Well, we've been thinking of talking about this Tips and Traps for Marketing your Business book in today's Weekend Wit. But let's be honest, branding is really misunderstood. We are therefore better off touching on some branding basics from the aptly titled book: Marketing for Dummies.
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The very first thing to know is that brands are promises. Not logos. Not business names or corporate colors and identities.
- Brands are established through a buildup of trust in a one-of-a-kind promise about who you are, what you stand for and what unique and meaningful benefits you deliver.
- Your brand is built by living up to your promise whenever people interact with your name, your promise or your business.
- Constantly reinforcing your brand promise strengthens your brand. At the end of the day, it's all about perception.
In a nutshell, branding is defined as the process of building a positive collection of perceptions in your customer's mind.
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Branding is one of the core essentials in any business. And it need not be a difficult thing to do and get right. After all in this life, we're always learning...
But the thing to be careful about is that you should brand only when you're ready to make a promise to customers. And more importantly, brand by making a promise that you're absolutely, positively certain you can keep.
