branding
/ˈbrandɪŋ/
[noun]
The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.
There’s no question what the vast majority of people have in common at the moment - they’re pretty much all spending waaay more time at home than usual. Even those key workers that are heading out to work cannot leave the house as freely as they would pre-crisis.
So how can we adapt our brand strategies to try and make some use of this? Here, Fluid’s MD Miles Lovegrove shares some thoughts on the power of bringing branding into the home...
Your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from that of your competitors. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.
Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise, your use of distribution channels and what you communicate visually and verbally, are all part of your brand strategy.
But you know all this. You probably already have an amazingly successful logo, strapline and marketing strategy that have served you well in the past - but to remain competitive in the current changing times (and further into the future), how about a bit of a re-think?
Where did everyone go?
It’s easy to see that everyone’s daily routine has radically changed and is likely to stay that way for some time to come. It’s also pretty clear that businesses need to adapt in light of this. Getting your brand noticed, for example, with posters along underground escalators, or pasted on the back of buses, will have a very limited effect if the daily commute is virtually redundant. With the lockdown in full swing, there are currently no promotional events where you can tempt potential customers to sample your products or services.
So where is everyone, and how can you give your brand maximum exposure? Most of us are at home, whether still able to work, or just biding our time waiting out the lockdown. Either way, we are at home, surrounded by our own bits and bobs. Clearly we all understand the power of technology and will be making the most of on-line advertising opportunities, but how can you make your brand stand out from the rest?
What can we do about it?
The question to ask is what are people doing - and further to that, what are they looking at? Whether ‘working’ or ‘waiting’, many people are spending much of their time looking at a screen, but what else is around? The key is in those bits and bobs I mentioned earlier. A mug of coffee, a coaster, a pen and paper, some snacks, a phone charger, a USB stick, headphones, a spectacle case – take a look around your workstation and on your route to the kitchen, bathroom or garden that you take several times in a day. Ask yourself how often you make these small journeys, and how often you look at certain things in your own home on a daily basis, even subconsciously. Then ask yourself this: How can I reach potential customers and gain a competitive edge in this changing world?
The home: a plethora of branding opportunities await the savvy marketer...
Bring your brand message home
Not only will you need to adapt your products and/or services to make them relevant and desirable now and in the future, but don’t forget to revisit your brand strategy to bring your message into your customers’ own homes. Give them something useful and attractive that they will want to have available and visible; then you will have their attention. Make your message clear and relevant – seeing it everyday will maximise your brand exposure. Have your contact details right there to make it easy.
Remember: your brand is your promise to your customer. So make sure that when a new or existing customer is looking at your brand, make sure the product, positioning, or timing is relevant and grabs the interest of the individual you are looking to attract.
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