The concept of “branding” is one of the hottest topics in business today, but the buzzword has been used so often that many people latch onto it without really having any idea what it means. While the idea of a brand might bring to mind an image of a major company selling recognizable goods, the term is used more commonly to describe your business’ identity and reputation. If your brand isn’t strong, unique, and recognizable, then you have almost no chance of succeeding in the market today. Luckily, if you are worried that your brand isn’t making the right impression on potential customers, you can turn to a branding agency to help refine your overall image.
How Does Branding Differ from Marketing?
People often use the terms “branding” and “marketing” interchangeably, but they are actually two very different concepts. If marketing is the process of promoting your product or service to potential buyers, you need to already have an established idea what it is that you are selling. All branding efforts need to come well before you move on to marketing because they establish the fundamentals of your business. In branding, you have the opportunity to consider why your company exists and what you have the potential to offer to consumers. Establishing your brand allows you to figure out what your competitors aren’t doing that you can do better. Great branding will often start long before you’ve even come up with the product or service you plan to sell. It begins by analyzing demand in the market and then figuring out a way that your business can meet that demand. Once your brand is strong, then marketing will become a much easier task because you will understand the core elements that define your business. Companies that fail are often those that skip the branding step and try to advance straight to marketing. If you don’t know what your business has to offer, how can you expect consumers to see the value in working with you?
Branding Agencies and Your Business
If you’re like many business owners or executives, you might see the benefits of working to improve your brand but have no idea where to get started. In this case, working with a branding agency is likely to be an excellent move. Staffed with professionals who understand what makes a strong brand, an agency helps provide the perfect balance between creativity and business acumen. Not only will these pros help you define your brand, but they will also assist in developing a plan to get people excited about your company. Business growth begins with branding, and a branding agency can help jumpstart your company into its next exciting phase.
Two Situations When an Agency Can Help You Thrive
While almost any business could potentially benefit from consulting with an agency, there are two major points in the business cycle when bringing in a professional is most likely to help you thrive. During the initial launch of a new company (or a new product), branding experts will be able to start from square one and offer advice that will firmly get your new venture off on the right foot. This type of branding effort should take place even before you are done shaping your concept because you might find that you want to make changes to your project using knowledge gleaned from your consultation. The other point in the life of a company (or a product) when branding can make a major difference is when you aren’t performing as well as you want to and find that your marketing efforts don’t seem to be paying off. Often, a branding agency can help you discover why your business isn’t making the right impression on consumers. A rebranding strategy might be in order, and you may decide to re-launch your product after making some major changes.
Potential Goals
While your goals when working on marketing are likely to revolve around selling more products, the idea behind consulting with a branding agency is to create loyal customers who are going to stick with your brand in the future. A great branding strategy will earn you a core group of supporters who will advocate and even evangelize your company–which is likely to have a much greater long-term impact on sales. Branding may feel like an abstract concept, but it has the potential to help your business sink or swim. Working with a branding agency may the best decision you can make for the future of your company.
A design agency specialising in integration and helping brands stand out, 10 Feet Tall put people first by creating ideas with heart and deliver them by connecting people in the best way possible. Find out more on Google+ and www.10feettall.com.au/
