Branding: Why is it important to differentiate yourself?

In an increasingly competitive world, it is no longer enough to stand out through the quality of your products or services.

A client faced with a multitude of choices will tend to favor companies with which he will develop an emotional connection. This attachment can be visual, through a brand universe that appeals to the consumer, or on the contrary of a service order, when the consumer feels appreciated, supported and understood. This perception that the customer has about a company is made possible by what is called branding, that is to say, the image that the brand sends to the general public. Let’s see how this is an important concept of any business at each phase of its life cycle.

The importance of a strong image

A brand image is defined by a company, that is to say, that the company sets its objectives that it wishes to convey to its audience. Staying in the minds of consumers is a major challenge for brands in order to increase their reputation. Once the name is well acquired, it is easy to attract customers to you. But we must keep in mind that the brand image is perceived by the public, in other words, it creates an image at every given moment in the target population. Each person has their own perception of branding. Also for some, Nike is seen as a brand helping professional or amateur athletes to push their limits with foolproof material. For others, Nike is a profitable company that has made it through mass production and the use of cheap labor.

How to improve your brand image?

The first step is to study your target in order to meet its specific needs (needs that have been defined in Maslow’s pyramid of needs).

The second step is to create the message you want to convey to this target, through story-telling. The last step is to define a design and coherent content to convey our message. It is at this last stage that we speak of inbound marketing, aimed at attracting customers. All media can be used for inbound marketing, as long as they consistently convey the message and design that have been defined beforehand. This can take the form of a website, blog, newspaper articles, print, flyers, screen printed sweatshirt with the image of the brand to be worn by its employees or given as gifts, or accessories to distribute to its customers such as a promotional pen.

Putting the customer at the centre

Keeping your customers satisfied is more strategic these days than finding a new customer. Because it is cheaper, and also because the satisfied customer can increase your turnover by buying your products or services in the long term, and by recommending their family and friends. You must have bought something because someone recommended it to you. Has a friend told you about his car, or his electronic equipment, thus making you want to trust him and consider the brand in question in your buying process? This explains why companies are working day and night to build a good brand name.