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+ What is branding, anyway? Isn't it a fancy name and logo? What is branding, anyway? Isn't it a fancy name and logo?
Branding is a matter of life or death for many businesses, especially smaller ones. You simply cannot opt out of branding. You have it anyway, either accidentally or intentionally. Deliberately building a brand is the greatest challenge an entrepreneur ever faces, as there is much more to branding than a fancy logo…
A brand is about 'the promise' of your company to your customers, employees, investors, and all other stakeholders. It sets the basis for how you direct your company, differentiate, and grow. It is 'who you are', 'what you stand for', and 'why the rest of the world should take your word for it'. It is about 'how you are percieved' shaped by every single experience along touchpoints, starting with the way the phone is answered, ending with the image you impress on minds. That's why branding is 'the activity' that leads your entire organization, usually under the direction of a Board, founder(s), and/or CEO. That's also why your brand strategy needs to be even above your business strategy. Go to top Isn't it too early to think about branding when I've just started my business?
Some of today's top global brands like Google, Amazon, Apple, and eBay actually started out as innovative businesses with humble beginnings, but ambitious visions. These current global giants are proof that even small businesses can build great brands, too.
If you want to be around for only a couple years like most businesses, start out by growing sales and channels. If you want a lasting and growing business, then you need to create a brand. Creating and managing your brand starts even before you officially start your company. It is the most important strategic step that will structure and lead every function of your organization. It will give you the motivation you need, help you differentiate yourself from competition, and build equity along the way. From a shorter term pragmatic perspective though, your brand will enable you to:
Go to top I don't have the funds right now. I'll take care of it after I make some money.It may be too late then. It is very hard, if at all possible, to change the first impression in the minds of your customers. We recommend not to start out before you raise the necessary funds for your brand. You definitely will not be able to afford the implementation of your brand if you do not have the funds to create it. Consider it a long-term investment, just as the raw materials you need for production, or office, supplies, computers, etc. Please check out our pricing page for guidance to put together a reasonable budget for your branding needs.Go to top Isn't branding a costly endeavor only big shots can pursue?Every business has unique needs for creating and managing its brand(s). Luckily, most businesses do not need fat budgets like the big companies. Branding is broadly composed of three levels of activities: Marketing, public relations, and advertising. Essential core activities are mostly embedded in the marketing part and set the basis for the rest. These core activities are usually enough to get a business started. It is usually advertising that requires significant funds, and most businesses need limited advertising -if at all, in the early stages of their operation. Besides, in today's tech-savvy world of consumers, the entire scene for advertising also changed (as with branding itself), with affordable and effective alternatives. And with the down economy, guess who has the upper hand to negotiate better rates with media and PR companies.Go to top I am worried about the down economy. I hesitate to invest in anything, let alone branding!Actually, it is just the time to start building your enterprise, taking advantage of your competitors inertia. According to a recent article in US News and World Report, even in a downturn, the number of business start-ups is constant, around 640,000 a year. Economic slumps typically last six months, so they don't affect entrepreneurial plans. Nor is the start-up success rate hurt by down swings of business cycles, says Brian Headd, economist at the Small Business Administration. Microsoft, Johnson and Johnson, Compaq, HP, and many other successful companies were all started during a recession.Although it sounds counter-intuitive, a down economy is also just the time to invest in branding when your customers are hesitant to spend. This will increase your competitive advantage, again given your competitors inertia. It will definitely pay off by increasing your market share, but in the short-run, you will have more bargaining power over media rates, and while the overall investment in your brand decreases, it will still provide better results. Especially, optimized online presence will do marvels in such turbulent times. Go to top How much does it cost?We think it is only fair to give you at least a ballpark idea about how much a brand costs, as opposed to other companies in our line of business. We don't charge you based on your budget, but on the amount of work we will be doing. Please check out our pricing page for details.To give you a rough idea, 75% of our projects range from $15,000 to $75,000. There are several variables that impact the final cost, major ones being the scope of the project and research requirements. Given the cost of implementation, the cost of the design process is a deal. Go to top How long does it take?Our proprietary process is designed to deliver results in 8 weeks, however, some of our projects were completed in as little as 4 weeks. Depending on your needs, we may need more time, however, we will let you know before we start. We try not to rush our teams, as stress is known to diminish creativity.Go to top What if I don't like what you do?That has never happened in the past. We will keep working until you are completely satisfied. However, you have the Protein guarantee that gives you the option to cancel our engagement at the end of two weeks and get a full refund for any advance payments, in case you are not satisfied with our work.Go to top How about ownership rights?You will own all rights for your brand. We just need your permission to include it in our portfolio.Go to top So, how do we get started?
Please fill out our HeadStart Form. It will only take about 20 minutes of your time, but will dramatically speed up the entire process. We will contact you via email to set up a complimentary consultation once you complete it.
If you have further questions please email us using our contact form or call us toll-free at |
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