Are you Building a Business or a Great Brand?
If you are a business owner or manager today, then it is highly likely that you are a very busy person. You have lots on your mind, including all the responsibilities from staffing to revenue raising and profitability. It is fair to say that as modern day business people, it is impossible to be great at all areas across the business. And accepting this fact and allowing specialists in accounts, HR and marketing is a great solution to ensure your business isn’t being held back by your capabilities alone and you are working to build not only a great business, but a great brand!
Great brands are what investors are looking for. They not only want to ensure they are buying into something that is going to make money, but is also saleable when it comes time to exercise their succession plan. At The Factory, it’s our business to add value your business and if you think that the way your business presents itself from a visual perspective has nothing to do with the future success of it, think again!
People as customers aren’t necessarily looking to ‘engage in a transaction’ with a business, they are looking for an experience when acquiring a product or service they desire.
The reason why Apple has such a strong brand following and is so successful, isn’t always about what the product offers, but how the product is packaged and the way it is perceived. People want to be part of that brand and part of the lifestyle Apple offers. So much so, that they are willing to pay more for it over its competitors. So how can you create a brand like Apple? Well, it will take some time, but if you do it correctly, with professionals that build brands for a living (like we do at The Factory), then you may get to your destination faster.
When working with a new client, one of the first things we like to do in getting to know and understand the business, is a brand audit. A brand audit enables you to identify and address any areas of concern, and look at all opportunities to grow your bottom line. Things we look at are all the items where your brand is placed, including signage, advertising, printing, online and even the way customers are greeted in store and how the phones are answered. Doing this allows us to reinvigorate or revitalise the way your business presents, before sales start to slip.
A brand audit helps keep your business fresh and relevant and speaks volumes to customers looking for the latest and greatest there is on offer. Strong brands are powerful brands. Powerful brands captivate, inspire and engage their customers to have them wanting more. They also have strong brand loyalty, where referrals are willingly provided.
And while we are in the social era where customers have more power and influence than ever before, business needs to ensure they are building positive social engagements that are critical to the brand and its future profitability.
Whether you are unsure if your business requires a brand audit, or you just know it’s time to get started on cleaning up the image you are projecting to your past, current and future customers, we would love to hear from you. The initial meeting with our team is complimentary so what a great new year’s resolution or to start to 2017!
