Don't rush while building your brand!

A brand is an intangible asset; it is a set of associations, memories, ideas, and feelings. It is in fact a ‘promise’. Think of some Key brands and you immediately know what they promise: Pepsi, Coca Cola, Shell, Toyota, Volvo, Apple, Samsung...etc.

In another sense, a brand is a combination of logo, design, colors, personality, price, service, etc. It’s also a package of attributes. Think of Volvo, for instance, and the first thoughts are probably going to be something like “well built, technologically advanced, Swedish” and, most of all, “safety.”

The promise, look, personality and imagery perceptions can eventually acquire a special patina of what is called “Brand for me” i.e. appeal.

Buying a certain brand articulates something about the person who buys it. Apple for instance has that patina; which made the brand meaningful to consumers and different from other brands. All of this can lead to sub-brands, like iPhone and iPad which acquire the aura of the parent brand.

Brands can’t be built in no time. It takes a lot of time, money, very hard work and most importantly consistency to build and maintain great brands, brands that can have power in the market, consumers can pay more for them and can potentially grow in the future.

That’s why I’m usually rendered speechless when a prospective client asks us for a quick “Brand”.

I love inspiring decision makers to create great brands. If you’re going to develop a brand, the last thing you want to do is follow the compressed path. Your brand has to plant itself in the hearts and minds (especially hearts) of consumers.

It also has to be memorable i.e. salient. Your brand is the focus of all your marketing efforts (it needs to connect with your target audience, be motivating in some way and always create loyalty).

The same apple example highlighted earlier; when you think of apple iPhone the first thing comes to your mind is probably ‘innovative’, ‘high tech brand’, ‘premium’ and ‘unique’ brand; which makes it an aspiration for a wide segment not only to own this brand; but also to pay significantly higher for it than other brands.

When you think about building your brand, think about all the elements: promise, personality, look, tonality, service, attributes, memorability, even patina. There’s a good chance that if you ask consumers, prospects and competitors about it, you’ll be surprised at how strong your brand actually is.

Ask your consumers important questions; does your brand make them feel great? Do they love it? Does it meet their needs? Does it stand differently compared to your competitors? Does it come to their minds easily and rapidly?

Most importantly, don’t rush while building your brand. It is an ongoing process that takes lot of time and effort to create meaningfully different brands.