Think You Have a Brand….Ask These Questions
Your answers will help you hone or create a successful brand
June 2008 By Robert Ain
By responding to the following questions you can determine if you have a brand or not. If you don’t have a brand yet, I’ll give you some ideas on ways to make one in your market.
Branding Questions
Is your location a destination for consumers?
What image does your brand give when it is mentioned to consumers?
Does your brand create a need or fulfill a need that consumers have in a product or service?
Do you sell your brand (name) or only the products you stock and display?
How important is price in your market positioning?
Is your name unique, memorable and is it able to communicate your brand image?
Creating a brand is building an impression in the mind of the public. With the answers you have just given, you should be able to decide what consumers think when they see or read your name. The impression you create should be continuously used throughout every company communication—business cards, graphics on your trucks, invoices, labels on products in your displays—everything. This consistent impression becomes, over time, memorable to the consumer and they will connect your brand with your message. It has to be believable. If your brand is “Cheap Stuff,” you should be selling cheap stuff. If your brand is “I am the Cheapest,” you better be the cheapest.
If you say you are selling “The Best Bass,” your home theater systems should produce the lowest bass or your message and, therefore, brand is not believable. Unfortunately, many custom retailers assume they are creating a brand image. However, when you go into their store, the results are inconsistent with the brand image they are trying to project. For example, one chain of stores claims they make the whole process easy but when you walk into the store they have a wall of flat panels that is confusing and intimidating. Why are the displays inconsistent with the message?
Let’s continue by inventing a Custom Retailer brand name to get a better understanding of what to do and what not to do in branding.…..Let’s call this company The Greatest Stuff Made or TGSM for short. What do the owners of this store have to do to answer the previously asked questions regarding this brand?
Is your location a destination for consumers?
Clearly this store can be a destination location. It can be a store that people seek out rather than a store that needs mall traffic to exist. Consumers, if they want the best, will drive to your location.
Branding Questions
Is your location a destination for consumers?
What image does your brand give when it is mentioned to consumers?
Does your brand create a need or fulfill a need that consumers have in a product or service?
Do you sell your brand (name) or only the products you stock and display?
How important is price in your market positioning?
Is your name unique, memorable and is it able to communicate your brand image?
Creating a brand is building an impression in the mind of the public. With the answers you have just given, you should be able to decide what consumers think when they see or read your name. The impression you create should be continuously used throughout every company communication—business cards, graphics on your trucks, invoices, labels on products in your displays—everything. This consistent impression becomes, over time, memorable to the consumer and they will connect your brand with your message. It has to be believable. If your brand is “Cheap Stuff,” you should be selling cheap stuff. If your brand is “I am the Cheapest,” you better be the cheapest.
If you say you are selling “The Best Bass,” your home theater systems should produce the lowest bass or your message and, therefore, brand is not believable. Unfortunately, many custom retailers assume they are creating a brand image. However, when you go into their store, the results are inconsistent with the brand image they are trying to project. For example, one chain of stores claims they make the whole process easy but when you walk into the store they have a wall of flat panels that is confusing and intimidating. Why are the displays inconsistent with the message?
Let’s continue by inventing a Custom Retailer brand name to get a better understanding of what to do and what not to do in branding.…..Let’s call this company The Greatest Stuff Made or TGSM for short. What do the owners of this store have to do to answer the previously asked questions regarding this brand?
Is your location a destination for consumers?
Clearly this store can be a destination location. It can be a store that people seek out rather than a store that needs mall traffic to exist. Consumers, if they want the best, will drive to your location.
