The Heart of Branding

The Heart of Branding
The subject of branding is a very serious and important issue as far as the present business climate is concerned. I regard it as the soul of any establishment. Every organisation, whether great or small, has a brand, or best is a brand.
To put us in the right atmosphere, let’s briefly throw a light on what a brand is. A brand is the sum of the good, the bad, the ugly (written or unwritten) about a given venture. It‘s your best or worst product, service, and the identity or image you communicate to those who see you or do business with you. That is, the totality of your company and its business model.
For years, companies have devoted tremendous resources to branding. They know that well developed brands enlarge market share, attract and create customers’ loyalty. In a society of so many choices, being different could be the determining factor in the decision making and market behaviors, since it is in human nature to associate with the known object or thing relative to the unknown. Branding is about recognition (awareness), articulation, memorization, and preference. You may have heard this statement: in the sea of sameness brands must stand out.
A brand is a living thing. Originally, branding began as an outside thing – an exterior differentiation of a given ‘product- service’ from those in the market place. Today, things have changed. There is a shift from the external concentration to something entirely different. What worked well some time ago is now loosing their grip. That’s the nature of the world you and I live in. What actually is the true representation of a brand?
The Duality of Branding
There are obviously two faces of branding, which is more like a double-edged sword. We have the visible and the invisible brands. Visible brands are the often seen, the often heard, the often hyped and the often projected. It is the brand container. The invisible brands, on the other hand, are the salient part of the organisation. It’s often not seen like the former but strongly felt; it’s the brand content. While the visible brands attract, the invisible brands keep.
What is this invisible brand? Why is it so powerful and needed in today’s business place? The answer is very simple: it’s the heart of branding. This emphasizes on the soft attributes of a ‘product-service’ - Attributes such as convenience, comfort, trust warmth, companionship, beauty… Just mention all the good intangible qualities. What else does a true brand represent?
True brand is an encounter, an impression that shapes people’s perception and attracts people’s respect for it. The essence is the imprint it plants on the minds of the market. It creates a kind of feeling, emotion, and develops an affinity to those who encounter what the enterprise has to offer.
Branding should be from the heart. Do you still remember the maxim? ‘The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart’. The heart of branding is the authentic brand that represents you in totality. Real brand is personal and answers the question of who you are. It’s about what is inside you and your organisation that is saleable to the public.
Building an intangible brand is about your frame of mind – a departure from the norm; the conventional service thing that is devoid of humanness. It’s not enough to say that a product works or that a service is superb. Does it leave you with an unbeatable memory? That’s what will guarantee you business future, even as the competition is becoming increasingly fierce in each passing day.
Let me give you an example of what I mean. General Motors once went into art, entertainment and mobile sculpture which coincidentally happen to provide ‘experience-ful’ transportation service. And they are still there, improving by day. Cars of the future will be sanctuaries and complete suite, with mood lightening and thrilling. (It’s already happening but that’s just the beginning).
We are starting to realize that whatever ‘product-service’ we use is who we are; our identity. And so, we are always selective looking for what goes beyond ‘quality’ to ‘extra-quality’. Be it in banking, buying something from a departmental store, patronizing a restaurant, or watching a TV station.
As an assignment, fashion great ideas to suit your ‘product-service’. Think of it in terms of story, adventure, and you’ll hit the essential nature of your reason for being. Let it provide something ‘extra’ to make it thrive in the new economy. A strong brand needs to create a story that sticks to almost every listening ear. This will strengthen the brand and give it a presence. Let people feel your brand, taste your brand, smell your brand, touch your brand, use your brand, talk your brand, and ultimately become devoted to your brand.
I have personally tried to know what makes a great brand. There might be more than one reason but one thing keeps reoccurring; outstanding brands are value-based. And the more value they add, the more money they make. Isn’t that interesting? They make every contact you have with them unforgettable, whether you buy their product or are engaged in their services. Here, you are delighted at turn of every event. Their ‘product-service’ goes beyond meeting needs to helping define who you are. They make you want more, and they are full of fun and wet every caller’s appetite. Some people may buy from a weak brand but they easily switch allegiance. But great brands have club members and fans who help promote them. What is value to you? Give it to your customers. I think it’s a right place to start.
Day by day, the value-added proposition of businesses becomes more and more intangible. Set your brand apart, cultivate the culture of intangibility. Let what you’ve got be ‘experience-creating’ brand. Intangible brand transforms your product and service into experience and solution. The feeling associated with using a particular brand is the fundamental basis for its value. This is the core of that brand; the fuel that keeps the flame aglow. This type of brand makes a company influential and increases her sphere of dominance.
One more thing before I close, a brand reflects and project integrity which clarifies one great thing: uniqueness. And that uniqueness makes a dramatic difference in the hands of its receivers with a powerful touch. The heart of brand is drawn from our inner being, and our emotion is one of it. I mean, authentic brand goes into the heart and comes from the heart (of the enterprise). Did you get that?
How can you make that dramatic difference that will stick with people? A difference that will eventually become your trade mark? Branding is more about meaning and not just marketing. It is internal and not external. It is about deep company uncompromising conviction that sets it apart from the rest. What is the heart of your own brand? Thrive on it.
Tony Ajah is a Business Growth Strategist whose ideas have helped businesses in Nigeria. He is also the Creative Director of Smartspeakers Resources, a Lagos based firm that specializes in Soft Skill Development.
www.smartspeakersng.org tony@smartspeakersng.org ajahxt@yahoo.co.uk +234 805 140 3056