A successful branding brings together the product / service , the customer experience and the visual identity of your business.
WHAT IS A BRAND IMAGE?
The brand image (or brand management) is the opinion that the consumer will have on your company . This perception is based on your offers (products / services), your customer relationship management, your reputation, your website, the cleanliness and organization of your premises, etc. customer experience, from their first contact to the use of your product, will define your brand image. In a nutshell, the goal is to be seen and recognized in a positive way .
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF A BRAND IMAGE FOR AN SME?
First of all, working on its visual communication allows you to precisely identify your business, which will have its own universe. By keeping communication consistent and relevant, and providing a unique customer experience, your customers will be able to remember your business more easily. This memorization favors the act of purchase . Indeed, a person who thinks of your company in the first place will trust you more easily than a company that he does not remember or that he does not know yet.
In addition, focusing on its brand image allows you to differentiate yourself from your competitors . Your way of communicating also brings some added value to your business. By positioning yourself in a heterogeneous market, you will certainly not be suitable for all your prospects, but those who decide to call on your company will be more loyal to you afterwards. Combining trust and preference with your customers is a great advantage for your business and will be a source of benefits and opportunities.
To obtain a reliable brand image, it is important not to change your communication often but above all to continue to develop it by following the same common thread adapted to your market.
HOW TO POSITION ON A MARKET?
To have this spirit of community, presented above, it is necessary to work on several points.
The first is to know the market in which you are established, to segment it and to define your core target . The segmentation of your customers and prospects can be done either on clearly defined points such as age, sex, social class, location, etc. or on more subjective points that appeal to the sensitivity, centers of interest and principles of each. Once your segmentation is properly worked out, play on the brand promise in order to attract your target by answering the question “What benefits will your prospect derive from becoming your customer?” “. The brand promise is often more stable and reliable than an advertising promise, which is more ephemeral.
Well-crafted visual communication not only brings together and attract people who have the same interests but also gives another perception of the product and influences certain behaviors through your identity.
HOW TO WORK ON YOUR VISUAL IDENTITY?
Define your brand image yourself, don’t let others do it for you because of your reputation!
A visual identity imperatively passes through the graphic charter . Whether it is the decoration of a room or the design of a website, the visual that you present to your consumers will set the tone of your communication and the atmosphere of your brand. But this identity can also be present on your communication campaigns depending on the images you decide to share, on your social networks for example. The community management is integral to your brand image online. In addition, it is necessary to keep a fixed editorial line. Form is often as important as substance in communication. Be rigorous in order to maintain a unique and homogeneous identity.
To summarize, a visual identity is the result of a communication strategy rigorously defined beforehand.
HOW TO ANALYZE THE IDENTITY OF A BRAND?
In order to analyze the identity of a brand, Kapferer has defined a prism grouping together 6 important aspects to work for an optimal brand image:
Physical: This first point concerns the objective characteristics of the brand, such as the logo, description of products and / or offers.
Personality: this refers to the way of communicating the brand. One brand can put humor in the foreground, another will have motivational messages, others of seduction, etc.
Relationship: As stated previously, the identity of a brand goes through the customer relationship. Relationships can be based, for example, on advice, support or even provocation.
Culture: A brand contains within it a certain system of values, sources of inspiration, a history of its own or even founding characters that come out of the ordinary on which a brand image can be put in place.
Reflection: The reflection is the image of the buyer to whom the brand seems to be addressing, the typical customer of the brand. If the reflection corresponds to the heart of the target, the segmentation has been ideally carried out.
Mentalization: This represents the way in which the consumer of the brand characterizes himself, the feeling that the use of the product gives him. This feeling can be pride, self-confidence, simplicity, or whatever.
Brand management is based on many stages to work on. The perception of all these will influence the behavior of your prospects and / or customers. Branding can be seen as an investment, in terms of time, work and knowledge, which offers great opportunities to all companies that master it .
