How to Create Stand-Out Branding
Strong branding is critical in our ad-cluttered world. It is your packaging. How many times have you purchased a product because you are drawn to the package? Even paid more? Take shampoo or wine bottles for an example. I am always drawn to the brands with pretty labels!
Stand-Out Branding is key because you want to ensure that you are the first provider in your niche that comes up in your ideal customers’ minds. So ask yourself, ” How can I creatively stand out from the crowd?”
When Kenneth Cole was launching his very first shoe line, he did not want to be compared to all the other brands in at the New York Shoe Market. He put his innovative mind to work and instead of renting a showroom, he rented a big truck and painted Kenneth Cole Productions on the side and parked it on the street. He filled it with his beautiful shoes. Then he rented movie cameras, a red carpet and models to create a fun frenzy and to intrigue the crowd. Well it worked! He had a long waiting line outside of his truck to check out his goods. The result: His shoes and his sales skyrocketed.
So always ask yourself, “What can I do to catch my client’s attention, in a good way!”
What if your brand is, well, just you? Never fear — solopreneurs can have snappy branding, too.
Here’s a quick guide to creating memorable personal brands.
Make it visual. Simple branding is best, especially if you can make an association in people’s minds that helps them remember you. My Pinnacle Entrepreneur, Gina Ruby’s new logo has a small ruby to dot the ‘I’ in her name. She is using the name of jewels to brand her program. This will help potential clients remember her, her name and her program.
Be sure your brand is tweetable. Social media is increasingly important in designing your brand concept. Netflix did not do their homework when they chose their spinoff brand name, Qwikster. It turned out to be already taken on Twitter by someone who was posting about their drug use. When you’re choosing a brand name, check its availability on the social networks.
Have fun. Some of my favorite solopreneur brands have humorous or whimsical elements. My client and friend, Sam Zien, The Cooking Guy, uses humor on his website, cookbooks, and weekly livecast. He allows the “Real Sam’ to shine through and that is what people love to about him.
Make sure it fits. If the entrepreneurs I’ve cited above were uncomfortable with the brands they’ve created, their brands would flounder. You must live with this brand for a long time, so make sure it is in alignment with who you are and what you want to portray in the marketplace..
Be consistent. Once you’ve created your branding, use it everywhere on everything you do. Don’t leave any of your old, less-awesome branding lurking around to confuse people.
What brand position are you claiming in the market – and how do you communicate it to your target audience? Share your insights below.