Most Start-ups & SMEs fail to understand
the importance of branding. I and my team cannot begin to count the amount of
horrible business cards, poor logos, boring business names and ugly office
interiors we’ve encountered over the years. Upon trying to convince the owner
to invest a little money in a graphic designer we’d start hearing things like
...“I’ll
hire a designer when I make my first twenty million Naira”; “my business has
been open for 20 years without a logo or website and we’re still here”; “Abeg I
want to make money first, anything else can follow after”...
They fail to understand
that the difference between them and their competitor who may be making ten
times the amount they see as profit may
only be because of a solid logo (which can cost as little as N10,000.00
to make) With the right branding & marketing strategy a company can easily
triple its sales without adding to its manpower or resources! Let me give you a
practical example. Who is your best friend? What do you feel when their name is
said out loud?-Happy? Excited? Calm? This is the brand associated with your
best friend…positive and there to protect your best interest. Wouldn’t you want
the same for your company? You would want the public and clients to understand
what you represent and believe the products and services you offer are second
to none other and your company is here to stay. You as a business owner need to understand that
- Like larger companies, SMEs & Start-ups need an awesome brand name, “sweet” packaging and marketable products
- In order to create the right #brand & service, as a CEO you must put your ego aside so you can create something sustainable
- You must research, attend seminars, & think so you can create a 50 year plan for your brand image and subsequent marketing plan
- Your logo, mission, vision, people/ services/products, colors and offers make up[ your brand and its image
- You can’t have awesome services/products with badly behaved staff & no market visibility. That will ruin your brand
- Know client’s needs better than anyone else
- Fuel the strategy with a culture that reflects you
- Translate all these acts into an implementable internal and external communication policy
- Build a platform that incorporates both traditional and social Media plans