During the 19th and early 20th centuries, a rancher would use a hot iron to mark his cattle with a unique brand. This brand, which depicted an image unique to his ranch, distinguished his cattle from another ranch's cattle.
Branding, in today's fast-paced, modern marketing world, operates much the same way. Today, branding is used to distinguish a product or service from a competitor's by establishing certain images in the prospect's mind. And in today's super-competitive market, it's a key marketing tool. Without it, your marketing effort as a whole rests not on a solid foundation, but rather on the shifting sands of a weak brand.
For most companies, brand elements are among the first things a prospect sees. Whether the prospect visits a website, browses a brochure or stops by a company's trade show booth, the prospect walks away with impressions of the company's brand.
My advice to growing companies is to pay direct attention to your branding programs from the outset. Remember that one objective of your marketing plan is to strengthen the link of trust between you and your prospect. Branding is one of most effective ways to do this.
No comments:
Post a Comment