Brand Development - Understanding Your Audience

The Brand misconception.

There is a common misconception that "Branding" & "Marketing" are & the same. Although closely related to each other, they are in fact different from another. The "Brand" is about setting the stage & mood, while "Marketing" is the delivery of the musical. A Broadway musical would not have  the same outcome in the event you were invited to watch it in my yard! In simple terms, Branding is the brother of Promotion. Branding is the system that makes a prospect or customer a fan. Contrary to belief, people buy in to a brand identity & not the product or service it provides. A brand is the way you present yourself to your audience & building a connection, whether through schooling, laughter, trust, inspiration, aspiration, feel, touch, taste or otherwise. In short, branding is like knowing your partner, relative or best mate & the development of a bond through morals, similarities, vision, goals, direction or strategy.

First you need to understand & identify your core message (your "why"). The "why" is fundamentally your vision & what will help you direct & propel your brand in the right direction. This is achieved by identifying your audience & making a culture around your product that caters to them. Understanding the "why" will help you accomplish brand recognition.



So where do you start developing your identity?


When building your identity, make it organic. Don't force your identity on your audience. Keep in mind that it is not what you think your identity represents. You may think that your brand encompasses all the right elements and delivers the right message, but if the audience you are trying to attract to your brand doesn't connect with it, they are going to be reluctant to follow you. In lieu, interact and collaborate together with your audience. This will help build a powerful foundation and in turn create audience trust, which creates customer referrals.

Audience perception.

You have the audience, now let's cultivate it. Become an authority figure in your niche by engaging your audience whether through schooling, events, new services or products, poll questions and more. Make them feel like they are a shareholder in your company and not the consumer looking in from the outside. Through the use of various techniques you can engage your audience for their input in to your brand and thus generate a sense that they are involved in the decision method and direction of your company. Build curiosity to engage your audience to connect with you on an emotional level.Through consistent interaction with them, you will keep them curious, engaged and familiar together with your company but above all, you will have an understanding of who your consumer is and how to cater to them properly.

Propelling your brand.