What is a Brand?

A brand is two things – it is the representation of a business, and it’s the emotional association in the consumer’s mind.

Your brand is a fully expressed description of your company, product or service, and its position in the marketplace. This includes your business’s personality, its feel and the lifestyle associated with the brand.

Your brand represents the fundamental principles of your business – your company’s ‘reason for being’, and this should be understood by anyone who comes into contact with it.

Your brand is what the consumer thinks and feels about your company, product or service – it’s this mental and emotional association that is behind a consumer’s purchase.

It’s the inherent and perceived value the consumer places on your business.

A brand is a shortcut into the consumer’s buying power. It’s a direct ‘plug in’ to the emotion involved in a purchase.

Your brand is a promise; a promise of quality, satisfaction and authenticity.

A brand determines the position and strength of your marketing strategies, as it is the ‘vocabulary’ for all of the your ‘conversations’ in the marketplace.

Article by Jodi Riddick
The Brand Boutique Blog

The Value of a Website as a Marketing Tool

There are many easy-to-use website tools these days. This encourages small business owners to think of electronic marketing as a do it yourself project but this inclination may warrant second thoughts. A website is similar to wedding photographs...they make a lasting impression and are seen many times by a variety of people; some who don't know you. A great deal of thought and planning goes into a wedding so just the right image is created and beautiful memories are captured on film. A business website merits the same kind of thought. Strangers will see it and form an indelible opinion.  Once more, they will communicate their opinion to others.  The business will be stuck with the projected impression.

The business owner may be an expert on their product and have well thought out ideas about sales and marketing but to effectively project an image that is positive and flattering requires another kind of expertise. Electronic marketing is a two edge sword. On one hand, it provides constant access to sales material, it creates a lasting impression and instantly updates with new information. These exact qualities can be negatives if there is no branding strategy, cohesive sales message and thoughtful updating with new images and text. No website is probably better than an amateurish effort because while the creator is working hard to improve their product or service, the website can be projecting a mediocre impression. Electronic marketing services are available to suit most budgets and is money well spent. Just like wedding pictures, the website provides a permanent picture of you.

Article by Terry Waechter