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Start-ups and small companies ask the
same questions when they first contemplate a formal
marketing program: Do we need a brand yet? Can we even
have a brand when we are this small? How do we build a
brand from the ground up?
The answer is, no, you don't need
a brand, generic foods get just as much shelf space as
Coca-Cola. But you should want a brand
for your company.
When I work with companies that
are in the preproduct, venture-capital phase, I
encourage them to define a working brand from day one. I
do this because a brand definition at early stages can
communicate that you want to build customer loyalty, not
just sell. It demonstrates that you are serious about
marketing, and that you intend to be around for awhile.
Internally, it articulates your company's value and
explains why you're in the market. These are important
messages to your employees, customers, and investors.
Developing a Brand
A brand is a strong, consistent
message about the value of your company. You control the
message through marketing, advertising, customer
service, and all interaction between your company and
the market.
You don't need to be as large as
Coca-Cola to have a brand. Building a brand involves the
same process, whether your company is two weeks or two
years old, whether you have 100 employees or none. Here
is how a brand typically develops:
Define the message.
What is valuable about your company? Why do your
customers care? What's so different about your company?
The answers to these questions should form the core
statement about your company's service, product,
relationships, and culture: You are faster and have
better service (Federal Express). You have unrelenting,
perfect customer care (Nordstrom). Your products are
edgy, new, independent, high-performance (Nike).
Build the image.
How does this translate to your overall image? Both
visually and verbally, you need to consistently
communicate the company's message about its value.
Market the image.
How can you aggressively get the word out? The message
means nothing until your market hears it. Your marketing
and advertising campaigns need to communicate the
company's value and establish its image.
Live the message.
Is the message real? Does the customer agree with you?
Here comes the tricky, long-term part: You need to
deliver on the implied promise. The customer's
experience must match the image, or the whole house of
cards crashes. If you market your company as faster and
better but the customer disagrees, the brand suffers.
In reality, this process is not
linear, but circular. Your brand will evolve in response
to the customer and the evolution of your market and
products. For example, if you have a small business or
start-up, you may believe that the value of your product
and company lies in one area. As you market your company
and product, your customers may communicate that they
value something else. Then your product and company may
evolve toward that new value, bringing you to new
markets.
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