What is branding really? How does it impact the bottom line?

What is branding and why is it important for business?

Many think that a brand is a logo. It’s not. A brand is a gut feeling about an organization, product, place or person. Yes, people and places can be brands (…think Oprah… think Vegas). A logo is a visual mark of a brand, and that just covers what we see. A brand can be experienced on several sensory levels. Consider the unmistakable G-C-E notes that have been the signature chimes of the NBC network since 1929… or the hum of an Aston Martin (there are actually sound engineers at Ford hired to replicate that exact 1955 sound in today’s Mustangs)… the familiar inhalation of roasted coffee beans upon entering any Starbucks cafe, anywhere in the world… the way M&M’s actually do melt in your mouth (and how that’s an entirely different experience then when they are just in your hand). It’s all branding, baby. And we know our way around. (Excuse our shameless plug). We don’t think it’s important or anything, we just named our agency Brand & Butter by sheer coincidence.

Consistent brand presentation across all platforms increases revenue by up to 23%.

(Forbes)

Customers who have an emotional connection with a brand have a 3x higher lifetime value (LTV).

(Motista)

Building a Marketing Strategy in Four Steps

Step 1: Get to know your target audience.

The first step in building your marketing strategy is to know who it is you’re marketing to. Doing so ensures that your marketing efforts are focused, and as a result, you’ll be getting the return on investment that you’re after.

One common way to go about this is to create a buyer persona. By creating a buyer persona, you can be sure that you’re marketing to people who are actually interested in what you have to offer. Otherwise your marketing strategy is pretty much the equivalent of a man on a box yelling through a megaphone at random people on the street.

Think about what you’d like your ideal customer to look like. Start getting granular and create a list of demographics that your customer falls into. Responsive Inbound Marketing recommends these major questions you should ask yourself about your target customer when outlining a buyer persona:


Tackling a Social Media Content - 7 Tips for Finding Your Voice

Social Media: Be not afraid.

Repeat this message to yourself aloud: Connecting with customers online and creating meaningful digital experiences is no longer optional. For some businesses the Internet is a dark and far away world, ruled by a mysterious Google god and controlled by the social media mafia. Truth is, the Internet is the land of opportunity. If and how your brand listens to, educates, entertains and engages with its audience can make it rain revenue. Every business can profit online even if sales do not take place online. In the same way it has turned YouTube no-names into international pop stars, digital marketing can enable your brand to box out of its weight class. It turns out this whole Internet thing is here to stay – and that’s great for business. Your brand can be a digital heavyweight; we’ll light the way.

Consistent brand presentation across all platforms increases revenue by up to 23%.

(Forbes)

Customers who have an emotional connection with a brand have a 3x higher lifetime value (LTV).

(Motista)

Building a Marketing Strategy in Four Steps

Step 1: Get to know your target audience.

The first step in building your marketing strategy is to know who it is you’re marketing to. Doing so ensures that your marketing efforts are focused, and as a result, you’ll be getting the return on investment that you’re after.

One common way to go about this is to create a buyer persona. By creating a buyer persona, you can be sure that you’re marketing to people who are actually interested in what you have to offer. Otherwise your marketing strategy is pretty much the equivalent of a man on a box yelling through a megaphone at random people on the street.

Think about what you’d like your ideal customer to look like. Start getting granular and create a list of demographics that your customer falls into. Responsive Inbound Marketing recommends these major questions you should ask yourself about your target customer when outlining a buyer persona:


The 4 Essential Steps of Building an Effective Marketing Strategy

Yes, you really need one. Here's why:

Coordinating brand activities in the absence of a clear strategy is sort of like giving a goldfish a bath. Sure, the goldfish will survive but time, effort and resources will be forever sunk – and without any meaningful results. An effective marketing strategy is realistic, scalable and measurable. It will guide and inform future marketing initiatives and provide benchmarks for goal setting. Best of all, marketing strategies save time and money by directing resources toward the brand activities that advance the overall business objectives.

46% of brands don’t have a defined digital marketing strategy, and 16% do have a strategy but haven’t put it into effect yet.

(Smart Insights)

Building a Marketing Strategy in Four Steps

Step 1: Get to know your target audience.

The first step in building your marketing strategy is to know who it is you’re marketing to. Doing so ensures that your marketing efforts are focused, and as a result, you’ll be getting the return on investment that you’re after.

One common way to go about this is to create a buyer persona. By creating a buyer persona, you can be sure that you’re marketing to people who are actually interested in what you have to offer. Otherwise your marketing strategy is pretty much the equivalent of a man on a box yelling through a megaphone at random people on the street.

Think about what you’d like your ideal customer to look like. Start getting granular and create a list of demographics that your customer falls into. Responsive Inbound Marketing recommends these major questions you should ask yourself about your target customer when outlining a buyer persona: