What Is Your Company Brand?

I think one of the hardest parts about running a business has got to be building a brand. Branding is about putting your company name out there in such a way that your targeted audience knows what your company offers just by hearing its name. Branding is about building trust with the public, about building a reputation, about name recognition.
 
One way, to understand how branding works, is to think about your favorite products, like: Nike, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and even Wal-mart. Just by hearing the names of these companies, you instantly know what they offer, who they are, and what they're about. And it all began with marketing. Before they began their marketing campaigns, they took the time to determine the "brand" they wanted to portray.

And that's just what you need to do with your business. When people hear your company name, what do you want them to associate it with? It's not enough to think in general terms of great customer service, the lowest prices, easy return policies, or even quantity of merchandise on hand. You must think in terms of specificity. You must think in terms of what you have to offer that your competition does not, and then take it a step further and think in terms of what they cannot easily copy.

Your brand should focus on more than your target audience's pocket books or ease of mind, you need to hit them where it counts and that's through their emotions. For instance, when you think of Nike, do you only think of high cost tennis shoes that sports people wear or do you think of comfort, endurance, and quality? Do you only think of shoes? Or do you think of other things like their community outreach programs, their clothing line, or their ability to make you feel successful or athletic?

Now think about the other high-profile companies on the market today, what do you think of when you hear the names of those companies? Do you automatically know what products those companies sell? Do you have an image in your head? What does that image say to you? Do you hear a jingle or song and right away relate it to a particular product or company? That's all branding is.
 
Now that you have a better understanding of how brand recognition can help your company, it's time to figure out your company's brand. Take your time, don't rush into anything. Make sure the brand you choose isn't a copy-cat idea, something that can easily be mistaken for another company's brand. And make sure it's something that can grow as your company grows.

In the end, you want to create a brand that portrays the image you want for your company and one that transcends all types of media: company logo, business stationery, marketing materials, advertising, and so forth.