When you think about some of the most powerful companies out there (Apple, Nike, Amazon, Coke, etc.), you know very well that some people follow them like they do religions. But what makes these companies so successful? Is it because their products and services are better than their competitors? Is it their catchy tagline or powerful logo? Is it their incredible marketing research? Well, it’s all of that, and much, much more. So what exactly is branding and what are the main benefits of branding? Let’s dig into it!
What is Branding?
According to Jeff Bezos, “your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room”. Everyone has a different style when it comes to their own brand. A good brand doesn’t need to cost you millions of dollars, but it does require a lot of creativity and research. Studies show that 89 percent of shoppers stay loyal to brands they share similar values with.
Here are some factors that you need to consider to build a strong brand:
- Brand design (colors, font, packaging, themes, etc.)
- Social media presence
- Environment and company culture
- Product quality and pricing
- Website and marketing
- Taglines and slogans
- Customer service
Other than these, there are other factors such as message, awareness, tone, philosophy, and overall personality of the business that contribute to building a good brand. In today’s world, people are bombarded with millions of messages throughout the day. To stand out from the crowd, not only do you need to have good products and services, but you also need to create a good brand. When done properly, a strong brand can advance a business much further than it was ever thought possible.
8 Benefits of Branding
1. Customer Recognition
In the world of ads, when a customer recognizes a brand’s color, theme, logo, etc., they are more likely to choose that product over all others. This is because they are already familiar with your brand and what it stands for. From something simple and minimalistic to something wild and eye-popping, a good brand will always be recognized in a sea of others.
2. Customer Loyalty
Once a customer begins to recognize and buy a product or a service, good branding will keep them coming back for more. A good company with great products combined with effective branding hits all the right notes with customers. This will increase customer loyalty in the long run. A good example of customer loyalty is Apple, which has one of the most successful branding stories in the world. It managed to build a loyal following by building an emotional connection with its customers. Brand loyalty is one of the major reasons behind Apple’s massive success in the market.
3. Consistency
A good brand sets the foundation for a business. Once a business has found its branding – company philosophy, colors, typography, etc., all other efforts can be modeled around it. All future marketing efforts can branch off of this foundation. This creates consistency within a brand and helps customers relate to it more. Imagine a company changing its logo every other month. Most customers would get confused and not even want to buy the products and services from inconsistent brands.
4. Credibility
Every customer has their trust issues whenever it comes to trying a new product or service, However, a strong brand can help you set yourself apart as a well-established business with strong values that customers can resonate with. Innovative marketing coupled with exceptional products and services, phenomenal customer service, and interesting visuals will surely help even a small company establish itself as a serious professional business.
5. Improve Company Values
If your brand has a personality, it is easier for people to relate to your company’s values and motives. When people relate to your company values, they are more likely to want to do business with you. Take Toms’ shoes, for instance. They are one of the most popular shoe brands in the world, but the main thing the brand is known for is their donations. For every pair of shoes that you buy, they donate a pair of shoes in partnership with humanitarian organizations. This fosters a shared emotional connection between the company and the customer and is one of the main factors of branding.
6. Stay Ahead of Competitors
If you have so many competitors in the market and you are just starting, it may be a tough job to get ahead of them. However, a personalized and unique brand can help attract the right customers for you. You can also charge extra for premium quality products with good branding.
7. Brand Equity
One of the most important benefits of branding is that it helps to promote new products and services. If people are loyal to a brand, they are automatically interested in whatever new the brand has to offer. When Apple first introduced AirPods in 2018, it dominated the wireless earphones surpassing giants like Samsung and Xiaomi in the global market. A study by Strategy Analytics shows that AirPods has over 50 percent of the global market share.
8. Attracts Talent
When a business has effective branding, it is hard for people to not notice. This attracts influencers, content creators, social media marketers, and other concept builders. When a business draws these kinds of people in, they increase their creative powerhouse. Collaborations with the right people can go a long way to promote your brand and uplift your brand’s digital presence. This helps you reach an even larger audience because people trust the recommendations of their favorite influencers and content creators.
What is Co-branding?
Haven’t you heard about co-branding? Well, as the name suggests, it is an association between 2 businesses where they come together to support each others’ success. Co-branding is powerful when companies with similar target markets come together and create a unique-value-add product / service / content for their potential customers. Some example of co-branding are –
- Nykaa partnering with beauty influencers
- Toothpaste brands partnering with dentists
- Skincare brands partnering with dermatologists
- Sportswear brands partnering with cricketers
Why is Co-branding as Important as Branding?
In today’s time, branding and co-branding go hand in hand. Both are essential to increase your consumer base. Here are some reasons that support co-branding –
- It can reduce your ad budget – Yes, that’s true! Co-branding can actually help you cut down your advertising budget. When you collaborate with an individual or a company with a similar target audience, you are actually communicating with your potential consumers directly. This can reduce your customer acquisition cost to a great extent.
- You get excited consumers – Co-branding creates a space to explore for customers. It is exciting to see 2 similar brands come together to create something new.
- Interact with new audience – Even when you are targeting the same audience, there must be some customers that are unique to only 1 brand. Thus, there is a high possibility that you will interact with a new audience via co-branding.
- Co-branding creates trust – When 2 popular brands belonging to the same industry come together, people tend to trust the resulting product / service more.
The Next Step to Success
As you can see, branding does a lot more than just making your business look good. If you are a business owner looking to progress your company, you need to implement a good branding strategy for the growth of your company. If you are interested to learn more about branding and the benefits of branding, Simplilearn’s IMT Ghaziabad Digital Marketing Program will provide you with a comprehensive overview of brand management and marketing principles and concepts. You will learn how to effectively use content, images, and user engagement that appeals to your target market. Get started with this course today to establish a strong digital presence for your business.
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