We provide a lot of promotional items and promotional gifts for businesses in Perth and its suburbs. We are often asked why businesses buy these items, and what good it does them. We have talked about the benefits of giving away promotional items with your company logo on numerous occasions, but today we would like to back up a bit and take a look at the big picture.
The benefits and efficacy of promotional giveaways are well-documented. People remember the brand names of businesses that give them promotional items more often than those who just use traditional means of advertising, such as TV, radio, magazine, and newspaper ads. Ultimately, what businesses are doing with promotional gifts is building their brand.
So, what elements define a company’s brand? Some that come to mind are your company name, your company logo, or colours that are associated with your brand. Savvy marketers often find ways to make sounds and even smells a part of their brand.
However, there is more to branding than just the senses. An effective brand brings emotions into play. It is often said by savvy marketers that prospects say “no” with their heads, but they say “yes” with their hearts.
Effective branding combines senses with emotions: effective images linked to positive outcomes that elicit strong emotions. These outcomes or benefits can be concepts such as safety, protection, achievement, admiration, the feeling that the product will definitely solve a problem, and the biggest seller of all: sexual attractiveness.
So, how do you develop a brand? First, you need to figure out exactly what you want to convey. Write a mission statement. List the features and benefits of your service or product. What is the first emotion you want to come to mind when a prospect hears your company’s name? What kind of image do you want to project? What innate qualities do you want people to connect with your brand?
Who is your target customer? What do they think about? What are their habits? What hasn’t worked for them? What do they want? How can your company provide it for them? What is their biggest problem? How can your company solve it for them?
You have to go past the old adage of putting yourself in their shoes; you have to put yourself into their heads. Once you have figured out what you want to create in a brand, you are halfway there. Failure to take any of these factors into consideration can relegate your brand to being ordinary. In today’s business climate, “ordinary” simply won’t get you where you want to go.
After you have done all of your homework, and have decided exactly what you want to convey to the public, it is time to go about getting your message out to the public. Here are some elements that we see as essential to successfully creating and marketing a strong brand.
Your Logo
You may or may not be visual, but most people are very visual. Your logo needs to be great. It should be distinctive, eye-catching, and transmit a positive emotion to associate with your brand on the first look. Anything less makes you “one of the guys.” This is great at a pub, but suicide in business.
Your Message
Write down everything you want to communicate about your brand. Then, figure out how to convey it simply and effectively, with no window dressing. The less words you can use, the easier it is to remember, and the more impact it will have.
Brand Integration
Your brand must be a part of everything your business does. From the owner down to an entry-level employee, your message needs to be a part of everything you do. This extends to uniforms, the way you answer the phone, the signature on your email, and even your appearance and habits outside of work.
Your “Voice”
Your company’s voice must reflect your brand. It should be a part of all communication: written, visual, and oral, in person or online. Is your brand formal, requiring a more refined style of communication, or casual, which allows a more friendly style? Match your voice with your mission.
Your Tagline
This can be a full statement or a slogan, but it must clearly and concisely convey what makes your brand unique and authentic. We prefer a slogan, because it is more memorable.
Consistency
Everything, from your colours to your logo to your slogan to your communication, must be consistent, and it must be true to your company’s ethos.
Promotional Items and Gifts
Promotional items and gifts can be customised with your logo, brand name, and slogan. Call (08) 92444 111 today.