The Long Term Benefits of Brand Building

Marketing and branding are two business areas that are typically viewed as a partnership. The one is the way we define what we stand for and the latter is the method we convey the message to prospects and customers. Unfortunately to their own disadvantage organizations don’t invest in long-term branding strategies and focus too much on short-term marketing and sales campaigns that are tactical The secret to success is finding the proper balance. Let me explain my thought process and method of building brand.

Before we start there are two points that are essential to be aware of:

Your brand isn’t just a strap line, logo or colour palette as well as a website or typeface. Your brand is the things people think and say about you even when you’re not present.
Your brand’s image isn’t just the sole responsibility of marketing, it’s an organizing concept that is the foundation for every aspect of your business. This is why it’s important to be aware of how every aspect of communication as well as every touch point and every interaction with customers is guided and inspired from your company’s brand.

Brand building doesn’t only involve short-term marketing and sales activities that are tactical It’s about setting long-term strategic goals that align with the kind of brand we’d like to create, how we’d like to portray ourselves , and what experiences we wish our customers to receive. Also what we’d like to be known for.

The first step is to define the strategy for branding and positioning. This is the principle that guides and inspires every action we take.

We then look at how to bring the positioning idea to life by creating a branding identity. This includes the visual appearance and feel (including colors, logos and typefaces, images, etc.) as well as the verbal brand identity and tone.

Then, we will consider the positioning idea and the brand’s identity and implement it across all aspects of the company. This would include communication with external and internal sources, physical environments, marketing and the way we conduct ourselves as well as interact with customers, the products we offer and our services.

Advantages to Longer Time-Based Brand Building

To illustrate the rewards that can be derived from investment in the development of a brand, we will examine the distinctions in strategic branding development and tactful marketing and sales.

Marketing and sales that are tactical is best described as ‘bringing business in’.
In short, lead generation prospecting for leads selling, using your network, going to events, and creating marketing campaigns. It is a crucial element in any business that seeks to draw people for short-term work. This may include meetings, sales pitches such as direct mail, marketing online, on the line campaign, etc.

Strategic brand development for the long term in order to build a profile, reputation , and holding a space within the mind of our target audience.
The creation of a solid image and brand can lead to a more general understanding of who we are and the things we do. This means less effort, time, expense and resources are required in marketing tactics in the long term (this is the area that many companies do not think about, yet they could make a huge difference in a highly competitive market). It could be a well established personal brand identity such as thought leadership and blog posts and content creation, as well as occasions, publicity, videos or social media.

Summary

Hope this article is successful in demonstrating the advantages and long-term advantages of positioning your brand as well as brand building. It also demonstrates the importance of finding the appropriate balance between this vital organizing principle and the tactical aspects of marketing. My suggestion is to think of your brand strategy as a companion to your overall business plan and not only a companion in your marketing efforts and ensure it is reflected to all departments, Sales HR and recruitment, R&D etc.