Develop and deliver the right brand image by Jason Manning, Managing Director, Superdream on 04-Mar-2013

When building and growing your business, the most important consideration you need to make is the way your customers perceive you.

The way you look to the outside world, the image you project; this is your brand and brand image. But a brand is much more than a logo and colour scheme. A brand is the promise you make to your customers; it’s a set of principles and values. Everything from your team to the way you conduct yourself add up to build your brand image.

Your branding needs to do three things:

• be distinctive;
• be repetitive and easily replicated;
• be consistent.

Whether you’re going through a rebrand, or just want to check your existing image is up to scratch, here are five steps to developing the right brand image:

1. Proposition

Where do you see your business in five years? What clients do you want to attract? How do you envisage growing?

These points all add up to your business proposition and need to be conveyed through your brand image. In order to covey the right message to your customers, your corporate values need to be ingrained into everything you do.

2. Name

Changing your brand name is always a controversial move, but an essential and effective part of cementing your brand image. It needs to be something unique and memorable, as well as conveying what you do and why you’re so special.

Be distinctive, different and brave. Don’t be afraid of rebranding and changing your name. The image you project, is the company you want to be. You need to look like you have already achieved the goals you highlighted in your proposition.

Remember to trust your instincts. No one knows your business better than you, so if it feels right – it probably is.

3. Identity

The biggest part of developing the right brand image, is building your corporate identity.

This is everything from your logo and colour scheme, through to your copywriting and everything in between. Everything you do needs to work towards one common goal and convey one consistent identity.

Be sure to invest in your brand. Create your own fonts, colours and images – you won’t stand out if you use standard stock pictures and boring combinations. Get this right and your brand image will do all the talking. Think of the Nike, McDonalds and Apple – they’ve nailed their corporate identity and are recognisable down to a single image or colour combination.

It is advisable to work through this stage with a brand management specialist. They will be able to bring your vision to life and get people telling your brand story.

4. Implementation

Implementing your new brand image is perhaps the most important stage. It is vital that is applied consistently across all your company materials including:

• business stationery;
• your website;
• printed literature and livery
• signage;
• ... and everything in between!

It has been said that people have to see your brand 8 times before they begin to recognise, remember and associate it with your business. In order to convey the right message with your brand, you need to make sure it reaches as many people as possible

5. Roll out

Once your brand is in place, you need to roll it out and build brand awareness.

Work with your marketing department to implement a solid, multi-channel plan to help your brand reach the right audience. Think about your target audience and your goals; what are the best ways to reach out to them? Make sure you’re showing off your brand in all these places.

This is the most exciting part of developing your brand. Make sure you set realistic goals and make sure your marketing plan helps you not only achieve, but exceed this.

Once you have a great brand story, telling it to your customers is hugely rewarding. By being consistent, distinctive and repetitive, you will be able to build a highly-regarded and trusted business. Your brand is the first impression a customer will have of you; make it count.

Jason Manning is Managing Director of Superdream, a leading advertising agency in the Midlands. For more information, please visit: www.superdream.co.uk

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