I have been doing some online research about branding and a pattern developed after a few reads. There is some confusion between branding and marketing, and even though the information may help you in some ways if what you are looking for is to build up your brand, it’s not going to be very useful. At Twelve12, we have a very clear understanding of what branding means, what a marketing strategy is, and the differentiation between the two. So, if you are looking for information about branding in Orange County or anywhere in the world, keep reading.
There are many ways to develop a brand, so, instead of telling you what to do, I’ll tell you what you shouldn’t do if your intention is to build up your brand.
Mistake #1 “you should transform your brand according to the market”
Brands should have their own personality, not because they want to be accepted, but because they were born with it. There are people out there with the same interests, so you need to be truthful and then design a good branding strategy that can communicate what your brand stands for effectively. Trying to force the wrong idea usually ends up badly.
Mistake #2: “tell your audience how great your brand is”
This is another big mistake taken from old marketing books. It’s 2019! We don’t tell people what to do; people choose to follow your brand because it communicates something that appeals to them, and there is any number of things that can be appealing to a person: natural, organic, green, fashionable, trendy, innovative, expensive, luxurious, exclusive, etc. Again, you need to focus on what your brand really is and share it with people through a good marketing strategy.
Mistake #3 “if you do some good research on your market, you can develop your brand around it”
Research is a great thing for any business, but it doesn’t develop brands. Think about great leaders and infamous scammers: great leaders are followed by people because of all their ideas, whereas infamous scammers usually manage to lie for a while and then they end up either in jail or they just disappear from the face of the earth. Stay true to your ideas and what you believe in and plan your strategies accordingly.
Want to know more about branding in Orange County that works? Give us a call today, at Twelve12, we want to see your brand shine!