Branding Can Make or Break Your Business — Find out How to Make It

By: Douglas Martin - Creative Director

During the holiday season I was watching TV when a commercial came on. It began with Santa Claus running through a parking lot and all you could see was Santa and the slight hint of a department store front. This was when I thought to myself this must be a commercial for Target. So how did I know it was a Target commercial before I ever saw the bullseye logo? Maybe it was the fact that all of their store-fronts have a common appearance and after visiting them many times over the years I have become very familiar with them. Or maybe it was the slight hint of red color used in the commercial? Either way, it comes down to the importance of branding and consistency.

An effective marketing communication starts with a clearly defined corporate brand. The branding summarizes what the company stands for and the position the company has established. So what makes up a strong brand? The most important attribute comes from several sources. One is that the brand has benefits consumers consider important and of higher quality than other brands. Another may come from the view that the brand is a good value. A third might be the belief that the brand is superior to other brands because of its image. Consumers recommend brands to their families and friends because the brands own one or more of these attributes.

Ask yourself these four questions when developing a brand. What are the brand's most compelling benefits? What emotions are elicited by the brand either during or after the purchase? What one word best describes the brand? What is important to consumers in the purchase of the brand? Once the answers to these questions are known a company can begin to develop a stronger brand position.