Today’s tip comes from John Bradley Jackson, Cal State Fullerton marketing instructor and author of “First, Best or Different.” Click here for his Web site.
Your brand is your promise of value. It is often said that good brands have three primary characteristics: They are authentic, consistent and differentiated.
Of the three characteristics, staying consistent may be the hardest to do for a small company. All employees … must honor the brand by using the same tag line, by treating customers with the same level of respect, by using the same logo and by dressing appropriately in the work environment.
You need to document the essentials of your brand if you want people to honor the brand with consistency.
People need to know what to do. The brand starts with the leadership of the company. Yes, all employees need to be on board…but it goes beyond cheerleading and mission statements.
- Your company name, logo and tag line must be consistently displayed on all customer-facing material. This includes business cards, letterhead, envelopes, Web site, invoices, fax cover sheets and signs.
- Fonts need to be consistent across all your marketing communications.
- Keep a brand handbook since the brand’s devil is in the detail. The handbook captures and archives all of your branding elements including Web site colors, fonts, tag line, logo, background music, dress code etc.
- It can include instructions on how to answer the phone.
All these things communicate your brand, and it is imperative that everyone join in for a consistent brand.
Do you have a tip for small-business success? Send it to me at jnorman@ocregister.com. If I use it, I’ll use your name, company and Web site.
