Q2. The word ‘brand’ means:

(a) To mark cattle with a hot poker

Ouch! With this kind of idea about branding, no wonder you’ve avoided it!

When you brand cattle you are not just leaving your mark, but burning it in. This is the core of what branding is. Hot poker aside the actual modern term means to leave an impression as to who you are and what you do. Also the old kind of branding was done to help eliminate theft. If your cattle is branded it’s a lot harder to pass off as belonging to someone else. Thus with business branding, if your brand is strong enough and really stands for something (ie your point of difference) then it’s a lot harder for someone else to pass their services or product as the ’same’ as you.
If you want to protect your business from the competition, and attract better clients then you better click here! before someone steals your beef!

Branding should not be a painful experience

(b) An expense better left to the ‘big guys’

Many times in branding examples we refer to large companies or products, iPod, Coca Cola, McDonalds, day to day products which as a member of the general public we are pounded with. These companies spend millions reinforcing what their ‘brand’ stands for. But these guys all started small and now their market is so large (i.e. The World!) they need to spend millions to keep in front of everyone.

Branding, however, is in fact more important to the small business. You know how your customer is and these are the only people that you need to appeal to. Do pantihose manufacturers need to appeal to the entire population, or just the females (ok, and the occasional bank robber). By the nature of their advertising though their promoted to appeal to the opposite sex, but who is the one who actually hands over the cash at the store?

So business owner – how would you feel if the great customers came to you, simply because they ‘get’ what you do and love it! If they were as excited about your product or service as you are? This is the real meaning of branding.

Find out how branding can work for your business by clicking here.

Is your brand an asset?

(c) Better clients for less advertising

Congratulations! You understand that by effectively getting your message across as to the benefits of doing business with you, you can spend less money on advertising and more time helping those great clients.

If you know you need more effective, measurable business promotion but are not sure where to start click here!

How do you find more of those great clients?