How to Create a Powerful Corporate Brand

4 Questions to Ask When Creating a Brand for Your Small Business

Questions to Consider for Creating

Whether it's a large corporation or a small business, branding is one of the most important
aspects of marketing.

Your brand differentiates you from your competitors, and it tells your customers what they can
expect from you.

According to a Nielson survey, 59% of consumers prefer to buy new products from brands
familiar to them. Corporate branding is one of the best ways to build and keep your customers'
trust.

Not only that, but proper business branding can also lead to an increase in sales, word-of-mouth
referrals and advocacy for what you're selling.

Here are 4 questions to ask and answer as you're creating a brand:

1. Who Are You? (Brand identity)

You can't be everything to everyone. As you grow your corporate brand, you need to whittle
down who your target customers are.

If your customers know you for your low-cost products, your brand message and brand strategy
will reflect that. If your customers perceive your company as innovative and cutting-edge, be
that to them.

Let's use an example. A relationship therapist who offers marriage counselling will focus on
brand development strategies to appeal to a target audience of married couples, not troubled
teens or bereaved pet owners.

2. What's Your Mission Statement?

One of the first elements of creating a brand is defining your mission statement. Your mission
statement is related to what your company is most passionate about.

Some of the questions you can ask in this business branding exercise include:

• Why are you in business?

• What do you want for your customers?

• How do you differ from your competitors?

• Where do you see your company going in the future?

• What underlying philosophies or values do you have around your business?

Take a look at Nike's mission statement. While you may be most familiar with their "Just Do It"
tagline, here's their mission statement. "Bring innovation and inspiration to every athlete in the
world".

Your mission statement will influence everything from your tagline and logo to your tone of
voice.

3. What's Your Brand Message?

When you're creating a brand, it's important to start with your brand message. Your brand
message can be boiled down to your value proposition and the tone of your content.

Brand messaging is what inspires and persuades buyers to buy your product or service.

MailChimp has a simple, three-word brand message: Send better email. It's direct and tells you
exactly what you can expect if they use their service.

Let's use the relationship therapist as an example again. He or she might create a brand
message that's bold and direct: Save your marriage. Or, he or she might focus on compassion
and listening, and create a brand message around that: I'm here for both of you.

4. What's Your Brand Strategy?

Your brand strategy refers to how, what where, when and to whom you deliver on your brand
messages.

First, you need to determine your overall goals when it comes to your corporate branding. Are
you trying to reach a new audience or steal market share from a competitor?

Included in your long-term brand strategy may be:

• What you communicate, such as your logo, tagline and language in website copy

• Where you advertise. Do you use Google AdWords, social media marketing, brochures, bus
shelter ads...
• How you'll reach customers, whether it's weekly emails advertising sales or seasonal contests
to keep them engaged with your brand

Corporate branding is a process.

It's not easy, and it doesn't happen overnight, or even in a few months. However, the ongoing
effort can result in better relationships with your customers, increased leads and sales, and
more trust in your product or service.

It can be very challenging to focus on brand development strategies on your own, and the risk of
not doing it correctly can be devastating to your business.