It starts with an idea of a company encapsulated in a single word and image: The company logo. However, it shouldn’t end there. Brand development is a lifetime proposition that needs to be constantly expanded to promote brand awareness. It may start out with a company logo, but it will eventually expand as new technologies are engaged, like social networking and online videos. In many ways, today’s small business has more tools than ever to continue to develop their brands, not just in their own backyards, but world-wide too.
Nail the Message Down
When you start to develop a brand, you want it to be so elegant that it conveys the message that you want in the least amount of words. Some brands are so recognizable that they don’t even use words, just icons. Typically, the message indicates something about the company’s products, the quality of its service, and/or some quality it wants to emphasize. For instance, if you want to emphasize speedy delivery, then your images would tend to deal with design elements that suggest forward motion at a good clip, like an arrow in flight. After you have the design elements completed, it’s time to promote the brand.
Brand Development and Promotion
Brand promotion is a form of brand development. The more you use a brand, the stronger it is associated with your company’s products or services. In essence, it is your trademark that must be used to gain public acceptance and legal protections. You don’t want to let others water down your brand by misusing it either. If anyone is going to be doing the brand promotion, it should be you. Here are a couple ways to do that online:
• Social Networking – You can use a Facebook Page or Twitter account to create more brand exposure. It will reach a ready audience of millions of users online and can direct them back to your business pages. It will not only reinforce the brand name in the public’s mind, but it’s useful for marketing purposes.
• Video Marketing – Video marketing is well-suited to brand development and promotion. You can create small introductory videos that can use logos in first and last screen and associate it with your company website. It can even be a way to get your brand to go viral.
