Brand building basics for every company

Branding is one of the most important items to a companies marketing program because it will be with a company from the very beginning all the way to the end. Branding is an item that is usually over looked as a whole but by default is deployed by small businesses.

Major corporations have spent billions of dollars and many years building the brand they want the public to know. There are three main items to think about when starting to think about how you want your brand portrayed: industry, logo and slogan.

Defining what industry a business works in is harder than it first seems. At first glance a start-up plumbing company would seem to be in the plumbing industry. But that is just part of it. It also works in the customer service industry and the home repair/maintenance industry.

This little example shows that defining an industry is more difficult that first realized. To start off make a list of everything your business does and who it serves. Then think about how are these items affected by other industry they maybe related to and it will give a business owner a better understanding of what their logo might look like.

A logo is the symbol of a company and it is the first thing that can relate a product or service to a company. A logo should convey what industry the business is in and what type of services it provides. Barnett Associates Real Estate, LLC uses a opening door in the middle of its name to convey who they are and what their business does. The opening door also gives the impression they are open for business and/or have a “open door” policy where questions and discussion are always welcome. 

A logo should be simple in design, effective in its message and have the ability to be used in ever piece of marketing material produced. It is recommended that a logo design company be enlisted or a company purchases some excellent logo building software. After the logo is established then a marketing slogan can be thought of.

A slogan is a catch phrase that when said or read triggers a thought or feeling for a particular company or product. We hear slogans all the time in media advertising and can be highly effective especially when used in conjuction with a well planned marketing program. What do you think of when you hear these slogans?

• Chevrolet, like a rock
• Do you Yahoo?
• BMW, the ultimate driving machine

These slogans are built upon the already established image a company has and as time goes on add more and more value to the company in which they support.One item that affects a brand is time. It take awhile to build a solid and effective brand because a few marketing pieces can’t be produced and be immediately recognizable. This is also contingent on how much money a company may have to throw at building their brand. More money, less time and vise versa.

If a company uses a well planned marketing strategy and makes an effort to build a brand (instead of just getting their name out) it will pay long-term dividends and help increase the success of a small company.