All successful brands have one thing in common; they differentiate in their marketplace. Why does differentiation help your success? Because without it your brand blends into the background and becomes easily forgettable.
It’s a simple enough concept to stand out from the crowd but how do we make that happen? Here are 5 ways:
1) A memorable name
Picking a stong name is an important first step as it’s much harder to go back and change it down the line. The business name should be:
a) Distinct in its own right, make sure it couldn’t be confused with anyone else in your marketplace.
b) Easy for your audience to spell and pronounce (giving particular attention to this if trading across different territories).
c) Keep it positive, ensuring there are no negative cultural connotations to be drawn from it.
d) Relevant and on tone for your market position, so that it resonates with your audience.
e) Consider domain name. Is it available?
2) Strong branding
It is essential that your branding is confident and impactful, and works hard to:
a) Act as a solid foundation to your market position.
b) Differentiate from the competition.
c) Portray your brand values.
d) Be aesthetically beautiful and own an accurate tone of voice, pitched in a way that resonates with target audience.
e) Bring consistency and professionalism to your image.
f) Deliver a professional design toolkit that is successful in application.
3) A compelling story
Your brand story should be confident and simple:
a) Define your USP/s – what’s unique about your products and services?
b) Tell your story clearly and in an engaging way.
c) Be authentic and don’t attempt to be anything else, your audience will see through it and that’s a threat to your brand.
4) Create emotional connection
At first customers will like your brand. The emotional connection happens when they trust your brand – expressly, that’s the emotional connection and when the relationship is built. A strongly trusted brand can then build brand loyalty and renown in its marketplace.
5) Be experiential
Your customer’s contact with your brand is key. Seek opportunities to do things in an experiential way, whatever the nature of your business. Ensure all touch points are working as hard as they can to convert your customers into loyal fans. Give them a great experience because that will be memorable.
We name and brand businesses every day at Picture Smiths. Get in touch if you’d like us to help.
