Creating and Maintaining a Strong Brand

The internet is filled with tips on brand building. It makes it seem if you do 3-5 steps you will create the next Amazon. In truth it is a bit more complicated then that.

Create a strong brand culture
Your brand has to come through every aspect of your organization. All your employees should be brand salespersons who believe and participate in the business lifestyle. Communicating the right message through what they say and do is important. This only works if there is a strong and consistent message from the top.

Make a strong emotional program
The best brands overcome icons customers can identity with and use to define themselves. The bet is when a brand becomes more then a logo and a tag line, but turns into a cause that represents a feeling, lifestyle, attitude. There are many examples you can find in everyday life, Nascar, John Deere, Roxy Clothing, to name a few.

Maintain a clear, consistent vision
Customers can't form expectations and become attached to your company if you keep changing what you're about. The best brands maintain a strong sense of who they are, and don't compromise core values.

Deliver an amazing experience
Customer experience usually define your brand. Emotional connection is deeper in a service-based industry. It is the number one connection whether a customer comes back or passes recommendations to others.

Maximize exposure across marketing channels.
Once your key elements are in place. you need to support it with a solid PR, advertising and promotional campaign. Developing a good logo (Necessary for transcending international language barriers), sometimes pairing it with a great tag line enhances recognition. New technologies can help as well: blogs, Internet pages, facebook etc. may all have their roles. The Internet can create a great brand fast, and destroy it just as fast.