Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Defining Your Brand

This week we welcome Ed Roach, The Branding Expert, as our Guest Blogger.

Has your competition ever accurately described what you do to a potential customer? My guess is not so much. Most promotional activity among small businesses in my experience does little to define a brand but does plenty selling clever slogans, flashy images, real estate and special offers. 

To ignore your brand position is to deny yourself the corner of your customer's mind that tells them why you are the go to people for what they are looking for. Without a defining brand position you are among the gray matter all of your competitors are fighting for. The quick fix, the sound bite, the mediocre message, the viral anything that everybody in your category embraces.

A competitor can only define an opposing brand when that opposing brand denies themselves the opportunity. Most brand positions when done correctly puts a brand out on a limb. The differentiation is clear and often intimidating to a competitor. 

Your goal in positioning is to resonate with your audience. First you must discover why they love you, then deliver a position that compliments what they love, builds on it and surpasses it. Positioning is not a slogan, it's a promise to deliver and if you're good at it - over-deliver.

Guest Blog Post
Ed Roach
The Branding Expert
Author of 101 Branding Tips
ed@thebrandingexperts.ca

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