Branding is a key element for success. If you don’t establish a solid foundation, you can waste a lot of time and resources without getting anything back. Therefore, the basis of a brand is also its message. Without effective messages, consequent actions will be uncertain and unstable.
- Marketing campaigns will be less powerful.
- Product development will be less targeted.
- Brand positioning will be less focused.
The reason for this is not in your copywriting and words. It’s in your choices. The brand message is the clarification and explanation of your company and what makes it unique.
The key to good branding is to have the ability to describe your brand and what differentiates it from others, simply, concisely and in the language of your customers. Ideally, this could be done in 10 words or less.
Here is an example:
Patriot Software is a very prolific advertiser in the United States. In all their ads they always convey the same message: “Patriot Software is accounting and payroll software for companies with 1 to 100 employees.” In one sentence, Patriot clearly articulates what they do and who they serve. This gives them a foundation for storytelling, advertising and connecting with a defined audience.
Where does the error lie?
In that many brands jump into marketing too soon, without having their branding well established.
It’s fun to promote the brand; attend trade shows; engage influencers; create content and generate awareness. But that’s like putting the cart before the horse.
The first step, the foundation, is in the brand message and value proposition. Once you have these elements clear, it’s time to create the structure for everything that follows. In the following, we will explain the 3 main accelerators.
- Sales accelerator: this step is about developing and validating brand messages that encourage your customers to buy. We call it a Sales Accelerator, because we develop brand messages through sales. If your message doesn’t sell, it doesn’t work. So it has to be perfected and conveyed through direct interactions with customers.
- Marketing accelerator: once you have brand messages that sell, the next step is to amplify them. This requires creating a marketing strategy that gets your brand messages to the right customers at the right time with the right call to action. Marketing tactics can vary widely depending on the industry, the buying processes and the customers’ experience when purchasing your products and services. For example, some customers turn first to Google to find a solution, while others turn to a trusted advisor.
- Brand accelerator: the third stage consists of growing your brand and creating competitive immunity. This process moves from marketing strategy to commercial strategy, because you will be making strategic decisions on your business model, marketing strategy and where to invest in the business. You choose where to play; how to win; and the infrastructure needed to get there.
While it may be counterintuitive to focus on sales first, try to express this in profits. When you get the right messages from your brand, it means you’re closing deals and increasing revenue. This is how building your brand with a solid foundation can guarantee your success.
At Several we are specialists in branding, shall we talk?