Any brand is birthed from an idea. The idea may be an individual’s or collective. This idea is given an identity and thus becomes the core of any business. The brand is the most valuable and identifiable entity of any business. It is shaped with ingenuity and innovativeness, to make it identifiable to markets and prospective customers. A brand has to be projected to the world, to make it visible. Visibility of a brand creates an impression on the minds of prospective buyers. It is with a branding exercise that a brand will become more tangible. Usually, a brand is identifiable with a logo, the product itself, the design and usability, which will help to connect with prospects, emotionally.
Now comes the important phase of making the brand identifiable, internally. Only when the brand becomes clearer in the minds of people who are working towards the production of the brand, will it be conveyed to the market (customers). Everyone working in the particular business enterprise must identify with and believe in the brand. An internal branding exercise helps to clarify the positive aspects of the brand. Everyone associated with the design, production and marketing of the brand are brand- ambassadors. Involving your employees and unlock the true potential of a brand.
Brand marketing helps to deliver an assurance. Marketing is important to take the brand closer to the consumers. With this, you deliver the promise that you have built for your brand. Marketing includes a clear line of communication between your brand and the consumers. Only when you maintain this clarity, your brand’s visibility increases along with sales.
Branding and Marketing are two exclusive ideas but are mutually dependent. These two strategies have to go hand-in-hand to make any brand more credible and visible. The mix of these two strategies will increase your brand’s sales and profitability.
With the advent of the internet and it gaining immense popularity across the world, Digital Branding is becoming ubiquitous. The internet makes it easier to transport a brand and its idea to the large global populace, which gives your brand more visibility. Your brand can now travel faster from its place of origin to customers across the globe, where it can serve them efficiently. It is important to create an engaging strategy to involve the participation of many prospective customers. With the help of the data collected and after careful analysis, you can customize the brand according to the needs of the customers, from different parts of the world. It will give a definitive edge to your brand.
Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube) and other hosts of platforms are available to increase the visibility of your brand. Prospective customers can then analyze your brand from many perspectives, before buying. Marketers are increasingly using these social media platforms to turn leads to actual sales. Content marketing plays a very important role to develop engaging content, which is targeted to customers.
The success of a brand depends on various factors. The key factor is to be true to the customers and deliver the promise. Once you gain the trust of customers, your brand will reign supreme and the testimonials will serve as your brand’s success. It’s a continuous endeavor to improve your brand continuously and make it viable and relevant in years to come. After all, it’s the idea you believed in and you have to energize and mobilize this aspect to the populace, across the globe. That’s success!
Amitav Chowdhury 