- Better than nothing (is harder than you think): http://bit.ly/cFiMEs
Brand
Can SMEs get an ROI from their brand?
This post was last edited by Alex Cohen, on the March 8, 2010 @ 10:50 am
Many SMEs debate whether a brand can deliver an ROI for them. Of course we believe it can. If you can answer yes to any of the questions below hopefully you can formulate your own answer:
- If your brand raises awareness of your company will you get a return?
- If you have a reason why customers should choose you over your competitors will you get a return?
- If people see the same branding messages on your website, business card and adverts will you get a return?
- If your customers understand your brand and are advocates of it will you get a return?
- If your marketing material (website, brochures, stationery, etc) looks professional rather than amateur will you get a return?
- If everyone in your company knows what you stand for and lives this brand will you get a return?
- If You’re different from your competitors will you stand out and get a return?
- If you offer a consistent promise to your customers will you get a return?
- If you don’t have to build a case for why you deserve a customer’s business every time you want to make a sell will you get a return?
- If you want to grow or even one day sell your company and a brand becomes a tangible asset will you get a return?
All about brands and branding for SMEs
This post was last edited by Alex Cohen, on the March 8, 2010 @ 10:50 am
For one week only we’ll be focusing on brands and branding for SMEs. Is it really important? What does a brand mean to you? And what are the financial benefits of a brand. Read on…
Brands and branding
A brand is a promise. It portrays your company vision, mission, values and key messages. It needs to position and differentiate your company in the marketplace and it needs to appeal to your target market.
Branding is the graphical elements of a brand: logo, brandmarks and a colour scheme which can then run through all your marketing material: website, brochures, stationery, advertising etc.
Does this really matter for SMEs though? This page will evolve to help you make your own decision on the case for branding.
If You’re interested in exploring what a brand can do for you contact us today on 0118 321 7620 or email us.
See our latest blogs on branding:
Discuss branding on the UK Business Forums:
Who have we created brands for?
AKA: Having been established for 3 years, delivering high end business propositions, AKA required a brand that complemented these propositions. The new brand was positioned around ‘Breakthrough Performance’. Sub-brands, a logo and brandmarks were created and carried through to a new website, business stationery and marketing and proposition material.
Provanis: Wanting to portray itself as a professional services organisation knowledgeable on Oracle Applications, demonstrating its core service of contract placement within this, Provanis required a brand that demonstrated this. Determining a vision, mission and values up front was essential and helped position Provanis in the marketplace. Xander Marketing developed a logo, tagline, business stationery and a new website.
Fresh Twist Training: Fresh Twist Training required a new brand and an ‘online brochure’. A logo, brandmark, website and business stationery was created by Xander Marketing providing Fresh Twist Training with a corporate identity that portrayed its brand values and could be used throughout all its marketing material and future campaigns.
If You’re ready for a new brand contact us today for a free marketing and branding consultation on 0118 321 7620 or email us.
Write your comments about branding below:
Do SMEs need a brand?
This post was last edited by Alex Cohen, on the March 8, 2010 @ 10:51 am
A brand isn’t a logo, it’s not a colour scheme and it’s not a website. A brand is what a company stands for, it’s a promise customers believe in.
A brand needs to portray your company vision, mission, values and key messages. It needs to position and differentiate your company in the marketplace and it needs to appeal to your target market.
A brand is how a company is perceived by its customers; it portrays what you offer and why it’s different and better. It sets out the unique benefits a customer can rely on and count on and what promises you make to your staff, customers and suppliers. It is everything the public sees and believes about your company.
So, do SMEs need a brand?
News flash – you have a brand already (you may just have not given it any thought). If You’re great at what you do but you have a logo that was made in 5 minutes on Microsoft Word, a website that looks like it was made by a 12 year old and a colour palette that doesn’t match your core values then You’re not portraying who your company really is.
Through ensuring the graphical elements of your brand match your values, your positioning and your target market’s expectations you can grow your brand. Through having a promise and a key marketing message and ensuring everyone in the company ‘lives the brand’ you can grow your reputation.
Take Fairy Liquid for example. There are many types of washing up liquid but for many years Fairy Liquid has plugged the key message that its washing up liquid lasts longer. That is the promise it has been built on and it has made millions from it.
So, do SMEs need a brand? You have one already. Is it working for you though?
The power of a brand
This post was last edited by Alex Cohen, on the March 8, 2010 @ 11:05 am
Coca-Cola is the ‘best global brand’ according to Interbrand’s 2008 survery. It is valued at just under $67m.
How is a brand, in most cases an intangible asset, worth that much?
I read an interesting study recently which helps to answer that question:
Coke and Pepsi are great rivals. When people drink Coke and Pepsi blind i.e. they can’t see their labels, 51% preferred Pepsi whilst only 44% preferred Coke (5% had no preference). However when consumers can see the labels only 23% prefer Pepsi and 65% prefer Coke.
Looking at this from the view of shareholders, in 2008 Coke’s revenues were $32bn, whilst Pepsi’s were $43bn, however analysts and investors have more confidence in Coke valuing the company at $112bn compared to Pepsi’s $83bn.
This is all down to the brand, Coke doesn’t sell fizzy water, as their website states: Coke ‘exists to benefit and refresh everyone it touches’.
