Your brand is like the foundation of a house. Your ‘foundation’ is made up of your reputation, image and positioning. You want to make sure your ‘foundation is solid and can support your business.

Chapter 1: What Branding Can Do for Your Business

Written by Jillian Smith, Edited and Drawn by Teagan Burns

Original article at Deksia

Think of your brand as your foundation, the total sum of perceptions about your company. That includes your reputation, image, and positioning. It encompasses all the things people associate with you (good and bad) — their impressions, emotions, and expectations. Branding includes your company’s values and personality, and it’s the main message you use to express your mission.

You don’t build a brand just to have a brand. You build a brand in order to grow.

With this kind of ‘foundation’ you’re not supported. You can keep trying to build the business up but you risk damaging your ‘house’.

Branding increases leads and sales

A brand’s ultimate function is to increase sales for your business. When done right, a solid brand has the power to attract and retain the customers that grow your profits. Bain & Co., a global management consultancy firm, reports that a 5% increase in customer retention can raise your company’s profitability by a whopping 75%. As these numbers attest, finding ways to engage and keep your audience is vital. And customers support brands they trust. When you consistently deliver superior value, service, and quality — backed by your visual image — you create preference among your customers.

This ‘foundation’ is also not supportive of your business.

Branding backs your marketing strategies

As we’ve said before, your brand isn’t the end goal. It’s the vehicle — an investment you make in your future success. When you have brand definition, you bring clarity to your entire team and focus your tactics. Through marketing, you actively promote your brand and engage potential customers. But branding reinforces those efforts. As your marketing tactics change, your brand remains constant. Promotion alone will only get you so far. If you don’t have the support of a solid brand, any results you see will be short-lived.

This is the desired ‘foundation’ you want for your business. Evenly supporting the ‘house’ as it continues to grow.

Branding saves you money in the long run

When it comes to future design and advertising, branding seriously cuts down on cost. If you launch a product or start a campaign without a brand, you might have some success. But you’re going to have to reinvent the wheel every time. A brand, which includes style, messaging, and visual guidelines, gives you a place to start and a place to return. Your brand keeps you rooted and allows your business to keep growing.

Remember that you’re contributing to your overall value with or without an intentional brand, for better or for worse. Building positive brand equity is a process that takes time, patience, and a great deal of effort. But it all starts with a good brand foundation. You have to lay the groundwork if you want to see the long term results.

If you’re interested in learning about the state of your business’s ‘foundation’, give us a call at Deksia. We can schedule you for a 15 minute consultation to talk about your business and what the next step is. You can go to our website or contact us at our Grand Rapids, MI office at (616) 570–8111.