1. Have you defined your brand?
What are the products or services your business offers, and what makes them unique to the needs and concerns of your customers? Your brand should promote your business, connect with your customer base and differentiate you in the marketplace.
2. How do you think of your brand?
Try to think of it as a person. Every one of us is an individual whose character is made up of beliefs, values and purposes that define who we are and who we connect with. Our personality determines how we behave in different situations, how we dress and what we say. It’s vital that you consider the personal character of your brand.
3. What is driving your business?
What does it believe in, what is it’s purpose and who are it’s brand heroes? These things can help establish your brand positioning and inform the identity and character for your strategic brand communications.
4. Long-term customer relationships should be the main goal of any brand.
Create trust with honest branding — be clear who your company is and be true to the values that drive it every day.
5. Is your tone consistent when you speak to customers?
Remember, everything that communicates a message about your company is a part of your brand identity. From packaging to advertising, business cards to emails and everything in between.
6. Don't repeat the same message in the same way over and over again.
It’s easy to create your brand message and just cut and paste but keeping your brand’s identity doesn’t have to be repetitive. It just has to be relevant and consistent.
7. Are you trying to mimic the look of big brands? Don't.
Carve out your own unique identity. Today’s consumers are moving away from the big chains and are engaging more with independent brands that have an authentic personality. Brands they can relate to.
8. Be innovative, bold and daring – stand out from the crowd.
Big brands are often encumbered by layers of bureaucracy, which prevents them from being flexible and reacting to the ever-changing needs of their customers.
9. Always consider your branding when communicating with your customers.
Don't dilute your brand positioning with indiscriminate discounting. Try offering more, rather than cutting prices. Promotions are an opportunity to reinforce your brand mission.
10. Throwing your logo on everything won’t work any more.
Today branding is fluid and engaging — respect your customers' intelligence by not giving everything away up front. You have to be strategic and allow them to unearth more about your brand for themselves. This is the way to foster ambassadors who revel in telling other people what they have discovered.