Stand for your Brand

By Joe Haddad

 

Your business or organization provides products, services, information or inspiration that helps people in some aspect of their lives. You believe in what the company stands for and its message. You could talk for hours about the value in what you do with anyone who asks. But, there isn’t enough time. You have an organization to run and tasks to complete.

 

The truth is, your organization’s only representative is often this thing referred to as a “brand.” You can’t see it. You can’t touch it. You can’t hear it. But you know it’s there.

 

According to the Newspaper Advertising Bureau, people are exposed to twice as many ads in their lifetimes now compared to just fifteen years ago. That means each day your audience hears hundreds of competing brand messages. You know your brand, but do they know it?

 

In today’s ultra busy, ultra connected world, how can you help your brand claim its own unique identity among all the other clutter?

 

Promotion

You have to get the word out – your word. Well-designed company newsletters, brochures and sell sheets are great ways to provide information about and explain the benefits of your brand to large groups. In one-on-one situations, eye-catching business cards and letterhead allow you to leave people with pertinent contact information so they can take the next step in the buying process.

 

People will form lasting impressions of your brand based on your print communications. To insure that your print materials reflect the image you want to portray, consult with your printer or graphic designer early in the design stage.

 

Positioning

Instead of simply marketing your brand to anyone and everyone, you need to use the right avenues to connect to the right audience. If you’re a landscaper, flyers are an inexpensive tool to advertise your services door-to-door. Daycare centers can attract more attention by displaying colorful posters in the windows that face traffic. Grocery stores can highlight certain specials or specific products using hanging in-store signs. There are 1,001 different ways to get noticed by the right people – if you’ve designed the right print communications in the right way.

 

Publicity

Unlike promotion and positioning, in which you tout your own success, publicity is a third-party endorsement for your brand. Community outreach is an ideal opportunity for this type of support. For instance, a café may provide lunch to the local food kitchen once a month. When the community endorses your brand, people listen. Nontraditional marketing can make a big impact.

 

Pride

Never forget you’re a walking endorsement for your organization’s brand. Treat it well. Wearing branded apparel is one way to send a positive message. Also, have a “30-second commercial” prepared to deliver when someone asks about your organization’s product, service or mission. What you say and how you say it, especially if it’s with pride and enthusiasm, speaks volumes about the brand.