Each and every day this week, we are answering frequently asked questions people have about their brands… (Branding FAQs.)
Today’s question is…
Question – 4
Creating a brand is obviously an important part of business so how much should I spend on my brand?
Our Answer
Ha ha, one of our favourite questions – just like the chicken and egg conversation – what comes first a budget or a price?
We usually like to get things moving at the loft so we give costings pretty quickly after an initial enquiry. In all honesty, branding work can range from the hundreds to the thousands of pounds and much more for larger companies. There are also providers at all ends of the spectrum so there are no limits to what can be spent.
However, creating a brand should not be expensive. A lot of the character of a great brand comes from the culture of the company. The experience your customers or staff have on a daily basis – how people are greeted, how durable is the product or service itself, the quality of the after-sales process, does the company follow up well if there is a problem, etc, etc.
Each of these brilliant basics are just as impactful as great brand/marketing communications and they are completely free.
With regards to how much you should spend?
Spend whatever you are comfortable spending. You’ll know deep down how much certain things should cost and what your own budget is.
As mentioned above, you’ll find providers at all ends of the spectrum, don’t risk too much on an isolated project and look to capitalise on those moves that are delivering you results – be it a social campaign, regular website updates or some kind of video podcast, etc..
That way, a truly exceptional ROI is there for the taking.
As always, if you’d like some more information or ideas, please don’t hesitate to contact us…
Benedetto
Benedetto is an enthusiastic creative and business person.
His journey has taken him from a career in car design through to his current role as the Founder of the loft.
He is honoured to manage a great team, work with great clients and have a lot of fun mixing with so many great people in business.
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Branding FAQ’s (Previous Questions…)
Yes, we are frequently asked questions on branding, website design, social media communications, etc – all the ins and outs of this wonderfully interesting subject – so we thought we’d wrap up some of the answers we generally give into a series of short posts.
These are our Branding FAQs.
Here goes…
Question – 1
We know branding is important, we hear about it a lot, we want to create a stronger brand and presence for our organisation but we just have no idea where to begin.
With Branding, Where Do I Start?
Our Answer
What a great question!
Start by working out what you want to do with your business first. Let your brand serve your business and not the other way around…
What do you want your business to achieve? More sales from existing clients? Attraction of new customers? Attraction of staff members? Improved reputation in the marketplace? Improved perceived value of your products/services? Something else?
The clearer you can be with the desired outcomes, the easier it will be to create ideas that boost your business and therefore your brand. You will also be in a position to give a much clearer brief to your creative/marketing agency and therefore help them more to help you.
To give a little more context, here are a few real-life examples, from clients we’ve helped in the past.
A software company we worked with for many years was able to increase their sales with existing customers by sending out short little E-mail shots introducing them to new features of the software they were already using. By helping their operators to use their existing packages better, more people in the office started to use their software and licenses-per-customer increased significantly.
We’ve worked with countless companies and been able to help them attract new customers with just a few simple updates to their website. Small additions such as good testimonials on the home-page, less burdensome enquiry forms and a clear telephone number somewhere visible on the site. Each of these micro-details helping to transform the number of enquiries and therefore number of new customers gained by our client.
Finally, we’ve been able to help several manufacturing companies increase the perceived value of their products by simply creating and sharing high-quality, effective art-directed photography of their products. Photography which showcases their products in their best lights, being used by customers and presented in an eye-catching and seductive way. All factors which help increase the average sale value, particularly from new customers for those manufacturing companies.
Once clear on the outcome – the answers can be incredibly imaginative – sales promotions, small product giveaways, E-Books, parts of an E-Book, simple website updates, social campaigns, case-studies, bespoke newspapers, etc, etc…
At the loft, we always believe in spending a little more time in defining the end-outcome, keeping the solution light and manageable, then creating something which is easily repeatable once successful.
Helping business owners and organisation leaders to create stronger, more effective and commercially viable brands.
Question – 2
How do I make my brand stand out from the crowd?
Our Answer
Another great question and one with a bit of a historical context. The whole concept of branding was created by farmers branding their cattle to show ownership and to distinguish them from the others. In time, the profession has evolved, but the idea of differentiating your product, service or company remains the same.
The best way to help your brand stand out is to work out what is special about your product/service/organisation and celebrate that difference in the most effective way possible using all possible marketing channels.
If you’re a printer that is always on hand for clients with last-minute deadlines – find ways to communicate and celebrate your accessibility.
If you’re an accountancy firm with sector-specific expertise in one area – consider ways to celebrate this enhanced wisdom and knowledge.
If you’re an online retailer that sells rare and ‘hard to find collectable’ products – then this is the perfect place to start when crafting your message.
If yours struggling for answers for this one – ask your customers/staff or write a list – going on a journey of discovery about what is great about your own products, service, company, organisation or brand is great fun.
Question – 3
I keep hearing about Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, etc, etc. How can these help me to build my brand. Where does social media fit in?
Our Answer
Another Great Question!!
All these channels are brilliant for giving you the opportunity to show off your brand to lots of new people as well as communicate with people you already know. As well as basic products and services, you can show off more of who you are, what you do and how you do it. All great mini brand-builders.
The options with social are endless – present a little bit about your team-members, showcase different ways people use your products, communicate which social causes you support, share customer testimonials, fun pics of the office, name-check people you are working with, etc…
Whether it is words, pictures or video – each and every interaction gives you the opportunity of another positive engagement with your customers, staff and others too – helping you to build and strengthen the way people perceive your brand.
As always, if you’d like some ideas in how to put this into practice, please don’t hesitate to contact us…
Benedetto
