How to Build a Strong Brand
There are strong brands and there are weak brands. There are great brands and there are poor brands. Where you fall depends on the perception of your customers and target audience shaped of course by your actions and inactions.
It takes brains, sweat, guts and truth to build a strong brand that weathers storms and stands the test of time. But before you retreat or surrender your desire to go hard at it, let me ask you this:
Is there ever a lasting gain without effort?
Can you have a breakthrough without sacrifices?
Well this one is gonna be worth it!
It takes brains, sweat, guts and truth to build a strong brand that weathers storms and stands the test of time. But before you retreat or surrender your desire to go hard at it, let me ask you this:
Is there ever a lasting gain without effort?
Can you have a breakthrough without sacrifices?
Well this one is gonna be worth it!
How to Build a Strong Brand
01. Set Great Standards
A strong brand is not created by making fancy ads or doing fancy promos or social media campaigns. A strong brand involves some of these and more.
It involves setting and achieving great standards of identity, operations and performance that target customers value and appreciate.
Define the kind of people you want to serve and then create standards that reinforce strong positive perceptions in the minds of these people.
It involves setting and achieving great standards of identity, operations and performance that target customers value and appreciate.
Define the kind of people you want to serve and then create standards that reinforce strong positive perceptions in the minds of these people.
02. Be Resiliently Consistent
“Consistent” is the KEY word here. And this will require some work (and resilience) to achieve:
- Be consistent in providing great value to your customers across all channels and touch points.
- Be consistent in staying true to your word and delivering on your brand promise.
- Be consistent in sharing your differentiated brand message which reinforces your brand identity to your target audience.
- Be consistent in refining your brand and its offerings to deliver the best experiences your customers would be grateful for.
- Be consistent in owning up to mistakes and making necessary amendments when they happen.
Check out this scenario:
XYZ and Sons Ltd is a real estate agency that has been helping customers to source for and acquire their dream home for 10 years and counting.
They pay great attention to their customers’ needs and go the extra mile to achieve them.
They also interact and engage with their customers regularly via email, social media and other platforms where they inform them of great opportunities to invest in real estate and boost their passive income portfolio.
On one particular incident, XYZ and Sons Ltd failed in its attempt to acquire a dream home for one of its customers. The deal was already sealed and the customer had already moved in when they realized a major flaw in the construction of the house.
Everything seemed to be wrong with it. The materials used were of poor quality and started to degrade in just a few months of moving in.
This was a major blow on the company’s reputation and brand identity. However, XYZ and Sons did not let this weigh them down.
The company swung into action by first apologizing sincerely to the affected customer and then went ahead to bear the loss by sourcing for and acquiring an even better house for their customer.
XYZ and Sons Ltd is a real estate agency that has been helping customers to source for and acquire their dream home for 10 years and counting.
They pay great attention to their customers’ needs and go the extra mile to achieve them.
They also interact and engage with their customers regularly via email, social media and other platforms where they inform them of great opportunities to invest in real estate and boost their passive income portfolio.
On one particular incident, XYZ and Sons Ltd failed in its attempt to acquire a dream home for one of its customers. The deal was already sealed and the customer had already moved in when they realized a major flaw in the construction of the house.
Everything seemed to be wrong with it. The materials used were of poor quality and started to degrade in just a few months of moving in.
This was a major blow on the company’s reputation and brand identity. However, XYZ and Sons did not let this weigh them down.
The company swung into action by first apologizing sincerely to the affected customer and then went ahead to bear the loss by sourcing for and acquiring an even better house for their customer.
To them, setting great standards and maintaining great customer relationships is a priority and that was a great opportunity to communicate/ reinforce this to their customers and all other stakeholders.
The affected customer was so impressed. They took to social media to proclaim their endorsement and referral for XYZ and Sons Ltd.
This event led to even more customers, more sales, a stronger reputation and increased customer loyalty for their brand.
Now that’s a depiction of what a strong brand really is.
This event led to even more customers, more sales, a stronger reputation and increased customer loyalty for their brand.
Now that’s a depiction of what a strong brand really is.
03. Go all out and exude greatness
To be a strong brand, add value to your industry. Stand for something. Be an inspiration to others. Don’t simply focus on having a strong reputation among your customers, but also create value in your industry.
Do things that position you as a strong force in your field. This will make you even more respected and valuable thereby solidifying your reputation as a strong brand and helping you achieve brand equity.
Branding is not for the weak. It requires deliberateness, some grit and the ability to play the long game. If you want easy peasy, flash in the pan results then you’ll struggle real hard to build a strong brand.
Now, go get it!
Do things that position you as a strong force in your field. This will make you even more respected and valuable thereby solidifying your reputation as a strong brand and helping you achieve brand equity.
Branding is not for the weak. It requires deliberateness, some grit and the ability to play the long game. If you want easy peasy, flash in the pan results then you’ll struggle real hard to build a strong brand.
Now, go get it!