My lessons in Brand Management: How deeply I wanted to do this – Satabdi Saha

To be very frank and honest, I know nothing much about the branding jargon. But being in love with what you do make you teach you the essentials very quickly. And how I learned and recognized the necessities of the first brand that I came in touch with. It is Sting Communications -my work place that helped me understand the funda of brand and how to go about it when you address so many other brands, as an expert. I am still learning and I can only say that I am learning fast. Faster may be the need of the hour, but I am getting there.

To understand branding, you have to first understand what a brand is. A brand is the idea or image of a specific product or services that the customers connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan, or design of the company who owns the idea or image. Branding is when that image is marketed in such a way so that it is easily recognizable by the audience identifying with a certain service or product, when there are many other companies offering similar services. Branding is a way to build good reputation, especially when a company has no stellar reputation, branding can help that.

The purpose of branding is to help your customers understand what you offer and how you are different from the rest.  But it is not only a USP (unique selling proposition) it is the combination of all the ways you communicate and what you stand for.

Guidelines on how to build a successful brand

• Determine the brand’s target audience – Keep in mind, who exactly you are trying to reach. You’ll tailor and design the mission to meet their specific requirements.
• Define a mission statement – Mission statement will state a purpose for existence of the brand. Will inform every other aspect of your brand building.
• Research brands with your industry niche – Never imitate exactly what the big brands are doing in your industry. But you should be aware of what they do well. The goal is to differentiate from the competition.
• Highlight the key qualities and benefits your brand offer- Research down deep and figure out what you offer, that no one else is offering. Focus on qualities and benefits that make your company unique.
• Create a great brand logo and tagline – The most essential and important piece of brand building is creation of company’s logo and tagline. It will be the visual recognition of your brand.
• Brand’s business voice – Your voice is solely dependent on your company’s mission, audience and industry.
• Brand message – It is the only chance to communicate on a human level, making a direct emotional connection with your consumers. Keep it simple and clear.
• Integrate your brand into every aspect of your business – Your brand should be visible and reflected in everything that your customer sees. Try and incorporate the brand in the environment and personal interactions.
• Stay true to your brand – Consistency is the key. Don’t constantly change your branding, it will only confuse your TG.

So my lessons in branding are continuing. I shall come back with more when other closed doors open up to me. Meanwhile…happy brand selling!