The way that the Pakistani market operates has changed drastically over the years and has seen an upsurge in marketing tactics, especially in the last decade. The focus and emphasis of businesses are greatly on branding & identity and creating brand equity. Several old companies have now diversified their product ranges to cater to all sections of the market. They have done so by providing economical and luxury items and products in the same stores. This also goes well for services as the airlines have an economy to business class.
Another thing that has boosted the concept of branding is the presence and prevalence of social media. This in turn has altered the approach of businesses from being sales-focused to a more market-oriented approach.
Is Branding Only This?
Branding & identity was previously only thought of as being only limited to the aesthetic visual identity of the company. It was known as providing a company with a specific symbol or design, to advertise its products and services.
The concept of branding evolve considerably over the years. But still, for the majority of people, it only comprises the visual identity, logo, design, and packaging of the product. However, we but rather expand our horizons to understand branding better to brand businesses better.
Let us now tell you about the correct definition of branding for you to get the best of it.
What Is Branding?
Branding & Identity is the endless process of recognizing, creating, and organizing the aggregate actions that define and shapes the perception of the brand, in the minds of both consumers and other connected stakeholders. A deeper dive into the understanding of human relations, a firm grip on business, and a clear understanding of marketing are crucial in getting a strong grasp on branding.
To understand the concept of branding better, let us now break down a few important concepts that are also part of the definition you just read.
1. Recognition Process:
Branding in Pakistan is a constant and endless process, to say the least. The world is constantly changing and so are people, businesses, and markets. to keep up with the pace, the constant evolvement of branding is a must.
2. Creating and Managing:
Who and what to involve when identifying your stakeholders is a tricky process. Further, creating your brand strategy around them to position your brand in the best way is another task that requires terrific research and management. The correct strategy and positioning always give you an extra edge.
3. Aggregate Actions and Assets:
The positioning of your brand must be divided into several assets, comprising visual identity, content, your product, and advertisements. It should also incorporate actions to be taken like services, after-sale services, customer support, human relations, and experiences. All of the formerly stated aspects (read assets) will project your brand into the minds of your stakeholders accordingly. It will also build up the stakeholder’s perception of your brand.
4. Perception Building:
Perception is the reputation of your brand in the stakeholder’s minds. It is the association that any individual has regarding your brand at the back of their minds. This perception is the outcome of the branding process (or a lack of the branding process if the perception is negative).
5. Stakeholders:
Stakeholders are not just you and the customer. They include potential clients, existing customers, shareholders, employees, the government, and business partners. Everyone from the stakeholders builds up their perception of your brand and interacts with you based on that.
Importance Of Branding & Identity:
Branding does not only build up a memorable impression on your potential and current consumers. It also eases your customers and clients in a way that it becomes easier for them to know what to expect from your business. Branding distinguishes your business from its competitors. It further clarifies what is it about you that makes you the best choice. This is vital as it is an accurate representation of your business, and how your business is to be perceived, it brings in new business and also increases your business’ value.
Many areas are used to develop a brand including advertising, after-sale service, customer service, personal relations, social responsibility of the business, reputation, and visual appeal and aesthetics of the business, all of formerly stated are the pillars of the establishment of a strong branding & identity. When worked on efficiently, they make your brand unique and give it all the necessary attention.
It should be duly noted that if any one or more than one of the areas is not worked properly upon, branding could go wrong and bring your business adverse effects, nobody wants that, right?
It is also crucial that you build a brand from the initiation of it. Why? Because the reputation of the brand builds up when you do something about it and when you don’t do something about it. So might as well do something “good” about it so the brand doesn’t give off a bad aura in any aspect or manner.
Is Branding Only for Big Businesses?
Contrary to the famous belief of branding being a pricey marketing tactic that is only used for big brands, branding & identity is majorly done with common sense. The level you want to take your business to. It implicates a consistent blend of diverse competencies and conditioning. This is the primary reason its cost can significantly differ from one business to the other. High-level advisors and immaculate execution will, of course, be way expensive. Correspondingly, branding a multinational or a multi-product business will be way more challenging and resource-consuming. on the other hand, small businesses, of course, will have a lighter burden on their pockets.
Small or big, all businesses go for branding, as branding comes with numerous advantages.
Benefits Of Branding & Identity:
Branding Boosts Business Worth:
Branding & Identity is significant when attempting to yield prospective business. A strongly found brand can augment a business’s value by giving it more influence in the respective industry. This makes it an appealing investment opportunity owing to its firmly establish position in the industry. A solid reputation means a strong brand which also points to a higher value. That value can indicate leverage or a price premium.
Branding Yields New Clients:
Getting and acquiring a referral business is very easy for a solid strong brand. Strong branding & identity indicates there is a positive imprint of the company amongst consumers. Owing to the trust they have in the business; they are more likely to buy again from and do future business with your brand. Also, they resonate with and can depend on your brand. In time, if a brand has been well-establishing, word-of-mouth advertisement is all the company has as its best and most effective technique for advertising.
Improves Employee Fulfillment and Delight:
When an employee is working for a strong brand, be it large or small. He will truly honor his commitments and be more satisfied with his job, his pride will also elevate by working for an established brand. It makes his working hours more enjoyable and fulfilling. It should also be noted that employees are considered the first line of communication and also are the first representatives. Employees having a good alliance with the brand will eternalize that perception to the clients and partners.
Creates Trust in The Industry:
A brand’s reputation eventually comes down to the level of trust that customers have in it. The more you trust a brand, the better you perceive it, and the stronger its reputation becomes.
To earn and preserve a specific level of trust between the business and its stakeholders. Realistic and achievable assurance is establish that places the brand in a certain way and then delivers on that promise. For simplicity, if the promise is being kept, trust creates in stakeholders’ minds. The establishment of the trust is crucial in highly crowded markets. It is also the deciding factor between intent (considering to purchase) and action (actually buying it).
Branding Layers:
Branding is comprised of various diverse areas of expertise which include administration, marketing, advertisement, design, psychology, and others minute areas. It is also layered, with each layer having a different meaning and aspect. By developing a deeper understanding of branding & Identity complex nature, it becomes much easier to be able to dive deeper into the subject and its underlying topics.
Defining Your Brand:
When you get on the bandwagon to Define your brand, a journey of self-discovery for your business begins. It can be tough, challenging, time-consuming, and discomfiting. To initiate the process, you need to keep the following questions in mind:
Your business mission?
What are the benefits and attributes of your products/services?
What do your consumers and competitors perceive of your business?
Which Qualities do you want to be associated with your business?
Answering these questions will require you to research extensively. You will be needing to learn about the needs, habits, and desires of your current customers as well as your prospective customers. Success is in knowing exactly what they think. Completing the first step with finesse will make the other future step much better and prove to be more advantageous.
Branding & identity In Pakistan:
There are 2 main stages for branding your business.
- Branding Strategies
- Brand Identity
Branding Strategies:
Require laborious thinking skills and circle around the who, where, when, what, why, and how of your business. It is truly the spine of your business and equips it to establish your position in the market.
Brand Identity:
It should run in a continuation of the branding strategy. The identity of your brand includes your brand’s name, its logo, the tagline, the products, and services you offer, the tone and aura of your brand, ease of access, ease of communication with your brand, and most importantly-trustworthiness what the customers have in your brand.
To promote your brand, you can use these three tools, the results are fantastic every time:
Advertising:
The ads and banners we see all around us are forms of advertisement including all the ads, billboards, newspaper ads, TV ads, pop-up ads, and sponsored ads that we see daily. Watching your favorite video on YouTube and an ad pops up? Yes, we are talking exactly about that. The pricing of the kind of advertisement varies on its type. The most cost-effective ads nowadays are online Google ads, they have a massive reach and the cost per click varies.
Sales Promotion:
Whether you’re choosing to drive sales through your website or your social media. You will be needing a plan for that. You can offer promotional content, schedule online competitions and set up polls, and offer vouchers, deals, and giveaways.
Public Relations:
Public relations are all about creating and keeping contacts and establishing promising associations with your customers. Networking plays a paramount role in making your brand big. No business in Pakistan can work without networking.
After defining your brand comes the step of marketing it or getting the word out. For this, we have a few tips for you.
Get the best of branding by:
- Get a fantastic logo. Slather it everywhere.
- Develop a catchy and edgy tagline. It should be meaningful and concise, hard to forget that makes people (actually) think about your brand.
- Crease an urge in people to know about your brand, it should be the next big thing, and people should be eagerly waiting to know about it.
- Note down key messages that your brand wants to send out. Every employee should be made aware of those messages.
- Integrate your brand. Branding covers every aspect of your business from how your employees communicate with customers to how calls are answered, to the kind of clothing worn by the employees and your email signature to the ambiance of your store.
- It is crucial to create a voice for your brand. People should be able to resonate with it. Friendly, classy, formal, or ritzy, you decide and then incorporate that in the visuals, marketing, and all other activities.
- Design and develop templates as well as create standards for all of your brand’s marketing. A sense of uniformity should be present all across the branding structure. For this keep the same color scheme, logo placement, look and feel of your brand should be same across all platforms.
- Always deliver what your brand promises. This is the essence that creates loyal customers and a good forte.
- Be consistent. You need to keep up your pace at every point of branding your business. Because, if you stop there are a thousand to take your place instantly!
- Have faith, everything works out for the better if you put your smart work in!
- Also the best option is to hire an expert from DZN Solutions.
Conclusion:
We have talked extensively about the concept of branding. To conclude, no branding can work without consistency and constant evolvement be it in Pakistan or internationally. Consistency and smart work are the ways to go about it.
