Brand is a business tool

Brand is a really valuable business tool, but so often it's overlooked by companies. I think the reason for this is that you can't see it, or touch it. Yes, you can see a logo (but a logo's not a brand). Yes, you can touch a product, or the staff delivering a service (but not every business considers their product or staff as part of the brand).

Brand is seen as something etherial, something intangible. But this video that I came across last week has a different perspective. It's looking at the role of design in innovation, and arguing the business case. There are some interesting ideas to consider...

Design's Role in Innovation from Design Council on Vimeo.

Now, design is not brand, if you're thinking of design as creating a new logo, for example. But if you think of design as fundamental to creating the structure of a business, to giving meaning to the products and services on offer, to the strategy of a business, then that's a very different proposition. It that instance I think the word design and the word brand are interchangeable.

So, with that in mind, here are the three things that stuck out for me:
The origin of the word 'design'. From the Latin 'designare' - to designate. To give things meaning. If you think of your logo, and the other elements of your visual identity, they are all there to give meaning to your company. To be more than just colours, shapes and words. To make your company more than just a provider of a product or service... So do they? What is the meaning behind your business? Or are you just a provider of a product or service?

Design (brand) is about giving people what they need whether or not they know they need it. Brand isn't always about answering questions. Sometimes it's about asking them. Why don't you do it this way? How useful would it be to have this product? Just look at Apple. They've built an empire on giving consumers what they need, not asking them what they want. They've developed a loyal customer base by focusing on customer needs. So look at your customers. Do you give them what they need? Or do you just give them what they want?

The storm is the time to fish. I love this Inuit proverb! When the environment is at it's worst it's very tempting to stay somewhere safe and familiar. But the opportunities are still out there, if you want them. Harder to get to, certainly. But they're still there, and there's probably less competition to catch them. So what are you going to do? Jump in your canoe, brave the icy waves and going looking for the fish? Or stay somewhere comfortable and hope the fish come to you?


So when you look at your business and your brand do you see something tangible? Does your brand make a positive impact on your bottom line every month? Or is it just a logo on your business card? Or some ideas bouncing round your head?

Like Minds. Brand lesson #2: Loyalty

One of the great benefits of the Like Minds conference is the fact that they use every opportunity to add value to your attendance. A great example is the Lunch Time Talks; you get to spend lunch time with someone who knows an awful lot about a specific subject. At the October event I took the opportunity to have lunch with Robert Clay.

Robert helps businesses to be market leaders in their sector, and lets face it, what business-owner wouldn't appreciate some expert advice on how to achieve that? The lesson Robert shared with us over lunch was this:

There are three ways to grow a business:
• Get more new customers
• Get existing customers to buy more often
• Get existing customers to buy higher value products or services

A great lesson for any business to take on board, but from a brand perspective it's really fascinating. A lot of people struggle to understand, or articulate, the value of brand to a business. Robert Clay gave us three. Your brand is integral to each of those strategies listed above, and arguably any decent brand communication strategy should really be working on all three.

But I just want to look briefly at the last two - how to nurture loyalty in existing customers - because that's the key to influence their behaviour. Loyalty is the result of developing strong relationships with your customers, relationships built on trust and honesty. If you deliver what you promise to your customers, they will be loyal to you, because they trust you.

At the heart of this relationship is the personality of your business - your brand - the culture and values that your promise to your customers is built on. For your personality to add maximum value to your business it should tell your customers four things:
• Who you are
Typically through your visual identity (logo, colours etc.)
• What you do
Not the products and services you offer, but the benefit of them to your customer
• How you do it
The way you deliver the benefits. Often reflected in your values.
• Where you are going
If they buy from you, how will make their life/business better? Where will you take them?

If you can achieve this, you're well on your way to developing a loyal customer base. And a loyal customer base will give you the opportunity to put Robert's strategies into practice, and realise the value of brand to your business.

If you'd like to learn more about your brand and how it could help to grow your business, you might be interested in the free seminar's we're running in December and January. If you'd prefer to have a chat call 01392 248107 or email jonathan@alderandalder.co.uk