| After you have targeted your core customer base, | | | | has made her business grow three times over was |
| you can then focus on creating a statement of what | | | | her strong focus on her new customer base, quality |
| your business truly represents, a branded identity | | | | service, and specialized inventory. When she started |
| that your customers can relate to. Your new identity | | | | to see her apparel business slow down, she focused |
| will help them to understand, trust, and become loyal | | | | more on leather belts, bags, shoes, and accessories |
| to your business. This will bring you a much higher | | | | all by the same company. This has branded her |
| level of success in return.Branding is one of the | | | | business and made it a successful specialty |
| hottest buzzwords in business. But what is it? | | | | store.Seven Questions to Answer to Develop Your |
| Branding is basically building consumer trust. It is | | | | BrandThe key to creating a strong icon or logo is to |
| offering an expected product or service and | | | | paint word pictures. Then compare the word or visual |
| generating customer loyalty. Research shows that | | | | pictures with your description of your business and |
| customers will be loyal to a brand. But branding | | | | what sets it apart from the rest of the business |
| doesn't only apply to a product. A customer can be | | | | world. Think unique, think independent, step outside |
| loyal to any company with a reputation for quality | | | | of your marketing mindset and get creative.- What is |
| work and good customer service.Branding implants | | | | my business? |
| the ideas of your business in the consumer's head | | | | - What are my products and/or services? |
| and let's them understand your business. You then | | | | - How is my business special? |
| must follow up by targeting high quality prospects, | | | | - How is it different from the competition? |
| measuring the value of your customers, and | | | | - How can I demonstrate that it is the best place to |
| constantly using the data you have available to fine | | | | do business? |
| tune your strategy for growth.People Trust | | | | - How can I build customer loyalty better than the |
| BrandsSpecialized branding builds people's confidence. | | | | competition? |
| They like knowing what to expect, that it will be the | | | | - What symbol, icon, or logo visually describes my |
| same. Customers want to believe in a brand and in | | | | business?Words with PicturesIn my consulting I have |
| the company behind a brand. A brand shows a | | | | found that many business owners assume that |
| customer the company has roots, even if those | | | | customers know what they are all about. That is a |
| roots are not very deep. Therefore, building brand | | | | ridiculous way to think. How can a customer know |
| identity to target your market is crucial no matter | | | | even an ounce of what you know about your |
| what size your business is or how long it has been | | | | business? It is your job to educate them both visually |
| around.Humans think visually. A picture is worth a | | | | (with a logo) and verbally; with a short (less than 25 |
| million words. A strong, simple logo or icon can quickly | | | | words) message that best describes your business |
| connect you to your customers. Companies like Nike | | | | and its benefits. You need to give prospective |
| and Apple Computers use a simple icon that is easily | | | | customers a reason to come into your business. A |
| recognized and associated with the corporation. | | | | brief statement such as, "We Sell Unique Gifts" or |
| When you see a sign with a red circle and a dot you | | | | "Ladies' Fashions" or "Pool and Patio Accessories for |
| instantly think of Target. Their logo and brand | | | | Your Home" informs but it does not motivate action. |
| recognition is so strong they don't even have to | | | | Your catch praise or slogan and visual logo must |
| mention the name. You can take the word Tiffany | | | | jump out and grab them by their emotions. A |
| away from their blue package and everyone still | | | | branded slogan such as, "Gifts that Transform Your |
| knows its Tiffany, which also means quality and | | | | Home into a Palace" or "Elegant Contemporary |
| elegance. For any of these brands, every time the | | | | Fashions that Turn Heads" or "Creating an |
| customers sees the logo, whether they are thinking | | | | Environment for Your Outdoor Lifestyle" say more |
| about jewelry, shoes, computers at that moment or | | | | about the uniqueness of your business and why a |
| not, the business is planted in their mind time and | | | | prospect should go there.From a Specialty Store to a |
| time again. The next time they do consciously think | | | | Worldwide SuperstoreWhat began as a simple 800 |
| about shoes, they will automatically also think | | | | square foot used bookstore in Ann Arbor MI, in 1971 |
| Nike.You can create branding for your business as | | | | is now Borders Group, with more than 2,000 book |
| well, and you do it with brand communication. Brand | | | | and music superstores, 900 Walden bookstores, and |
| communication is using your brand on everything that | | | | an international presence. When Borders opened its |
| supports your product or service, You establish brand | | | | first international superstore, it wanted to start out |
| identity through all aspects of your business: | | | | on the right foot in an extremely competitive market |
| advertising, signage, marketing, a strong logo, | | | | by establishing a strong brand identity. They created |
| consistent colors, point of purchase, packaging, and | | | | a new logo, a stylized globe made of swirling lines |
| overall image--anything that touts your product or | | | | that suggested both global presence and speed of |
| service.You don't have to be huge chain to become a | | | | movement. The logo or brand identity was targeted |
| brand. Yes, it helps if you are known nationwide, but | | | | to the retailer's main audience: active professionals, |
| your brand can become well known locally. The | | | | families, seniors, and teens.Many big corporations |
| smaller business owner may not be able to provide all | | | | started out as one small store. Starbuck's was one |
| the services their larger competitors can, but they | | | | small coffee shop in Pike's Market, a popular tourist |
| can deliver consistent, good service and quality | | | | attraction in Seattle. With a unique concept in |
| products. Through a brand you can deliver a coherent | | | | marketing they took coffee as we knew it (buying |
| message in your advertising and marketing that will | | | | Folgers in the grocery store) to locations nationwide |
| connect with customers through an emotional bond. | | | | with an abundance of delectable offerings. Their |
| The emotions raised will make customers understand | | | | concept was so effective it made coffee as popular |
| and trust your business.This is especially true of one | | | | as McDonald's hamburgers.Sam Walton, the founder |
| small retail store that I consulted with. This | | | | of WalMart, began with a small town department |
| storeowner was ready to give up and close her | | | | store and grew the business to an incredible size. And |
| doors forever before we started to reevaluate her | | | | as if WalMart wasn't big enough, he created WalMart |
| options and opportunities. She had been in the leather | | | | Superstores, giving customers no reason to shop |
| apparel business in Arizona for a number of years. | | | | anywhere else. They did this by focusing on lower |
| Most years her business never turned a profit but | | | | prices, lower prices ... rolling back prices. This is what |
| just stood it's own. Then as competition grew her | | | | they are known for, and they did it so effectively |
| sales began to dive, making it seem impossible to | | | | that they moved ahead of existing discount store |
| turn her business around.However, opportunity was | | | | competition.No matter how big or small is, "brand" |
| waiting just around the corner. Another retail apparel | | | | your uniqueness and you will move far ahead of your |
| storeowner was moving her western wear business | | | | competition. Never lose sight of your uniqueness. Build |
| to another part of the city. This opened up a 1,200 | | | | on it and refocus it. It is what will keep your business |
| square foot storefront with a more visible location | | | | strong and light years ahead of your |
| and a built-in customer base. I urged the leather | | | | competition.Debbie Allen is one of the world's leading |
| apparel storeowner to move her location and pick up | | | | authorities on sales and marketing. She is the author |
| on the western apparel lines carried by the previous | | | | of five books including Confessions of Shameless Self |
| merchant. She did this, and in just a matter of | | | | Promoters and Skyrocketing Sales. Debbie has helped |
| months started to turn her business around. | | | | thousands of people around the world attract |
| Customers who had previously shopped at the | | | | customers like crazy with her innovative, no-cost |
| western wear store were flocking in and she had a | | | | marketing strategies and secrets to sales success. |
| new customer base along with her already existing | | | | Her expertise has been featured in Entrepreneur, |
| list of customers. And that was just the start. What | | | | Selling Power and Sales & Marketing Excellence. |