Build a Strong Brand and Beat Your Competition

Creating a new brand might seem straightforward if you already understand the product or service that you are going to sell. The thing is, it really isn’t that easy, especially if you want to outperform the competition – and that surely must be your goal. The market is slowly but surely getting oversaturated with companies that work in similar or even the same fields. This ultimately means that growing a brand is pretty much harder than ever. So, how can you turn the tides and make your brand stand out?

Well, this article is there to tackle that exact topic – brand creation and growth. Be prepared for some hard work, as a lot of effort is needed to do so. A good thing is that there are some shortcuts that can help you build your brand more efficiently. So, for you to be able to utilize them properly, we need to go through some important points. Let’s go!

What is the purpose of your brand?

Many people view a purpose more superficially than they actually should. Your company’s brand is a direct reflection of everything that your company stands for. This is why you need to take care to analyze its purpose and the message that you’re really trying to convey. Idea Dolls is a brand and packaging design agency, and in their article on brand purpose, they explain that it is important to align the purpose of your brand with important human values. They go on to explain that this way, you are able to amplify the intensity in which your demographic connects with your brand.

So, how can you define your brand’s purpose exactly? Well, a good way to start is to reflect on the idea behind the entire project. What was the initial spark that led to you starting this company? In what way does your product address the needs of your target audience? Well, to answer that last question, you need to make sure that you know your target audience first. On that note, let’s dissect the importance of doing so.

How well do you know your target audience?

It is extremely important for your company that you take time and effort to truly understand what your target audience is. It is just as equally important for you to understand what their needs are. By getting to do this, you are going to ensure that your brand can deliver everything that your audience is asking for. Without proper research behind the demographic, you end up aimlessly targeting anyone who stumbles upon your company. That way, you ultimately end up unnecessarily losing money.

So, how do you get to know a buyer’s persona exactly? Well, you want to make a fictional, but as precise as possible biography of the customer that you’re looking for. To be as detailed as you can, you should get to understand the most important parameters in such a customer. So, what are their goals, and what habits drive them to those goals? What struggles and problems obstruct them from reaching those goals? How can you address those problems and help them? All these are the questions that require answering, so, take your time to do so properly!

Building your brand recognition

Brand recognition is extremely important as it is a great example of making your brand distinct from your competition. It means that out of the bunch, a possible customer can recognize what your brand is. The easiest way to explain this is by taking Coca-Cola as an example. The probability is high that anyone who isn’t living under a rock can easily spot that red and white logo from miles away. Now, Coca-Cola is a huge company, and a lot of the major brands have established their brand years, even decades ago. So, how can you make sure that your brand is easily recognizable as well?

The answer is marketing, of course. The best way to incorporate your brand into the thoughts of your audience is, well, to incorporate it into what they see daily. So, you must focus your marketing efforts on clear messages that convey your brand concisely. Focus your marketing strives on social media, as it is a great way to reach your target audience quite easily!

Brand awareness and how to build it

You must be thinking – we’ve just talked about brand recognition, isn’t brand awareness exactly the same? Well, it isn’t, in fact – brand awareness is a level above brand recognition if you will. Working on brand awareness means working on people not only recognizing your brand in a crowd but also being aware of your message, as well as information on your products. It’s all about the entire feeling that someone gets when they hear the name of your company or see your logo.

While marketing works wonders for brand recognition, awareness is all about your actions. So, while you do need to take a lot of time to work on more abstract parameters of what it takes to grow your brand, the concrete ones are even more important. No matter what you’re promising in your advertisement, you must make sure that you deliver when it comes down to it. So, work on your products, you must deliver quality!

There’s nothing worse for brand awareness than having people view you as someone who only makes empty promises. Don’t let your company get overshadowed by its promises!

In the end, it all truly boils down to dissecting the purpose of your product and molding the message to what the market is looking for. That might seem like a hard thing to do, but with enough vigilance and direction – you can surely accomplish that. Focus on your product and the message that you’re trying to convey. Do your research regarding the market and the audience that you’re selling your product to. Make sure that you take time to do all this before you launch your company. As your brand grows, you want to be sure that it has a solid foundation for it to grow in the right direction.

After reading all this, you are well equipped to start thinking about your brand more constructively! Good luck!