Branding

In a world that’s filled with a seemingly unlimited number of businesses competing for the same customers, how can a small company create a corporate identity that allows it to compete? What can a small company do to stand out in an overcrowded marketplace? The answer is simple: Branding.

When most people think of branding, they think a company logo or a pithy slogan. Of course, these elements are vital components of great branding, but they are neither the only components nor the most important. The most important aspect of great branding is establishing a relationship between your company and your customer. It is about providing more than just a well designed logo and a product; it is about providing an experience.

As an example, consider software and computer maker Apple. Of course they have an extremely recognizable business logo, and they have had catchy slogans over the years such as “Think different”, but these isolated elements of the Apple brand cannot account for the company’s loyal user-base and great success. Instead, consumers know that to buy an Apple product is to take part in an experience that is unavailable elsewhere.

A competitor’s product may cost less, but it can’t deliver the same experience. Another example is vacuum-maker Dyson. The company was able to successfully introduce a product that cost nearly twice as much as its competitors, and it was a huge success. Why? Because the Dyson brand represents more than just a vacuum. It represents innovation and excellence, and its unique design makes owning a Dyson almost like owning a piece of pop art.

Of course, Apple and Dyson are large and successful companies now, but this was not always the case. In fact, excellent branding is the reason these companies are successful, and the techniques that they used are available to businesses of all sizes. For example, although Starbucks seems ubiquitous, there are some towns that do not have even one location. Instead, locally owned coffee shops dominate because they are able to offer an overall experience that Starbucks is not able to offer. In some towns, a local coffee shop simply has a better brand than the corporate giant, and no amount of money can compensate for that.

The creation of a powerful and effective brand is the result of combining everything about your company, from the product and logo to the mission and values, into something that is greater than the sum of its parts. StraightUp WebWorks can assist you in taking the individual components of your business and creating an experience that customers are unable to find anywhere else.