Every day we make hundreds of choices. We make them based on personal preference, on how we feel at the time, on our needs, our wants, out of necessity and sometimes subconsciously.
Then there are the external factors that influence our decision making – Do I buy the cheaper cup of coffee or go across the road for better beans? Do I choose the dentist my sister’s friend recommended to me or the one with an online booking system on their website?
As the choices get larger and more transactional, the more discerning we are. In any case, we weigh up our decisions based on what we need and who is best to meet that need.
Enter brand.
Like a broken record, brand experts will go red in the face telling you ‘a brand is not a logo’! And that’s true – a brand is not a logo, nor is it a name, a website, a shopfront, a uniform, a mission statement. A brand is our perception of all those touchpoints combined. A brand is – in large part – what informs our choices.
With that in mind, if you run a business, you already have a brand (consciously or unconsciously).
And so, the question is not whether to brand or not to brand – the question is, how effective is your brand in persuading people to choose you, over your competition?
Take a moment here to mentally list three competitors in your space. If you haven’t already done so, make time over the next few weeks to visit their website, visit their physical site (if you can), scroll their social media, try their products or services, talk to their people.
Put yourself into the shoes of a potential customer making a choice and evaluate (as objectively as you can) their brand experience.
How does yours compare? What opportunities can you identify from such an undertaking? Maybe their online experience is easier to navigate or their visual branding is more engaging. Perhaps there is something that you do that others don’t, which you could leverage in your messaging and marketing.
There’s a lot to be gained from this simple task. Of course, part of this process is reviewing your own brand touchpoints and customer experience against others and asking all the right questions.
And if by some magic you think you’ve got the market cornered on brand, extend your search farther afield to businesses like yours in other parts of the country, or the world. Because opportunity doesn’t just come in the form of improving what you’re lacking, but embracing what you aspire to.
Build it and they will come.
Build it well and they will come back (and invite their friends over).
Need a hand with brand?
Sometimes it’s hard to know what to look for and that’s where a brand strategist can help. If you’re interested in discussing the untapped potential of your brand, get in touch with us at refreshyourbrand.com.au/book-now/ for a free consultation.
