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At a conference in Dallas not long ago, a graphic designer from Kentucky and
I sat down at a table where people were exchanging business cards. I looked
at his logo, and he studied the name on my card.
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"I know that logo. We've been in touch in the past," I said.
"That's right. I know your name," he said.
Although we weren't able to pinpoint when or why we'd exchanged mail
previously, we guessed it had been at least five years back. Neither one of
us has an extraordinary memory. Rather, he had created a distinctive visual
identity for his design services, and I had devoted effort to linking my
name with creative marketing.
For at least five years his look and my reputation had lurked in the
other's memory banks, while thousands or hundreds of thousands of other
business identities had come and gone without leaving a significant trace.
Why? Memorability. It illustrates a key element of successful branding.
What is Branding?
Branding is the process of creating distinctive and durable perceptions
in the minds of consumers. A brand is a persistent, unique business identity
intertwined with associations of personality, quality, origin, liking and
more.
Although most people associate brands with big companies, the smallest of
enterprises can use branding techniques with great rewards. When a
home-based craftsperson ties a nicely designed tag on all her products
telling the story of who she is and where her creations come from, she's
branding her work. When the local market bundles groceries in bags bearing
its logo instead of generic "Thank you!" or plain bags, it's branding.
While we associate brands with national names like Crest, Huggies or
Healthy Choice, branding doesn't necessarily require the budgetary resources
of Procter & Gamble. Branding doesn't even require a product or a tangible
delivery mechanism. When humorist Dave Barry declares in almost every
column, "I am not making this up," and refers to "alert reader" so-and-so
having sent in some news clipping, he is branding.
Techniques of branding include association of a company with logos,
distinctive colors, slogans, musical sounds or songs, unusual qualities,
mascots, packaging, a memorable name, behavioral hallmarks and much more.
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Why Branding Pays Off
Time, money and effort spent on branding comes back many times over when
the process plays out intelligently. Here s why:
1. Memorability. It s easier to remember the branded company than
the what s its name? one.
2. Loyalty. When people have a positive experience with a
memorable brand, they're more likely to buy that product or service again
than competing brands.
3. Familiarity. Psychologists have shown that familiarity induces
liking, and this makes even non-customers more likely to recommend a brand
they know.
4. Premium image, premium price. Branding can lift what you sell
out of the realm of a commodity, with customers willing to pay more for the
well-branded product or service.
5. Extensions. With a well-established brand, you can spread the
respect you've earned to a related new product, service or location more
easily
6. Greater company equity. Making your company into a brand
usually means that you can get more money for the company when you decide to
sell it.
7. Lower marketing expenses. Although you must invest money to
create a brand, once it's created you get a bigger bang for every marketing
buck using it.
8. For consumers, less risk. People tend to choose the brand-name
supplier over the no-name one when afraid of the consequences of a mess-up.
For those reasons and more, branding fattens your bottom line.
About The Author:
Marcia Yudkin is the author of 6 Steps to Free Publicity and ten other
books hailed for outstanding creativity. Find out more about her new
discount naming company, Named At Last, which brainstorms new company names,
new product names, tag lines and more for cost-conscious organizations, at
http://www.NamedAtLast.com .
October 2005
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