Adrift in a sea of options? Choose wisely! Here’s how to create and establish your unique brand without falling victim to the most common pitfalls.
Like it or not, we are a nation driven by brands. They affect where we spend our money and what we want to purchase, be it clothes, cars, or even hospitals. Brand and identity are what drive consumers to an organization or individual.
A brand conveys the first impression, and in business, first impressions always count. The tone of your brand is a tell-all of your business’s personality, whether it’s fun, quirky, or professional.
“A brand conveys the first impression, and in business, first impressions always count.”
Here are some guidelines to finding the right brand for your business.
Brainstorm! Don’t opt for the obvious, or for the first name that pops into your mind. Do a lot of brainstorming. The key to brainstorming is simple: everything goes! Don’t be too critical, and don’t cross anything out. Let your ideas flow, and you’ll be surprised at what you come up with. A storm of thoughts is what you are looking for, so listen to some music, or sit with friends you know will get your creative juices flowing.
Research your brand name. Make sure it doesn’t mean anything offensive in other languages, or worse, portray an exact replica of another global brand (we see a lot of those here, unfortunately). Look it up on Wikipedia, Google it, search the heck out of it – make sure it means well across different languages. Who knows what your future holds – it might be a franchisable business, and you want to make sure you are aligned with the right name.
Test your brand name, create a survey, send it to your friends, and let them forward it around (online surveys work best). Though surveys tend to be resisted in this part of the world, they are a great way to get quick results. You can do a quick dip-stick test to see how people perceive your brand name: is it forgettable? Easy to remember? What are the first three words that pop into their minds when they hear or see the name? The results will be mind-blowing – trust me. To get inside the minds of people and find out exactly what they like (and why) elicits information you cannot put a price on. Market research is growing in this part of the world, believe it or not (according to world-renowned research agency Ipsos), so trust the experts and use this important tool.
When choosing a brand name, please make sure it’s smart. None of those annoying, cute names that make you smile for one minute, then cause you to regret it for the rest of your business life. Katkoot is an example. Also, ‘personal’ names that make no sense other than to the owner are not a good idea. They mean nothing to the most important person of all – the customer.
Invest in the brand. You are not a brand designer, so don’t pretend to be one (if you are, then this doesn’t apply to you.) They are the experts, so let them do their job, even for a fee. Alternatively, if you have a bigger budget, go for an agency. Let them do what they do best. It doesn’t even have to be local; the online world has a vast sea of options, and you can pick and choose according to your budget. You can find someone to do this for you for $100 or $10,000, but do leave it to the experts.
“You are not a brand designer, so don’t pretend to be one.”
Choose the right brand color. There are so many articles online with tips about what each color can do for your brand. See what works for you and your vision, and go for it. This is important when you brief the designer or agency.
Do the paperwork: trademark it, and make it your own so that your investment (time, energy and money) does not go to waste. There are several options for applying for a trademark. Find the one that suits you best. This may not necessarily be something you should do from the very beginning, but do keep it in mind as you (fingers crossed) expand.
Once you have your brand established, respect it. Use it wisely, use it consistently, believe in it, and represent it. It needs to be consistently seen throughout your business, both physically and online. It must be felt by customers as they walk in, and referred to by your fans.
