BRAND BUILDING INSIGHTS FOR AMPLIFYING GROWTH

Understanding your customer at an emotional, human level will pay dividends. What's the easiest way to establish a meaningful connection with people? It's truly knowing your audience so that you can tailor your solutions to resolve problems and provide value, both consciously and subconsciously. When trying to build the connection, first consider who you’re really trying to reach. ​​Who has a problem that you think you could solve? Who shares similar passions to your own? Le

75% of people check out a brand by visiting its website.* How is that for a reason? You only have that one chance to make a first impression and your website is most often it. Customers are looking to see not just your product, but if you, as a brand, are a match with their needs and values. This is your chance to help them understand your purpose and the “why” behind what you do. A good website tells customers what you do, a great website helps them understand why you do it

Logos Leave Their Mark. Your logo is often the first thing a customer notices about your brand. Are you making sure they remember your mark? Why did you choose the logo? Did you like it personally or was it designed for your customer to know something about you? Having a meaningful logo can immediately set you apart from the competition. While it seems like a small piece to the puzzle, having a powerful logo can last a lifetime and be synonymous with your brand’s values. What

What Brand Building Strategies Are Relevant for Nonprofit Organizations? Brand building includes the activities associated with establishing and promoting a brand and it’s not just something for the for-profit world. The same strategies apply to nonprofits, no matter the organization’s size, budget, or audience they serve. A well-developed brand can support and amplify the organization’s mission and raise resources, from fundraising, to gaining new volunteers and members. To

How are you leveraging your brand to connect? On average, “it takes five to seven times for people to remember a brand” according to SmallBiz Genius. When considering those five chances, what stands out about the way your brand engages that makes it a truly memorable experience for your audience? Building an Emotional Connection As we mentioned in our article “Is Your Brand Holding Your Business Back?”, we discuss the importance of personifying your brand and engaging with p

What are you doing to make sure that your audience is receiving your brand in the way you intend? When you think about the most popular brands that we are exposed to today, what brands come to mind? Starbucks, Amazon, Apple, are often the first mention because of their ubiquity. How do they achieve this dominant share of mind? By continually developing their brand equity. Brand equity is a combination of the associations attributed to your business and the monetary metric of

Does your brand help or hinder your business growth? If you aren’t sure, you may not be realizing its full potential. Running a business and maintaining a brand image are two very different things, yet they are both important to success. A strong brand drives business performance, company culture, and customer experience while also increasing both top and bottom line growth. According to Chris Kocek, Founder and CEO of Gallant, “a business becomes a brand when it transcends i

"How much user-generated content is acceptable until the customer may be driving the brand?" This provocative question came up in one of our Brand Building Webinars while discussing how the digital age has enabled customers to be in the driver's seat when it comes to content creation. While many success cases show how user-generated content (UGC) can build credibility and trust for a brand, leveraging this content wisely is key to maintaining control. We found these two arti

Determining the value of a brand is both an art and a science. Meaning, it's important to look at tangible and intangible metrics. While calculating value from a financial standpoint is the end goal, it's important to consider the perception of your brand and its strength relative to others to provide a holistic perspective. You can inform your process with data gathered through quantitative and qualitative methods or if budgets are tight, there's always the back of the en

"Are building a brand and writing your company story two subjects that go together?" Absolutely. In fact, all of the foundational elements of your brand strategy - target audience, purpose, positioning, point of difference, personality and values - inspire your story. And language from these elements should be weaved throughout. ​ How do you craft this narrative? First and foremost, it’s important to reframe how you think about this copy. Your story is much more than just a h