The sad fact is that many business owners do not prioritize branding when they comes to the investments make into their company. Instead many business owners tend to focus on the advertising aspect without always understanding that there is difference between the two. Advertising is simply what you do to make people buy your product or service and bring in money. If you are selling cakes, for example, with proper advertising you should be able to get people to buy your cakes within the week or month of your advertising campaign however, someone that is celebrating their birthday many months later may not remember your advertising or your cakes when their birthday does come around but with proper branding strategy you are likely to have the same person remember your brand and your cake many months later and come back to your company without even having to be reminded with a brand new advertisement. If you take the brand Starbucks for example you will realize that people go to Starbucks with friends because of how the coffee shop and the brand makes him feel rather than for the coffee itself. If a person simply wanted coffee, they would be able to make a coffee for themselves at home for a fraction of the cost and yet people choose to spend many times that amount to have a coffee at Starbucks simply because of how the branding has been done and the brand is being position in the customers mind. When you think of Starbucks, the chances are that the first thing you think about is the atmosphere, the beautifully done decor, the comforting aroma of coffee, the dim lights and the cozy seating but surprisingly having a coffee itself may not be one of the first thing that you think about when you think of Starbucks. It is similar with brands such as McDonalds, Burger King and many other fast food joints that have convinced you to come to the store and spend your money on a product that is not even that great and yet many customers keep coming back due to successful branding.
Keeping your brand fresh in the minds of your customers and potential customers
It is important for you to always keep your brand and your logo fresh in your customers and potential customers minds so that they do not forget your brand at any point and also because you want them to remember your brand and your business if ever they have the need for the product that you offer. You can achieve this by having promotional merchandise suppliers supply you with a range of products and items that are branded with your logo and branding that you can give out to your customers as well as your potential customers.
Promotional products can include branded T shirts, branded caps or even higher end items such as shoes which your customer will use often and therefore see you’re branding often.You can also choose to have a database of all of your best customers and send them small gifts for their birthdays and other special occasions. This can be a very small gesture and yet it can mean a lot to your customer. This gesture alone can have your customers choosing your brand above another similar competing brand.