Z Connections | Edition # 9 Sept 09 | DOES YOUR BRAND TALK DOLLARS?
Article by Felicity Zadro

Your brand is your identity, what people think, feel and know about you. We all know the value of brands like Coca Cola and Google, but what is the value of yours and how does it contribute to the bottom line?

Ever walked into a supermarket and bought something because it was familiar? You knew how it worked? Just having it made you feel somehow satisfied or comforted? That is brand.  Brand is about familiarity and associated feelings and emotions.

Why strong brands make selling easier

Strong branding helps create a presence in the mind of your prospects and clients. This familiarity can be leveraged when calling prospects, ‘Have you heard of us? Have you received our e-newsletter or flyer?’ This is why having clear, consistent, strongly branded and frequent communication is vital to creating sales.

Strong brands bring invitations

“Meet Jim, he is from Company A”. “Oh yes, I’ve heard of them, how are you?”

If people know about your brand it is easier to meet people at networking functions, as you are seemingly more desirable and remain memorable. That is why what staff wear, say, behave and what their business cards look like are vital to meeting new prospects.

Strong brands get followers on social media

If you have a brand that people wish to be associated with, then people are going to want to be connected to you – in real life and in the virtual world. Strong brands will more easily attract followers on Twitter, friends on Facebook and connections on LinkedIn

Strong brands bring in three times the spend

Strong brands are said to bring in at least three times the amount they cost – so spend more on your communications and reap the rewards. Have a style guide, regular conversations about brand with your staff (see Julia’s interview below) and be certain everyone is clear on how to live the brand. This will ensure your investment goes further.

Strong brands have good internal cultures

The development of a work place culture is vital to a brand’s success. The brand should be front and centre of the way people work, solve problems and interact. A client who enters a company’s office whose brand is based on creativity should be able to sense creativity straight away. That is why physical space is vital to living the brand and ensures client expectations are met.

How do you manage brand?

Firstly, you need to spend a moment thinking about what your brand is going to be, say, make people feel and represent – this is not about your products and services, it is about the company and how it works and delivers its products or services.  A brand brainstorm or a communications planning session is a great place to start this thinking and filtering process.

Three essentials to the success of your brand:

1. Be clear on your key messages, what it is that makes you different and stand out from your competitors.
2. Being consistent is the cornerstone of a successful brand. Ensuring that every time the brand is seen, read about, interacted with or worn it is constantly saying the same things – it is vital for cut through and helps to make a strong impression.
3. Be frequent with the communication of your brand and have something useful, helpful or informative to say. Don’t mix up your personal life i.e. tweets that talk about your pets, with the brand values and key messages of your business.