The state of the world today with the Covid19 pandemic and anti-racist movements has shown us why positive branding is necessary for the success of any business. Today, businesses and brands aren’t just restricted to offering excellent services anymore; they’re obligated to offer actual values that are aligned to the thoughts and beliefs of their customers, instead of introducing minor changes to soothe their customers.
Besides the fact that brands like Trader Joes, Plantation Rum, and Aunt Jemima now share a similarity being that they’ve come under fire for neglecting, supporting, or taking advantage of racial segregation in the society, they’re also in need of positive branding.
Understanding what positive branding is, the activities involved and how it works would give you a simple pattern to work with as you implement these steps in your business.
A Look into Positive Branding
Establishing a positive brand is an ongoing process and something your business should strive to achieve immediately after you’ve completed your branding process. The last thing your business needs is to cast a negative image in the minds of your customers.
Now, understand that possessing a positive brand simply means your business has a great reputation, and customers love your business for what it stands for, the value it provides, and how it has made their lives easier.
Remember, a positive brand is not given, it’s earned and built through consistent business-customer satisfaction in the several fields listed below:
- Delivering great value to your customers.
- Having a powerful social media marketing strategy.
- Volunteering and making donations to public causes.
- Keeping all your online platforms up to date.
- Having a great customer support system.
- Maintaining open lines of communication with your customers.
- Addressing Bad PR quickly and carefully.
That said, customers should not see your brand as another tech startup or another restaurant, they should view it at something worth supporting. Your brand should communicate a positive vibe whenever customers talk about it. It should stand out from the crowd through exceptional service.
Credibility and Positive Branding in Uncertain Times
We’ve all been hit-hard by the pandemic, and if you’re a business owner in the US, then the anti-racist movement must have affected you. Having a positive brand can save your business and help it grow even stronger amidst the uncertain times, because why businesses with bad PR struggle to survive, your brand would grow stronger.
We strongly believe that the credibility of your brand is one of the key factors that get to determine how well your business performs under troubling circumstances, because your customer’s faith in the position, and values of your brand could be the protective shield you need.
All positive brands are credible brands.
If your brand’s just starting and you’re not quite sure how to build its credibility, then it’s necessary that you keep an eye for these:
- Have confidence in the success of your brand.
- Pay close attention to the needs of your customers and team members.
- Offer excellent services.
- Be completely honest and transparent to everyone in your team.
- Set reasonable goals and commit to reaching them.
- Appreciate your staff and customers.
- Ask your clients for feedback and testimonials.
- Partner with bigger companies.
The credibility of your business is very fragile at the early stages, so avoid certain words and actions that may limit or erode your brand’s budding credibility.
Necessary Factors to Consider Before Building a Positive Brand
Before setting out to build your brand’s credibility, make sure you’ve got the following items right, because they can either make the process faster or break your brand’s chances at success.
Brand Name
The very first thing to consider is your brand’s name. Making a great first impression with the name of your brand would go a long way in building the success your brand needs. You don’t want embarrassing names that’d throw your customers off, but catchy, memorable names that’d not only win their attention but trigger the curiosity of your customers. In other words, your business needs a powerful brand name.
The best brand name for your business would capture the core values and uniqueness of your business, and would go a long way in giving it a head-start in the corporate world.
Brand Logo
Having a brand logo makes it easier for customers to identify your products from a bunch of other competitors. Thanks to Apple’s iconic logo, anyone can easily identify Apple’s MacBook from a bunch of other laptops.
When choosing the best logo for your brand, pay close attention to color, color-variation and color-combination. Choose colors that suit your brand image because colors are effective in communicating emotions.
So, a startup interested in communicating their brand’s passion and commitments in helping customers meet their needs would do well with having the color orange in its logo. A simple look at the logos of successful brands like MasterCard, Harley-Davidson, Nickelodeon, and Fanta, and you’d get a clear picture of why the color was used.
Finally
These same steps required in positively branding a new startup could also apply to bigger companies that might experience a negative backlash from their customers.