How to build a brand that grows your sales

 

Although most businessesunderstand the long-term value of building a brand, sometimes they overlook the value they play in growing sales immediately!The tendency is to rush into direct selling or paid advertising without properly capitalising on the value of their brand, its messaging, its personality, and itsappeal.

The proof.

In March 1978 the Conservatives hired Saatchi and Saatchi to produce their campaign for the general election with a dramatic effect. The now infamous image of queues of unemployed workers under the heading ‘Labour isn’t working’ connected with the voting population and influenced the outcome of the election giving the Conservatives a 44 seat Majority. The impact was massive and instant.

And it’s not all politics!

Closer to home there are numerous other examples of insight led branding boosting sales for businesses…

Burberry add some Potter Magic!

After dramatic growth in the late 90s/early 00s fashion brand Burberry fell victim to what they called ‘chav culture’ which tarnished its iconic status. But the British luxury fashion brand underwent a transformative rebranding in 2009, which restored its prestigious image. The brand enlisted Emma Watson, star of the Harry Potter films, as the face of its autumn/winter campaign. Watson’s sophisticated image, captured in classic trench coats, perfectly embodied Burberry’s quintessential British style. The campaign was a resounding success. Burberry’s revenue soared to over £1 billion, shedding its previous negative image and cementing its place in luxury fashion once again.

COOP back to basics 2018

The Co-op’s 2016 rebrand was pivotal in saving the organisation from collapse after its banking division suffered a £1.5 billion loss and leadership scandals damaged its reputation. New leadership cut ties with the troubled banking sector and refocused on the Co-op’s original mission of supporting members and local communities. A refreshed business plan offered greater rewards to members and directed proceeds to community causes. The rebrand also introduced a modernised version of the 1968 cloverleaf logo, emphasizing blue for compassion and sincerity. By 2017, The Co-op saw profit, distributing millions in rewards and community contributions, with membership growing by 15%.

Now both of these businesses had £ millions to throw at repositioning their businesses but it’s clear from our experience that good branding gives some specific benefits:

• Visual standout and impact in a crowded, competitive market.
• Develop a unique personality and make a connection with your customers.
• Improving the efficiency of your marketing channels with consistent visuals and messaging through all your touchpoints.

And it’s just as true for Start-ups and SMEs as Blue-Chip businesses, we’ve had the same experience with businesses with a turnover from £1 to £80 million and the process is pretty straight forward.

1. Find out what your customers want.
2. Present your brand as THE solution.
3. Ensure your messaging and creative engages with your customers instantly.
4. Use your unique offering, tone of voice and creative to distance your business from the competition.
5. Use your new messaging consistently across everything from the scripts your sales team use, the banner on your website and all of your marketing channels.

And, with the trackability of digital marketing, it’s clear that good branding provides a proven positive impact on your sales in the short AND long term. In fact through more trackable digital channels we tend to see customer engagement and how likely your customers are to buy your product increase by up to 3.5 times through:

• Improved click through rates from your emails, display and PPC advertising.
• Better conversion rates on your website.
• Higher engagement rates through social media that supports your new brand idea.

Or as one of our performance marketing associates puts it:

Investment into Brand activity is often pushed to the side in favour of the instant hit that comes with Direct Response, despite studies consistently showing that those who invest in Brand emerge stronger from economic downturns. A clear and consistent brand story fosters customer loyalty and trust, leading to organic growth and amplifying the impact of other marketing efforts. This translates to an incremental uplift in overall sales or lead performance, taking it out of the silos that channels such as paid advertising can, rather appealingly, create.

Jo Phillips, JOG ON Digital.

Should I re brand?

Now, if our brief is to grow sales fast I wouldn’t immediately suggest a rebrand. Focusing on your existing customers, maximising high converting channels like email or paid social, building a pipeline and direct selling would be our first recommendations but often one of the following becomes clear.

1. Messaging does not clearly describe the product or service accurately or with clarity.
2. Customer benefits are not communicated, and customers are left asking ‘what’s in it for me?’
3. The brand looks exactly the same as every other business in the sector.
4. The look, feel, language and messaging are unappealing, alienating and inconsistent.

This can come out of customer research but often just sitting down with the owner, asking what makes their business better than everyone else then reviewing the website, advertising and messaging, reveals an instant disconnect.

The brand and its communication bear no resemblance to the owner’s vision and experience of why their customers buy the brand. If this is the case, updating your brand can become your priority.

“Long gone are the days where we can expect a single click on an ad to lead directly to a sale/enquiry. Today, potential customers browse longer, compare widely, and revisit you and your competitor websites numerous times before they decide. Your brand is the key to deepening your conversations with your potential customers post their first click on your webpages. Good branding answers the key digital question of why customers should choose you above the other options they find online.”

Phil Byrne, owner, Positive Sparks.

Of course, strong brand also comes with the other tangible benefits that are hard to ignore, particularly to make your business attractive to customers, employees, and all stakeholders.

Creative Partner, Bill Walsh, says, “Successful organisations understand good branding offers benefits that reach far beyond the notion of having a recognisable logo. Branding plays a key role in everything from customer loyalty to employee motivation, to corporate ambition,  building a personality and set of values that define every aspect of the customer experience, and therefore contribute greatly to satisfaction and engagement.’

So, what next?

Ask yourselves these questions:

Instinctively how does your brand make you feel? Excited? Concerned? or just ‘Meh’?

What do your customers need, and how do you feel you solve it better than your competitors? Why do people choose you? Is this clearly communicated in your messaging?

Think about your people, how you run your business and the conversations you have with your customers, is this reflected in your tone of voice?

Take a look at how you are presented, is it different to your competitors or does it all look the same?

We’ve had experience in using branding to help big businesses from Pepsi to Starbucks and SMEs from Shoe Manufacturers to Estate Agents to grow using rebranding, so, if your answers to any of these questions make you feel nervous, and you’re interested in building your brand ‘muscle’ and increasing your sales, feel free to drop me a line at tim@mightyatoms.com