brand building for small business
DESCRIPTION
A powerful, relevant brand idea helps set your small business apart from competitors, build relationships with customers and drive sales. Developed as part of our training material for start-ups, this simple step-by-step guide details the questions to ask and gives examples to help you define a winning brand strategy for your business.TRANSCRIPT
Brand-Building for
Small Business
Part 1: Simple Steps to
a Winning Brand Idea
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WHAT IS A BRAND?
Is it a logo, a label or a
television commercial?
A brand is a perception
that lives in the minds of
consumers…
It’s their concept of – and
opinion about – a particular
product or service, which
determines whether they’re
going to buy it or not.
And every interaction between a brand and
its customers builds this perception.
Sales person TV ad
Word-of-mouth
Showroom
Website
Invoice
Billboard
Facebook post
Product
Packaging
Tweets
Your brand is your
Image and
reputation
• You are instantly recognisable and familiar
• You have loyal customers who keep coming back.
• You have free advertising, when satisfied customers
tell their friends about you.
• You can charge more if your brand is more well
known, liked and trusted
A strong brand drives sales and profit
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Building a brand is about building
emotional connections with your
customers.
There must be something beyond
the expected functional benefits of
your product
Being a nice guy doesn’t
cut it though. There are
plenty of nice guys.
Your reputation needs to
stand out and be different.
You need a
simple and
memorable
brand idea
Functional
Benefit
Emotional
Connection
‘PLAYING WITH FIRE’
How do you find the right
idea for your brand?
Finding the sweet spot
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What your
customers
need and
want?
What your
competitors
lack?
What you are
really good
at and love?
What do my
customers want?
Footer Text
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KFC: tapping into real, local consumer insight and eco-systems
Who needs your
service?
How much do they earn?
What type of people are they?
What are their
lifestyles like?
How to define your target market
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You may have distinct types of target customers
Garden service example
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Families
- Want to spend more time on the
weekend doing stuff together
- Very busy during the week as both
parents are working and kids are at
school
Young professionals
- Very busy working during the week –
often late
- Have hectic social lives
- Want to socialise on the weekend and
sleep in late
- Use the internet for EVERYTHING
Retired couples
- Time rich and want to spend time with family and friends
- Often socialise at home
- May garden themselves but need help with heavy lifting
- Not up on technology
• Questions to ask
– What do they need from you?
– Is there anything about your services and your
competitors’ services that frustrates them?
– What is important to them?
– What are appropriate times and channels to
engage/serve them?
Getting insight from customers
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– Start with your existing customers – they’re
more likely to talk to you
– Use questionnaires
– Often having a conversation reveals better
insight as it allows you to explore interesting
ideas that come up.
Cost-effective methods of discovery
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Love technology
• Book / change booking online
• Pay online
Love to socialise and sleep in late!
• No early morning appointments
• Get the job done quickly so they can get on with their lives
• key drop service
Love trends, design & brands
• Offer design component – trendy plants, arrangements etc.
• Help them derive status from garden
Practical Things to Do with the Insight you Find
The garden service example
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Young professionals
What am I
really good at?
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Ask Yourself: What do I offer?
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Features?
Services?
Products?
Specifications?
Remember
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Customers ultimately buy benefits, not
products, services, features or specifications.
Before parting with their hard-earned cash,
they always want to know: “What does it do
for me”
Example of product vs. benefit
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PRODUCT:
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING
SYSTEM
BENEFIT:
KEEPING CONTROL
WHEN BRAKING ON A
SLIPPERY SURFACE
Example of functional benefit and linked emotional benefit
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PRODUCT:
ANTI-LOCK
BRAKING
SYSTEM
FUNCTIONAL
BENEFIT:
KEEPING CONTROL
WHEN BRAKING ON A
SLIPPERY SURFACE
EMOTIONAL
BENEFIT:
FEELING LIKE A
GOOD PARENT
“In the factory we make lipstick;
in the store we sell hope.” Charles Revson, creator of Revlon
What don’t my
competitors do?
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How are you different?
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What does
everyone offer?
What unique
benefit do I offer?
What is your Brand Idea?
Brand Positioning
Brand positioning is the unique combination of
functional benefits and emotional associations that
makes a brand relevant, distinctive and compelling to
its target market.
It is a concise definition of how you want the brand
to be perceived by its target market – and why they
should be motivated to choose it ahead of its rivals.
The unifying idea…
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What my
customers
want…
…that my
competitors
lack
…that we
love and do
well
What one idea makes you different?
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THE JOY
OF DRIVING
WINNING
PERFORMANCE
BEING THE
CUSTOMER
CHAMPION
A few examples
Sheer driving pleasure Just do it How can we help you?
Bra
nd
Po
sit
ion
ing
(Str
ate
gy)
Ta
gli
ne
(Cre
ative
Exe
cu
tio
n)
Is about Is about Is about
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PART TWO:
USING YOUR BRAND IDEA
TO DRIVE BUSINESS
GROWTH
Thank You Get in touch:
www.ywood.co.za
JHB: 011 268 5211
CT: 021 425 0344
@askYellowwood
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