Adding to our Building Brands series, below CEO Today hears from brand agency Champions (UK) plc on the basic 101s of starting a brand, how to maintain it and how to grow it into a successful and effective tool for your business.
Starting a new business is always a complex task and there is plenty to consider before launching a new brand. One of the very first things that you need to decide on is what products or services your brand will be offering as well as whether you are going to be selling it to consumers or to businesses.
These are just a couple of the key decisions that you will need to make in order to launch a successful brand. One company who know exactly what it takes to create an effective brand is East Midlands based brand agency Champions (UK) plc. Built from the ground up, Champions (UK) plc work with a whole host of brands in a range of different sectors from, supermarket chains to nationwide global law firms.
Target audience
Target audience is key. It shapes what your business will go on to become and dictate how you handle the marketing and promotional activity for your brand.
Often companies will try to broaden their target audience to reach all demographics and while this may seem like a good idea, it can actually have the opposite effect, as your brand will become less specific and relevant to people. Therefore, it is always better to focus on a more niche audience who are likely to consume more of your offering.
Marketing
You could have the best brand, ideas and products in the world but if no one knows about you then what’s the point? It’s important to get your marketing strategy spot on. You will need to decide whether it is more pragmatic to do this yourself or outsource to an agency. You’ll then need to have your brand’s logo designed, write a clear and concise mission statement and in some cases come up with a catchy slogan.
Following this you will then need to use a range of marketing techniques to get your brand’s name out there. There are a variety of ways you can do this including: newspaper advertisements, television & radio advertisements, flyers, brochures and signage. Digital marketing is always worth considering, to gain your brand much needed exposure online.
Research your competitors
Ideally this is something you will do before your brand is launched, as by examining your competitors and discovering how they differ from one another will go a long way in helping you establish your brand’s identity and its USP in the marketplace.
If there is already a successful high-profile brand in your sector, then it will be helpful to see what qualities they use that have made them succeed. However, it is important to maintain your own style and not simply copy another brand because they have been successful.
Constantly enhance the brand
To be successful you need to be your brand’s biggest advocate. At every opportunity you need to ensure your brand’s key messages are being effectively communicated. When hiring employees make sure they fit well with what you are trying to achieve and the values of your brand. As well as this, when attending occasions such as networking events make sure you are ready to confidently explain what your brand can offer to potential clients.
If you build your brand effectively from the start, then you could see your business grow from a small start-up to a large successful corporation.
