Basic Branding

Some might think that an advertising agency has little to do with getting cattle ready for market. Well, they might be right. The kind of branding work that a company like Off The Vine does is less about being in the country side and more about the the digital world at times.

If you're advertising in a town like Boise, however, there's a similar reach one wants to have. Like an old rancher that knows the ins and outs of the town they grew up in.

So, in discussing branding in Boise, this advertising agency is out to give your the rundown on how to be a local brand.

But what exactly does "branding" mean? How does it affect a small business like yours?

The branding flag you fly should always display your values and stand as your promise to the customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and/or services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitors'.

Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.

The question we need to ask now is what you have to offer.

Is your product the high-cost, high-quality option, or the low-cost, high-value option? You can't be both, and you can't be all things to all people. Who you are should be based to some extent on who your target customers want and need you to be.

If your brand is one that offers something unique, then go with that foremost.

Now let's consider the main goals of your business. In creating a successful brand we've got to understand the verticals associated with the project.

Of course there's many companies that focus on their advertising, but an effective strategy will set you apart form the masses.

Since this is such an important aspect of any business let's define the goal. Are we working with large or small companies? Is the project being based on relationships with retail or B2B?

This should help us qualify the foundation of your brand. That is your logo.

While the website and additional promotional avenues are important, it's the logo that will be the first thing, the icon, which all see first.

Once you've had an effective logo designed, which isn't nearly as easy as it sounds, you'll focus on the remainder of the brand strategy. This comes down to how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy.

Your distribution channels are also part of your brand strategy. And what you communicate visually and verbally are part of your brand strategy, too. However, this is fairly easy for an advertising agency to accomplish. Once you understand the main objectives of this brand strategy the pieces start to fall into place.

When the marketing plan is consistent, the branding leads to a strong return on investment, This is the equity brought to your company's products or services that allows you to charge more for your brand than what identical, unbranded products command.

Consider when you see generic brands of next to the iconic product.

The added value that is intrinsic to brand equity frequently comes in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment. Back to the logo, this is a great way to instill trust within the product.

If you're working to define your brand,it requires, at the very least, that you answer the questions below:

What is your company's mission? What are the benefits and features of your products or services? What do your customers and prospects already think of your company? What qualities do you want them to associate with your company?

If you're interested in working out the fine details with the seasoned vets, who make this work their day job, then get in touch with Off The Vine Productions.