The most effective marketing campaigns start with a solid branding strategy.
An overwhelming number of new businesses hear the term “branding” and run scared in the other direction. There’s a startling misconception that branding is something that only big, established businesses need to worry about. The reality is quite the opposite. Every brand, especially a new business, needs a voice. Every business needs a way to convey to customers and clients what their value is and what they stand for.
A marketing campaign devoid of branding strategy is quite simply a marketing campaign that will fail to deliver. Statistics have proven time and time again, that consumers are willing to pay more for brands they recognize and align with.
The good news is, it’s possible to brand your business in an effective way, even if you’re a small business on a budget. Here are four examples of new businesses that are killing it with branding, and what you can take away from their efforts.
Killer Branding Example #1: Mercer Career Arc Candidate Care
Mercer Career Arc Candidate Care is an innovative human resource technology platform that builds social media brand loyalty by offering declined job candidates an intensive on-line package of complimentary job placement services. While most job search sites and HR recruiting platforms never bother with declined job applications, Mercer Career Arc saw an opportunity.
Takeaway: Know your customer, and find new ways to deliver.
Hopefully, you already understand the importance of doing market research and knowing your target audience. Just as important as knowing who your target audience is, knows what their pain points are. If you can find a gap that other people in your industry are failing to fill for your potential customers, then you’ve found a potential goldmine. Nothing is more valuable than understanding your target audience.
Tina Moieties, a PR rep for the company explains their strategic thinking, “40 percent of all companies don't even bother to tell applicants they've been declined and we know that applicants that have a negative experience are three times more likely to post negative comments on social media. This forward thinking brand and marketing strategy breaks tradition and gives candidates the assistance they need and increases the likelihood of their applying for future jobs with the firm — all while enhancing the brand's image via positive social media commentary from declined candidates.”
Pai Technology is an international company focused on the development of children three to 12 years old As a brand that’s new to the U.S., they knew they needed to be really clear on their messaging in order to cut through the noise.
Amy Braun, the U.S. marketing director for Pai, says, “We’re competing against major education tech brands in the children’s tech toy space. We need a brand message that not only resonates with our audience but also communicates what we stand for, which is family values and child development.”
Pai Technology ended up settling on the slogan, ‘grow, develop and play. Its media kit really paints a picture in the first two sentences, “Imagine…technology that doesn’t tear your family apart, but instead brings you closer together. Imagine…technology that doesn’t interfere with your child’s education and development, but encourages it.”
With messaging like that, it’s no secret what the brand is all about.
Takeaway: Create clear, concise, and compelling messages
If you were unsure how important messaging is to your branding strategy, now is the time to stop second guessing. Before you even think about implementing a branding strategy, you need to develop clear branding guidelines that will be consistent across all platforms.
Source: Business
