Brand image is everything for a business nowadays. Having a poor brand image can greatly affect the way consumers view and value your products/services. This can greatly impact the success of a business.
Know Your Business, Inside and Out
To enhance the image of a brand, you first have to really know the brand. Look at your brand with honesty – rather than aspiration – and pick it apart. Pick out all the negative aspects, positive aspects, and things that need improvement. You need to separate why you think/want consumers to choose you, and why they actually choose you. What attributes make the brand unique? If there aren’t any what could make it unique? Branding goes far beyond just skimming the surface so you have to dig deeper.
Figure Out How to Appeal to and Attract the Customers You Want
You want your brand to appeal to the public. Yes, you may like certain aspects of your brand, but do consumers? Your brand image should be a reflection of your target audiences’ values and beliefs. You need to completely remove yourself from the situation and not try and push your values onto the table. Some may be similar, but you need to have an unbiased standpoint when it comes to successful branding.
Communicate Your Brand Values Throughout Your Company
There’s no use in saying “we believe in providing customers with the best possible customer service” and then not providing, or hiring and keeping staff that maintain a poor customer service standard. Consumers will notice and it will just look as though the brand isn’t reputable.
Instead, ensure that all employees carry the same values and beliefs as the brand, and in turn the consumers. This helps build up the all-important trust between company and consumer.
Recognise That First Impressions Can Be Lasting
Generally speaking, most consumers will judge your brand off of a first impression. If they walk into a store and the shelves are cluttered, nothings been put in the right place – they’re going to think the brand doesn’t care. If they go to your website and there is no information and is difficult to navigate – they aren’t going to have a great impression of the company. Aim to make a good first impression, and maintain that image.
Be Consistent
Smart consistency is key, being consistency bad will earn you a bad reputation. But similarly, being consistently good will earn you a good reputation. You want to maintain a high standard that rises above competitors and makes you stand out from the crowd. Customers like knowing what to expect, and don’t want to be surprised in a negative way.
