While there may be dozen of tips of how to build a brand, attempting to follow each and every one of them could invite confusion, chaos and a killer headache. Instead of trying to incorporate gads of micro-tips into your brand strategy, you’re likely to remain truer to your brand’s true essence and personality with three master strategies. Do these three right and all other tips can naturally fall into place.
Focus on What Makes You Unique
No two brands are exactly the same, even when companies offer the same service or product. Coca-Cola and Pepsi prove this point. While both offer soda pop, each brand carved out its own niche based on what made it unique. Coca-Cola, which happens to be the No. 1 brand on Facebook, went largely with its dedication to traditional values and nostalgia. Pepsi, which ranks a Facebook No. 9, took off with its image of being new, hip and suitable for “the next generation.” Capitalize on your own unique qualities and offerings that make your brand stand out from the rest.
Be Passionate
Passion is contagious, and your only chance of making others passionate about your brand is if you exhibit some of that passion yourself. Passion means sticking firm to your brand’s core values – and then running with them. A solid example comes from the company Yes To, which has soared to the nation’s No. 2 natural beauty brand in a mere five years.
Part of their success came from sticking to their goal of creating an affordable, mainstream natural product that fit their own fast-paced lifestyle that was mainly healthy yet still a shade hedonistic. The results were a product line where 95 percent of the products are natural and housed in recyclable packaging while the non-natural products smell and look devastatingly decadent. Consumers can sense the passion and honesty behind the brand, which automatically generates trust.
Be Consistent
Being consist with your brand goes beyond making sure the logo on your business cards match the logo on your website. It applies to the tone, style and personality of every image, color combination or piece of content you create. Everything you touch should be consistent with your brand’s characteristics and values. Consumers should be able to tell if a letter came from your brand, even without your company logo on top.
Consistency additionally extends to your offices and company culture. The Netherlands-based mobile brand Vodaphone went to town with this concept, creating an office space that truly reflected and promoted the concept of a mobile workplace. The building was divided into three zones, one each for fast, medium and slow projects. It featured informal meeting rooms and no fixed workstations, resulting in a mobile brand that embraced and promoted the mobile lifestyle.
Just as people, economies and tastes change with age, so will your brand. Grow with it. You can still remain consistent and unique while embracing change. As long as you stick with your core values, your brand will continue to reflect the true essence of whom you and your passion for what you do.
