Branding

“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
– Jeff Bezos, CEO & Founder of Amazon

A branding strategy is usually associated with large corporates rather than SMEs. This is understandable since most SMEs concentrate on the product or service they sell and might see a specific focus on ‘branding’ as an extravagant luxury. A branding strategy though can be used smartly by SMEs in a cost effective way to give a competitive advantage. By projecting the company strongly into its target marketplace profitable sales can be increased.

At SME Strategies, we work with our clients firstly to uncover their brand statement which describes their Why, How and What. This helps identify their differentiator which is key to why a customer will buy from them rather than a competitor. The differentiating features of the business need to be projected to the right target audience. The SME may not have identified the full benefits that they offer to their customers.

Only when the ‘brand’ is clearly defined can the process move to the second part which is the ‘branding. Understanding why a customer buys then allows the SME to focus their branding message in the most effective way. Brands are not only driven by logical considerations – they’re also playing a part in an emotional experience.

Customers who feel a genuine emotional connection with a particular brand generate disproportionate value for that brand. Branding can be complex or relatively simple depending on the required outcome from it. Branding though is as much about consistency of message as anything else. It covers not just the product or service but the whole ethos of the SME.

We work with specialists who are experts in the design and delivery of SME branding. This then dovetails into the marketing strategy and the website and other mediums of communication.

We therefore take a very holistic view. Our approach to brand and branding has been influenced by the philosophy used by Virgin Start-ups. By the intelligent use of branding, our clients can increase their profitability as their product or service has a much stronger profile to the target customer base.