“Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.”

Know your customers

To be able to step into your consumers shoes, you first of all need to understand them.  Most businesses, although widely available, target a specific market.  Make sure you do your research to understand what customers expect from a business in the field you are starting out in. You need to be aware of things like:

• Their age range
• Their gender
• Their marital status
• Are they a family person?
• What’s their work status.
• What’s their income status.
• Where do they live, country or city?
• What do they value most (e.g. quality, speed, friendliness, convenience)?
• What might their other interests be?

Create a recognisable brand

It’s often believed that the logo is all it takes for a company to become recognisable.  However, there is much more to a brand than this.  The key elements to consider when creating a brand include:

• Name–Your name is a key part of your brand. Make sure it’s catchy, not too long or confusing for consumers.
• Your products and service– Customers need to know what they’ll get from you.  Why are you different from all the other companies offering them a similar product? What makes you the company to work with? Staying consistent with this is key.
• Tone of voice– This will have an impact on all communications, from letters written to phone calls made. It is how you address your customers and what they can expect from you, so decide if you’re going to be friendly, professional, formal or to the point.
• Visual style and logo– The colours and fonts you use to portray your business can make a big difference to your consumers perception. It may be a necessity that you call in a professional for this work as there can be a lot more to do it than just picking a colour you like.  There are many psychological and social roots to these elements, so choosing the correct one is quite crucial to present the right message.
• Customer service– Your interaction with customers leaves a lasting impression. Make sure everything is consistent, from day-today contact to regular procedures.  Have a team in place to handle complaints, as well as any support consumers may need, and ensure those delivering these services have a positive manner when communicating with consumers.
• Values– How will your business sit in the world? What will its roots and key ethos’ be? These can be helpful tools to help you promote your brand, and could even lead to collaborations with other companies and good PR.
• Tagline and mission statement– A tagline is something the consumers remember and instantly associate with your business. It’s Nike’s “Just Do It.” Mission statements are often internally used and are not always consumer focused.
• Marketing– This concerns all messages put out by your business. It covers everything from news, to adverts to website design, all of which help to create a solid brand. Consistency in marketing is key to deliver your businesses main mission and goals.