Marketing and Branding Strategy For Start-Ups Success

All people are exposed to branding and marketing on a daily basis with TV commercials, internet ads, promotional products, out-of-home ads and more.

In today’s fast moving society, we’re constantly bombarded by the marketing and branding practices of businesses.

As a new business owner, it can be daunting to step from being the observer to a creator of marketing and branding.

Branding and Marketing

Branding and marketing are both buzzwords that to the uninitiated seem interchangeable.

After all, they’re both methods businesses can use to increase their profits and productivity.

Despite this end goal, there are subtle differences in how and why the tactics are used.

According to the Handbook of Media Management and Economics, marketing is “the art and science of satisfying consumer needs.”

Marketing campaigns are strategic plans that will allow a company to push their consumer into buying their product.

A good campaign will identify the consumer, their consumer’s needs and desires, and what the consumer needs to experience to convince them the product will fulfill that need or desire.

The final step is, of course, to implement that plan.

Branding allows a company to identify or distinguish a product from its competitors.

While marketing pushes consumers into purchasing a product, branding nudges consumers into becoming invested in the company and product.

The goal is to subtly attach company values, thoughts, images, and attitude towards the company or product.

Consumers tend to attach meaning, values, and feelings towards companies or products that will influence how they will react to ads.

Branding attempts to control how these feelings form, and prevent any negative emotional connections that might prevent a consumer from buying their product.

Branding when done right should make marketing campaigns more effective.

Branding Effectively

Branding and marketing are both valuable activities, but it is branding that I will focus on in the second half of this article.

For more information on effective marketing, you can peruse this article.

Here are Some Tips to Brand Effectively

Company Values. Take a few minutes to determine your company values.

If you don’t have any, you should determine who your consumers are.

Once you know your consumers, you can align your values to coincide with theirs.

Set Company Standards. It’s not enough to compile values and publish them on your company’s about us page.

Your company needs to be seen living by these standards.

This means that employees, management, marketing campaigns, and social media accounts need to adhere to these standards.

Create and manage a social media account.

Media profiles can be as valuable to branding as face to face time with consumers. 

A company social media account can be a way to personally interact with your consumers.

By talking to customers, not at them, you can demonstrate that values that you proclaim to stand by. This will serve two purposes: create

• a trail of evidence for all of your potential consumers to see and
• a good experience with individuals who might then recommend you to their friends, acquaintances, and families.

Create a Logo. Images and characters can have a powerful effect on your brand. 

Every time that someone sees that logo, they will be reminded of your company.

By using a logo for your marketing materials, company promotional products, t-shirts, and letterhead, and websites can convey what your brand represents.

All of the power of a speech without the mind-numbing boredom.

Marketing and branding is a vital part of your company’s success.

So sit down at the drawing board to come up with a plan to brand and create a killer marketing campaigns.

If it still looks like you might be over your head, you might want to hire a marketing expert to guide you through the process.