffirming That Unique and Desirable Impression
Remember that your brand positioning is determined by consumers comparing it to your competitors. Always keep an eye on what your competitors are doing – and strive to do it better. No matter how good or established your products or services are – how the world is viewing and buying products is changing constantly, opening new markets for those in position to take advantage of them.
In today’s digital world, having great products is simply not enough to guarantee sales. Mobile sales are increasing exponentially all the time and, if you haven’t currently got the capability to meet the demand for this new avenue – you’re risking losing customers to one of your competitors who has or soon will have.
Old websites that aren’t mobile user-friendly are rapidly becoming obsolete, as consumers like to shop on mobile devices whilst travelling, at work or at home, and demand easy-to-access information and quick sales – at the push of a button. Websites that aren’t mobile friendly are also set to plummet down the Goggle rankings, in turn reducing traffic.
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