The most successful brands never fall victim to an identity crisis because they know who they are, and the responsibility they have to those who they serve. Their innovations are consistently delivered, genuine and true. They are focused on what matters most to their consumer (B2B or B2C) and on continuously making the experience better.
Today, we are constantly challenged to create a brand that customers want to identify and grow with, and one that earns their trust, reflects their values and makes them feel valued.
Whether you are a Fortune 500 company, business owner or entrepreneur, here are my top 3 tips to help you create and maintain a strong and differentiated brand:
- Create an Engagement Experience
Create an engagement experience that you want to have with your target audience. Be consistent, but at the same time mix it up, and don’t be too predictable. Your customers are reevaluating their needs more often than you might think, so instead of being reactive to your audience’s needs, be on the front end and help guide them.
- Establish an Identity That is Easily Relatable
Keep it simple. Your customers don’t have the time to figure out what your brand is trying to convey. Too often brands complicate their unique value proposition (UVP) to get attention. In their efforts to reinvent and renew, they complicate things that frustrate their customers and shareholders.
A brand identity is most powerful when it evolves and its value proposition strengthens in alignment with the changing demands of its audience. Your customers want a brand to be deliberate with their identity – straightforward while at the same time forward thinking.
- Educate and Inspire
Even for B2B businesses, it is important to make sure your brand educates, communicates and inspires your audience about the totality of your brand – what it represents and what it stands for.
Your brand’s value proposition must come to life and have an impact on your audience with messaging that is educational and innovative.
A winning branding strategy must be ambitious in its commitment to knowing your audience inside and out. Always be accountable to the needs of your audience and take responsibility to keep the momentum of the relationship moving forward.
What experience you are attempting to leave behind for your brand, and what will your audience remember most about how it impacted them? I look forward to your comments below.
CreativeWorks Marketing 