Branding goes well beyond marketing and is not successful without ensuring that all aspects of your business or organization reflect and support your brand.
One of your most valuable assets, your people, must be well-trained to articulate and deliver your brand. This step is particularly important for service-based businesses that don’t have concrete products but offer soft assets like great service, knowledge, experience and people.
Despite what many people believe, the brand isn’t just a logo, website and glossy brochure. Instead, a strong brand integrates multiple components, all of them necessary, including customer interactions, employee communications, corporate philosophy and advertising/marketing efforts.
Look at a company like Jim Gilbert’s Wheels and Deals. “Your Huggable Car Dealer” is not just an advertising slogan, it is a corporate philosophy that is evident in everything they do. As this example illustrates, your brand should extend to your employees, customers, the media and even the general public. If these components don’t consistently reinforce the brand, customers may become dissatisfied. The negative impact, should they voice their opinions to other potential customers, will erode your brand equity and create misperceptions about your company in the market, that, in turn, could lead prospective customers to buy from someone else.
On the other hand, brand consistency through all levels of your company helps drive growth and prosperity. Strong brands can drive an increase in sales and can attract and retain the best employees. Even vendors can see value in your brand and look to establish partnerships with your business.
Look at all facets of your business to see if they support your brand. Make sure you have internal processes in place to ensure your brand is evident in everything you do.