Branding and the Olive Store
Why Branding Your Business is So Important
In 1961 my family moved from the Midwest to the West Coast. Seven of us were packed into the family sedan. My father had been a long haul trucker, so the 3-day trip along the two-lane road of Route 66 saw very little stopping. There were long stretches of nothing interesting to see but billboards and Burma Shave signs.
Fast forward to 2001. My daughter and I took a road trip up the West Coast. We were able to enjoy good roads, a choice of restaurants and nice hotels. The one thing that sticks out in my mind, though, was the billboards advertising a place that sold olives. That’s it…olives! Every few miles, the beautiful billboard would let you know how many more miles there were until you reached the olive store. 100 miles to go. 80 miles to go. 60 miles to go and so on. The closer we got, the more I just had to stop at that olive store. I could practically taste those olives!
What is the connection between branding your business and the olive store?
If the olive store hadn’t branded their product so well, I would have driven right by the place. I would have never known about them and would have never stopped to buy 5 jars of olives.
You won’t see many billboards anymore. Even placing an ad in a newspaper has become somewhat passe`. Now we have the internet to help us brand our business. It doesn’t matter if you’re a one-man show or a Fortune 500 company. Branding your business is imperative.
Branding your business is more than a tagline and a logo.
It’s your company’s image and what you can do to help your target market.
It’s the promise you make to your clients.
There are many online channels available for promoting your brand. Websites, social media, online ads. These are all great places to help your target market know who you are and what you can do for them. It’s a perceived trust in your products and services.
Branding makes you distinctive and separates you from the noise of your competition. Be clear about who you are and what you have to offer.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What is my mission?
- What benefits do I bring to my target market?
- What do people already think of my business?
- What qualities do I want my target market to associate with my business?
Then do this:
- Research your competition’s brand.
- Think of ways you can effectively communicate your brand.
- Think of tagline that will add to what your business is about.
What is your brand? How are you separating your company from your competition? What has your branding done to your business rise above your competition? “Inquiring minds want to know.” (Yes, that statement is from another brand.)
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