Companies spend thousands of dollars on brand building. Branding is often times thought to come about through paid advertising, product design, catch phrases, mission statements, or by a logo design.
In his book, Becoming a Category of One (John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2003, 2009), author Joe Callaway tells readers that the brand is in the customer’s mind and they alone are the brand builders.
Branding is Everything
Callaway explains to readers that instead of trying to be number one in a particular category, a company should create a new category and be the only company in it. Branding is one way to become a category of one company. Callaway wrote, “Your brand is owned by your customers and anyone else who has in impression of your company. Your brand resides in the minds of customers, not in newspaper ads.”
Branding defines a company in the marketplace and according to the author; everyone from the president of the company to the receptionist should make it top priority.
How to Brand
Callaway provides readers with the following points when working with customers and building a company’s brand:
- A company builds a brand first through reputation then by experience.
- When building a brand, try to get on the short list in the consumer’s mind. That is the list of companies that customers keep in their mind or think of when needing a product or service.
- Stay consistent with customer service, sales presentations, or any time spent with customers in order to build, protect and communicate the brand 24/7.
- Stay focused, focused, focused.
- Communicate, communicate, and communicate.
- Branding is and should always be personal.
- Branding means to always remember why the company is in business.
- And, finally, branding is all about keeping promises.
Sample Brands
Callaway mentions two superior branded companies, Laura Ashley Flooring and Harley Davidson.
Both companies are known or branded for:
- Having products targeted to clearly defined markets.
- Quality products.
- Being thought of as one-of-a-kind brands
- Based on the popularity of core products
- And, for appealing to customers on an emotional level.
There are many companies that have excellent brands based on emotional connections to customers including Wheaties cereal, Disney World, and Apple computers.
How Brands are Built
Companies may believe that their customers think of them one way-the way the company wants people to see them-but customers will build the brand according to the experiences they have with a company.
If those answering the phones are short and cynical with people calling in-then that will become the brand. If salespeople are not encouraged to return calls within a few hours and they get in the habit of calling back in a few days, then that is what the brand becomes.
If a company’s web site is hard to navigate, that will become the brand.
Whatever the customers experience with a company is exactly how the customer will brand the company.
Branding is Important
Undeniably, branding can make or break a company. It is detrimental for a company to believe that through advertising, promotion, product design, or something as mundane as new furniture or a new facility it can build a positive brand in the consumer’s mind.
Connecting with customers in a positive, emotional, and sincere manner is what will build and maintain a brand. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the power of the consumer.
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