Developing your Business Brand

Ask what people think is a brand.

What brand is this?

What is a brand?

“A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or company.”

“A brand isn’t a brand to you until it develops an emotional connection with you."

HOW YOU LOOK

HOW YOUWORK

HOW YOURELATE

HOW YOU RUN THE BUSINESS

Why is it important?

Brands offer: choice and relevance

How do they do this?

• By creating an emotional response

• Dividing people into “for me” and “not for me”

• Being reassuring - tapping into values

• Promising consistency

• Confirming beliefs

• Bypassing rational scrutiny

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

A Brand…….

is it really only for big business?

What’s our brand? Enthusiastic, effective, passionate, challenging, fun and friendly

• If you are in a crowded marketplace

• If you are in a fast moving sector

• If you have no other points of difference

• If you want to add value

Do I need a brand?

How do we build a brand?

Branding is not simply :

• a clever name

• a registered trademark or logo

• an advertising slogan

• a supporting tag line

Brand Building is not an Event

Starting the brand process

Vision

Values

USP

Customers

Benefits

USP

• Also called your unique selling proposition, it is what sets you and your business apart from your competition

• How your business services benefit your clients better than anyone else can

Every business needs one

Examples of good USP’s

“Melts in your mouth not in your hand”

“When your package absolutely,positively has to get there overnight”

“A different perspective”

“Clarity in Human Resources”

“You get younger looking skin”

6 step process to a USP

• Target Audience

• “Pain”

• Benefits

• Unique

• Create a sentence

• Refine and condense

• Use it everywhere

Characteristics of a Winning USP

boldly conveys the promise of big benefits for the customer claim you are unique and different from the competition. doesn’t try to appeal to everyone – keep it focused. addresses the important concerns that the customers have. be short and simple, concise, memorable and easy to articulate. grab attention – it’s interesting or exciting. be believable and credible – it makes no outrageous claims. be persuasive and compelling – makes the customer take action. be economically feasible for your business to support and live up to.

It should: