Think fast: what do you imagine when you hear “Coca Cola?” You likely think of images of people downing soda with condensation dripping down glasses full of the opaque liquid during a hot summer day. Or you think of polar bears and Santa Claus during the cold winter months.
Now switch it around. When you’re deciding on a nice beverage to consume, Coca-Cola is most likely up there in your mind rattling around. In some parts of the country, like the south, Coke is all there is to it. There are many stories from the area of parents asking their kids what “flavor of Coke” you want, with “Coke” replacing soda.
Coca-Cola has done an impressive job over its many years of existence letting people know they exist. They’re rarely “in your face” like, for instance, McDonald’s; they simply let you recall all the good times you had with their product and let you make the decision. How did they do it?
Household Name
Coca-Cola knows the importance of branding as a viable marketing tactic. They’ve successfully made millions of people subconsciously pick up their products simply by having a strong “voice” or business presence.
But it’s not like it happened over night. It takes years for branding efforts to take off. You can work on one angle, experience some success, and then see it all fall apart when the public realizes the branding doesn’t make sense to them.
For example, let’s say your online store is an office supply company. You want people to think of your store when they think of not only office supplies but also when they think of work in general. You’re trying to make your store THE essential office store (versus a big store like Staples).
However, somewhere down the road it all goes awry. You eventually figure out your customers associate you more with LEAVING work rather than going there. After some research, you find out it’s because your products let them get done with work sooner so they can go party. This is a very positive thing and could benefit your company even more than your other plan!
Getting There
So how do you even get to this point? You can’t just toss some stuff out there and see if it sticks; branding takes a lot of effort, planning, and not just a little bit of luck.
If you’re truly unsure how to start, try to think of what your company or store means to you. You know your business the best, what makes it tick and why people would shop there, so start with something you know is at least true to you. As mentioned above this may change as you go along, but you’re adaptable, right?
Secondly, you have to let people you know exist. At Logicblock we know how important branding is to every single business out there which is why we included services to help you along with your efforts. Every aspect of your store is customizable and also includes SEO and other branding techniques.
On your end, make sure to utilize marketing, social media, and PR efforts to convince everyone out there your store is the #1 for…whatever you say it is. Remember, they have no reason (yet) to run out for office supplies when they feel like getting work done early. If you can convince them you’re the way for that to happen, then you’ll be golden.