Differentiation
If there is one thing to learn from cattle ranchers, it is the value of creating a recognizable brand for your business. In the early days of cattle ranching, it was important for the cattle barons to be able to differentiate their herd from another. This allowed them to stand apart from the others no matter how similar they looked.
With any business, it is easy to be overlooked in a large pool of competitors. You might all sell the same products, provide the same services, but there are a few that still manage to stay at the head of the pack. This is due in large part to branding. Building a corporate brand that is recognizable to your consumer and is synonymous with quality and trust is one of the best ways to strengthen your business. It sets you ahead of the competition, which is why it is an important piece of your company.
Why Branding
Branding means creating a perception of your company through advertising and promotional materials. What values does your brand incorporate? What are you giving to your customers? Why should they choose you over a competitor? The right branding can answer all of those questions.
Think of some of the more stand-out brands that you know. When you see Mercedes Benz, your mind translates that into quality engineering, high class luxury, reliability. Why? Because those are the traits that the brand exudes. It has been so ingrained over the years that it is now automatic. Any company with a powerful branding message has more success reaching customers and creating loyal fans than one that fails to create its own strong corporate brand.
The Results of Branding
With branding, you are creating a Pavlovian response. This essentially means that as soon as a consumer hears your brand name, they instantly picture your product and want to get that product from you. Just as the dogs who automatically started to salivate at the sound of a bell, you want your customers to be eager to make a purchase when they hear or see a mention of your brand.
The important thing about getting branding right is that you create the same messaging throughout all of your marketing materials, advertisements, product packaging, and even the environment of your business. They all need to be saying the same thing to your customers, equating the qualities they value with the product you are selling. Start focusing on building your corporate brand and you will create a stronger, more successful company. You can’t afford not to.