Article supplied courtesy of Ignite Marketing

"How To..." Guide to Branding

Paul West of Ignite Marketing gives you the low-down on the branding question...

Branding is a holistic process that should affect everything your business does. It often starts with a visual identity but it is really about managing customer perceptions and sending out the right messages. The way you write your menu, the paintings displayed on the wall and the way your staff respond to customers all influence how you are perceived.

• Start by thinking about your marketing strategy as it should help you identify the messages you need to communicate. Look at successful businesses targeting similar target markets, how do they communicate with their customers, how do they behave?
• Think about your company's personality, how would you like to be perceived? Are you cheap and cheerful, friendly and welcoming, family oriented or up-market and formal? These will all influence the tone of voice you use in copywriting and the imagery you use to represent you.
• Depending on your budget consult a freelance designer or a professional design agency to develop the visual brand identity and logo. Reserve a budget for additional costs including printing and photography, these can be expensive when done properly but the results more than justify the investment. Ask to see examples of potential designers' work and make sure they demonstrate a good understanding of your business.
• Once you are convinced of your designer's experience and worth ensure you listen to them and try to leave personal preferences and prejudices aside as they can impede the process. Provide a clear brief and expect to be presented with a number of options or routes, it is very important to give clear, structured feedback. Avoid overly personal responses and think carefully about how the options will be received by your target customers. Also think about their application, how they will work on signage, on menus and in advertising.
• Once the logo is finalised it needs to be incorporated into various applications such as menus and website. A brand colour palette will start to develop as will the overall brand look & feel.
• Your brand messages then need to be incorporated into every aspect of the business from the website to the menus, uniforms and stationery. If your offering is all about quality then make sure this is apparent throughout, short cuts like unpleasant toilet areas can really undermine your brand reputation.
• Try and be consistent, if you have an old logo or brand make sure this is replaced wherever it appears. It would look unprofessional and confusing for customers to be met with a poster or menu logo that did not match the outside signage.
• Trust, reputation and brand recognition will build over time through consistent delivery but can be accelerated by your actions. Activity such as sponsoring the local youth football team or theatre production will create local goodwill, and it is always beneficial to ensure your business is embedded in the community as much as possible.
• Finally, remember that a strong brand is only achieved through the continued delivery of your brand promises and that your reputation can quickly reverse if your customers begin to experience inconsistencies or a fall in quality standards.

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