Entrepreneur.com
Written by John Williams of Entrepreneur.com
When is the last time you took a hard look at all your branding materials (e.g., your marketing materials, packaging and Web site)? Do they match one another? Is the information up-to-date? Is the messaging consistent? Perhaps it's time for an evaluation -- a "spring cleaning," so to speak.
Branding is about emotional impact. Everything that represents your brand visually should resonate with your customers, sending the same primary message and triggering the same emotions. If each piece looks different, brand confusion occurs. It's essential that your logo, Web site, marketing collateral, advertising and packaging work together, to inspire your customer to act. If it's time to clean up, coordinate and/or de-clutter your brand, here are a few pointers:
1. Assess your brand promise. Your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitor's. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be. Your brand promise should be evaluated before anything else because it's the foundation for all your branding.
Is your brand promise resonating with consumers? In other words, does the customer experience equal their expectation? If you are the innovative maverick in your industry, then customers should see you that way. Keep in mind that you can't be all things to all people. Who you are should be based on what your target customers want you to be.
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