Making your image stick

You know what advertising is. And you have a good idea of what goes into marketing. But what is "branding"?

Despite what you may think, branding does NOT entail wrestling our clients to the floor and marking them with a red-hot iron.

It DOES mean burning an image or feeling in the minds of your customers. You want to give them an automatic reaction, a picture that always comes to mind, when they think about your company. In short, branding is the sum total of all your advertising and marketing efforts.

For examples of successful branding, think of some famous products. Which ones give you an immediate mental picture? Does Charmin make you think "soft"? Does "clean" come to mind when you consider Lysol? When you imagine a Volvo, do you feel "safe"? If so, these companies have successfully branded their products by burning a specific reference in your mind.

Branding is easier if your product or service is unique. If you manufactured the world's only edible house paint, for example, you'd have top of mind aqwareness with anyone considering that product. However, if you're sharing the playing field, you'll need to identify a specific strength or focus that sets you apart from the competition. For successful branding, that strength or focus will need to be carried through all of your advertising and marketing efforts.

Your goal is to have potential customers remember that strength whenever they hear about your product - and remember your product whenever they hear about that strength.