How to leverage your Brand in 2013?

2013 is a year of hopes. Economically, socially – the world is hopeful and so is marketer. The marketing world is facing an influx of products/services and the digital world has made it all the more complex. The start-ups are flourishing, the demand is increasing for the value driven service provider – no matter how small or big you are.

So what counts here is – How you can leverage your brand in the year of hopes. I suggest the following shall help us all make progress – in the right direction,

Get Going. Take Bold Steps: Create ~ make sure and then launch it. People spend a lot of time & money on creating a brand identity, the name, the design etc and they rather forget/ignore to work on reaching to the right touch points, avoid that. Remember – a brand design is equally more important as the brand touch point. A beautiful brand created and saved for self – will get unnoticed. The very idea of your existence is business to generate value – so take bolder steps to reach out to consumer. Simply a beautiful brand identity is not enough to run the show – the promise it makes shall be delivered.

Diversify the Services: One must take risks more often. Keep adding to the offerings, this will help you grow your business and will also make you a little more preferred service provider by offering convenience. Find out – and integrate, forward or backward. Experimentation is good – have an approach towards it and launch some new services – offer a little more.

Think about delivering Value and Not Discounts: Sweepstake are happening but they are not all. Offering Discounts doesn’t make you a good brand because the ultimate test is through your work – the delivery. This year you must sell based on value and not on other factors like discounts, offers, coupons etc.

Price Competitively: Gone are the days when pricing was the soul intent for a consumer’s decision-making. The consumption patterns have changed, the consumer is informed and that is why competitive pricing is a recommendation. A conservative approach in pricing is not a welcome idea – as there is a fear of getting trapped as a weak brand. So the price should be as per the promise.

Make Plans to Make Things Happen: Marketing a brand is often seen as something kept for the need of the hour. One should make plans, devise budgets and work on strategy. Remember that building a brand is only the first step, challenge lies in sustaining the brand for a long term. We should plan, work as per the plan and observe the progress. You can always bring in changes if one thing isn’t working as thought of.

Capitalize on New Media: Yes, social media cannot be ignored anymore. I am sure we have all realized the importance in 2012. By the time we were there on twitter, facebook talking about the products & services ~ we felt the need to explore Pinterest, Instagram etc. For social media- work on the content, make it strategic & useful, relevance & truth – the advertising principles work on new media as well. Next is how you present the content – use right visuals, not everything needs to be flashy but everything shall preferably be informative. Remember, your social image will lead to client perceptions about you – so learn, plan and engage the consumer.

Internal Branding: Yes, go strong internally. Hire right people – spread hope for better opportunities, better business and better growth. After all like us, all one looks forward to be – growth. Be reasonable, make promises and keep them. It is immensely important that you hire the right people for right task, a healthy work environment & cordial employee relations are a must. Create an inspiring work place, follow a listen & learn approach.

Happy Branding in 2013

14 Ideaz for your Brand in 2012

1. BELIEVE in what you are.
2. Say only what you are. Do not HYPE.
3. DELIVER your Promise. Watch your PROMISE.
4. Exceed the EXPECTATIONS. And then EXCEL.
5. It is alright to go SLOW. Watch your COMPETITION.
6. FACEBOOK is good. Post CAREFULLY. It is about your BRAND. Avoid Repetitions.
7. Take INSPIRATIONS. Offer VALUE.
8. PERSONAL BRANDS will emerge. Do not get overwhelmed. Create ONE if you plan to work CONSTANTLY on the same. Oprah has a personal logo ‘O’. Wait! Do you have it in you?
9. SOCIAL MEDIA will shine further. Use it EFFECTIVELY. Grow your NETWORK.
10. Empower your BRAND on web. Accept PAYMENTS online. (Paypal, Google Wallet etc)
11. Customers are no more looking for Brand Information. Create BRAND EXPERIENCE.
12. Be HONEST with your brand. Work Hard SMARTLY.
13. RESEARCH on Emerging Platforms & Technology. PREPARE and PERFORM.
14. If you are a START-UP brand. Make 2012 – ACTIONABLE.

Start-up Branding!

While working on several brands - I have always been asking clients in brainstorming sessions, what are you looking for, A Product Brand or a Corporate Brand? Many a times – we discussed of a Service Brand. Well! We need not just define among the popular 2 types – product& corporate. May be that’s because what most of us learn at B-schools and Brand papers (newspapers).

Having worked on start-ups & re-launches, I have been thinking why not a Company Brand. What brand we actually want to create? In a typical start-up all one is looking for is – A Company Brand. But does that mean we are feared of a conflict with our personal brand.

Most of the start-ups, if they are service based – worry about being tagged as a Personal Brand. In a start-up it is very important that we take care of both – personal brand & company brand.

Remember – a brand matters. In whichever way, whatever stage – how you project yourself, your credentials (I dint say qualifications), achievements everything counts! Yes, in the beginning it is always the personal brand.  It is the personal brand – which is an expert who is hired and it is the company brand which is being established and will further grow to become a Business Brand.

For a Personal Brand – both over promise & over pricing is highly dangerous.

Start-ups always fear this. Initially, it is you-yourself who is getting business and creating worth for the company so you need to be extremely careful with what promise you make, what price you charge. Competitive Pricing is good. It saves us from being arrogant & exploited both.

Remember – whatever you are doing with a brand, creating it, developing it, designing it, writing customer connect strategies or just working on its inception with a business plan, you need to be clear of its essence and you should remember that it must create value. Value Creation would create your brand – the company brand.

Any start-up shall remember, that ‘Brands’ matter; big or Small, New or Old, Refreshed or Re-launched, if you are a brand – people seek value.  Always pay attention to the character of your business, the industry reactions, the changes expected and technology involved. Be good to what you are doing. Stay alert & informed, love your work and be honest to your client. Create Brand Goals and live them.

So what is your start-up brand?