The topic of branding reemerges on a weekly basis and for good reason. People often feel branding is relegated to a fresh tagline, sharp online photos and business cards. No, my friends that is not Branding. Branding is all about how the customer feels about what you do.
So with so much information flying around, where do you start? How do you build a brand? What ideas will your brand be known for? What concepts will you use? Does the brand ever change?
Start here. What do I want my brand to achieve? Who will my brand help? What problem do I solve and how do I share the story with others?
Next, get clear on who. This may change over time, but starting out you need to know if your target audience includes, people that are sick of fad diets, babies with sensitive skin, parents of teen drivers, companies looking for party planners or people that want a fun night out while visiting Europe. Don’t be afraid to narrow it down to get clear.
- Gender: is this a unisex product or service?
- Age and Education: is it early childhood, high school, college, or grandparents returning to classes?
- Income level: this can be tricky for some because you want everyone to have your product in their hands, but that is not how it works. Chick Fil A has its own crowd as well as Popeyes and the other 30,000 chicken restaurants around the world. Pick a lane.
- Challenges: what do they struggle with? And how can you help them? Do they need an APP? Is it user friendly?
- Location: Where do your potential customers reside? In your community? Ten states away? Another country?
Your next focus is how to get to your potential customers. Do you reach them via social media? Do they listen to traditional radio, podcast or satellite radio? How much time do they watch TV and are you easy to find? Would you reach them better via using trade publications or trade shows?
Stay tuned for Part 2.
