Will my branding stand out? Does this colour translate to our brand? Is our packaging good enough? Is our branding stronger than our competitors? How can we make our branding better? Does the copy sell the brand? Do the visuals sell the brand? So many questions, so many possible answers. These are some of the million dollar questions creative marketing agencies face on a daily basis. Because, truth be told, a good branding agency is equipped with tools in the form of experts who can use branding techniques to elevate sales. That’s the simplest way to put it.
Branding is a magical strategy that can take your brand from zero to hero just by first glance.
Imagine this situation:
You’re walking through a supermarket, your weekly visit – nothing new, everything standard, until… you get to the coffee section and spot a new brand sitting right beside your general go-to. It catches your eye, firstly, because it’s a new shiny thing that you’ve never seen before; but secondly because the colours, the brand font, the shape of the packaging – and possibly even material – and not to mention the wicked cool copy that sits on the packaging, have caused your brain to react to the product.
This is the sort of impact good branding will have on your target market.
Now, it’s fair to say that pricing, quality of product and even the availability of the product can greatly control your conversion decisions, but the initial step of capturing attention is there. And this is where the beauty of branding sets in.
Let’s go back to our supermarket trip…
You decided to give the new product a try, it’s only €0.05 more than your regular purchase so it’s not going to break the bank, and at the end of the day; you’re such a sucker for cool branding options! You take the ground coffee home and show your family; there’s intrigue in the product and someone in your mini show and tell session might even say, “I saw an advert for that coffee yesterday!”
Excitement is rising. Branding, from every angle, is what makes a product take flight.
With all the buzz around this new product, you quickly brew a pot of coffee, reading the packaging labels as the coffee machine works its magic. You’re still engaged with the product, and you’re possibly sharing your new found information with the rest of your family. (Truth be told, you’ll probably take this coffee to the office and let your colleagues know of its genius too.)
This is how an effectively branded product can result in promotion, in this case, word-of-mouth. And guess what… you haven’t even tasted the coffee yet; but you’re already making plans on who to share it with.
Well, once the taste test verdict is in. You reevaluate the product, you suss it out for all its flaws, value the price you paid for the product and decide whether it’s going to be a staple on your shelf.
For many new homeowners or those who are constantly on the lookout for aesthetic pleasures in their home, branding could easily win in a look vs taste competition. The price of beauty is high up on many consumers’ lists so disregarding aesthetic feel in a product could be a very costly mistake.
Three major factors to consider when dealing with branding;
- Authenticity = Consistency
- Consistency = Trust
- Trust = Loyalty
In being authentic to your brand, you are targeting a niche market or appealing to a mass market who are eager to purchase your brand. These purchases rely heavily on customer satisfaction so keeping things like packaging, quantity of the product and quality at a high standard; making consistency your number one aim.
Once consistency is synonymous with your product, trust starts to set in, consumers share information very willingly and use language that is genuine and heartfelt rather than amazed and impressed; as happens with initial users. This cycle is what keeps the product alive through branding.
Lastly, trust begets loyalty. And much like in every relationship in our lives; if you’re in a relationship where trust is thriving, you’re happy to stay and enjoy the fruit of your partnership.
Yes, we just went there! Comparing your love life to your relationship with a coffee brand is how serious we are about good branding! If you’re looking for a branding solution to peek your sales and convert your audiences, the expert branding gurus at 4Sight will hook you up with the hottest coffee packaging on the shelf.
Also Read: Branded Vehicles Can Be Your Next Effective Marketing Tool… Here’s How!