Branding, brand reputation, brand design, brand creation, brand development, etc. are all services, concerns and ideas related to your business brand. But what is a brand?
To some, a brand is a logo or the name, or even the colours associated with a business. However, a brand is any name, design, style, words or symbols used alone or in combination to differentiate one product from another in the eyes of the customer. To many, website design is as far as they go with branding, however, designing a website is just a small part of an overall brand strategy.
A good brand is planned from the name to the everyday customer interactions. It is the idea of who your business is and what it stands for in the mind of your clients. A brand is important because it attracts the right type of customers and can turn a prospect into a fan when executed perfectly.
Branding is really important, in marketing it is a whole activity onto itself and is worth millions. Yet, most small business owners think of branding as just a logo and then look for someone willing to put a clipart mix together for the cheapest price possible. Armed with a “brand” like that (the clipart mix), then these business owners proceed to complain about how marketing is useless and branding is a lie.
Investing in a proper brand can make or break your business. What people will think of your business is heavily influenced by the first experience they have, you know as in “first impressions…”. Once a prospective client has developed an idea of what your business is (from your brand), it is very hard to change it.
So, think ahead a bit, and get a proper brand. At least get a decent professional logo, it makes a huge difference.