During the AHTD Marketing Minutes at our “Better Together” Fall Meeting in Colorado Springs, we talked about Branding. We discovered:

1. Branding Done Right and Branding Gone Wrong;
2. Steps to Consolidating Company Brand; and
3. The Whys and Hows of Personal Branding.

Today’s article will focus on the information contained in the second talk: What are the steps to consolidating company brand?

In my last Marketing Minute, I opened up a big ole can of worms about Company Branding. I highlighted 6 VERY STRONG companies who gave us lessons on how easy it is for a company to mistake the brand they have created! What is our take-away?

Businesses develop their brand every single day during every interaction with a client. Whether intentionally or accidentally, All. Communicate. Brand.

To solidify your brand, you must consistently and deliberately:

1. Determine and utilize Brand Voice. By answering the question, “if the brand were a person, who would they be?” you can then infuse that personality, emotion, and tone into all communications to maintain a recognizable voice.

2. Construct your Brand Identity. Consider colour palette, logo, font, any visuals, and branded packaging. By consistently using your corporate identifiers in all communication, you will be recognized and remembered.

3. Consider forming your Brand Promise. This is where company vision, mission statement, operating principles, and value proposition come in. When your team knows the features of your promise and understands how it impacts the way you do business, employee and corporate action are aligned, and trust and loyalty are cultivated– from your team and customers!

4. Determine your brand’s Core Values. Aligning your company with something bigger and more meaningful is essential to employee satisfaction and customer buy-in as your team can work towards the common goal and have a share in your meaningful purpose.

5. Target your consumer. Finding out who are the end users most likely to purchase your product allows you to focus your marketing efforts. Segment according to characteristics such as age, location, income, personality traits, and purchasing habits, and that buyer will respond better to a targeted marketing approach.

6. Consider your Brand Positioning. Where does your company stand in the market in comparison to each competitor? Set expectations by forcing articulation of the distinct value offered to customers.

Using these elements to create consistent branding will result in more strategic marketing efforts, so: