Business branding is about more than having an eye-catching logo or memorable slogan. It requires you to also create an overall image for your company that sticks in people’s minds and consistently and clearly communicates the value of your services or products.

Successful branding helps you rise above the competition, acquire qualified clients, build credibility, and strengthen customer loyalty. Because of how important successful branding is for a business, it cannot be thrown together haphazardly. Your company must deliberately develop and maintain it. 

The question is, how do you know if you are successful at business branding?

The Evidence of Successful Branding

There are numerous metrics you can use to gauge whether your company has achieved successful branding. Here are six of the most important and universal signs to look for:

1. Recall

When it comes to business branding, you must keep your company top of mind for your target audience. When people encounter your brand for the first time, they may or may not be in immediate need of what you have to offer. The goal behind recall is to create a brand that people remember when they eventually do require products or services such as yours. You can measure if your brand is successful by whether you are easily and frequently recalled, and then revisited, by customers.

2. Consistency

Another key to successful branding is consistency. Your brand has a unique value and every image, piece of content, and advertisement should reinforce it. It doesn’t matter whether customers are interacting with your brand on your website, social media, or in person. Across channels, your brand should look and feel the same. Consistency also applies to your level of customer service. Customers often don’t remember specific employees or channels when discussing a specific interaction. If it was negative, they’ll simply associate that experience with your overall brand.

3. Distinction

Your company offers something unique to customers – otherwise, you wouldn’t exist. A sign of successful business branding, however, is whether you’re communicating that distinction with a memorable brand identity that sets you apart from the competition. A few ways to build distinction into your marketing strategy include:

• Reinforcing your target customer’s self-image and how they want to be perceived
• Communicating how your brand aligns with your customers’ values
• Focusing on the specific needs within a defined customer segment
• Providing exemplary customer service
• Developing a unique user experience for consumers

4. Exposure

You could have a striking brand, but if no one sees it, it doesn’t matter. Another important part of branding is increasing exposure, particularly to your target audience. In order to connect your brand with potential customers, you should incorporate a number of marketing channels into your strategy. Leverage high-reach channels like radio and social media to immerse your audience with your brand while simultaneously developing long-term marketing strategies that sustain awareness.

5. Engagement

Brand engagement is about cultivating a bond, either emotional or rational, between your company and the consumer. Like any relationship, the one you have with your client base must be managed and maintained through conscientious engagement that builds loyalty. You can measure brand engagement through the number of phone calls, website visits, social media ‘likes’ and comments, and inquiries you receive. If people aren’t regularly engaging with your brand, they likely do not feel committed to it.

6. Positive Perception

Reputation matters in the business world. The way people perceive your brand and talk about it with their friends, family, neighbors, and strangers can make or break your business. One easy way to assess the perception of your brand is through online reviews and testimonials. If people feel compelled to share about their positive experience with your company, it is a sign of successful branding. You can also build positive perception by contributing to your local community, acknowledging and fixing your mistakes, and treating each customer with respect.

The Value of Successful Branding

It is easy to get lost in the crowd, or a market filled with businesses that offer a product or service similar to yours. To avoid this, you need to be memorable and aim to build customer loyalty. That’s where successful business branding can help. If you are looking for ideas and practical guidelines to improve your company’s branding, register for the Fall 2019 BrandsFormation workshop to help transform your brand from good to great.