Your brand is what first comes to mind, whether is good, bad, or other, when someone thinks of your company.
Blake Mycoskie saw the difficulties faced by children in Argentina without shoes in 2006 and founded Tom's Shoes, a firm that donates one pair of shoes to a kid in need for every pair sold. You've probably heard of this company and its aim. They've given free 60 million pairs of shoes in 70 countries since its inception. They're a pioneer in corporate responsibility, and their goods have influenced others to develop similar company strategies.
They've built a brand image through this story that demonstrates they care about more than just their consumers and want to make a difference in the world.
What exactly is a brand's image?
A strong brand image is required to cut through the clutter. The customer's view of your brand is based on their interactions with it. It can change over time and isn't always dependent on a consumer purchasing or using your products and/or services. Because customers' perceptions of your brand can differ, it's critical to work hard to create a consistent brand image.
Businesses devote a significant amount of time to developing a brand personality, voice, and market positioning. All of these factors influence how customers engage with and perceive your business, leading to brand image.
Why brand image is important?
Your message is more likely to penetrate the noise and resonate with your target audience if you can demonstrate that you truly "understand" their difficulties and ambitions. If you want to capture their curiosity, acquire their trust, and ultimately secure their allegiance, you must be real and sincere in your language and aim. They'll see right through you if you simply tell them what you think they want to hear.
Many consumers nowadays (particularly millennials and Generation Z) buy your products not because they are the greatest, but because of the values you represent. According to a Harvard Business Review study, shared values are the key reason 64 percent of consumers develop a relationship with a brand. That was by far the most important factor, with only 13% citing frequent interactions as the major reason for a relationship. While you must communicate with your clients, the quality of your interactions is more important than the quantity.
How can you improve your brand's image?
To create a powerful brand image, you must first understand who your brand is and what it represents. This foundational activity assists you in establishing your market position and winning the hearts of your target clients.
Create a mission, vision, and values statement.
It's crucial to start by establishing your company's mission, vision, and values, because everything your firm does (and every experience you provide) should be in accordance with them. Because inconsistencies in values may harm your brand's image, you must first identify its mission before advertising it.
Furthermore, your values will not only attract customers, but they will also promote employee engagement. Employees that are committed to a company's mission are more likely to remain longer and perform better. Understanding your goal, vision, and values (and following through) can help you keep happy, productive employees and consumers.
Make a statement about your brand's positioning.
A brand positioning statement can help you stand out from the crowd by explaining how you meet a need for your target audience. To do so, do some research on your competition and figure out what makes your brand stand out. Perhaps you excel in an area where one of your competitors struggles. Create a one- to two-sentence statement that communicates your distinct value to your customers once you've figured out what sets you apart.
Create a personality for your brand.
Each brand, like a person, need an own personality, voice, and attributes. Begin by deciding on a tone and listing at least 10 brand features. Make a list of what your brand is and isn't. Your marketing and brand image will be more consistent if you define a brand personality.
Persona research can help you identify your target.
You can't create a marketing message tailored to your target clients if you don't know who they are. To begin, you must conduct research on your target audience and collect demographic and psychographic information. After that, you segment them into three to five fictional versions of your target clients. To project the correct image for your brand, you must first understand your buyer profiles and audiences.
How do you assess your brand's image?
You can assess brand perception and how consumers feel about your brand in a variety of ways.
Survey
A brand perception survey is the most popular sort of survey used by businesses to monitor their brand image. These can assist you figure out how consumers, prospects, staff, and other stakeholders feel about your brand. They paint a picture of your brand's mental real estate and how it compares to competitors' brands.
Customers are the ideal people to ask for information from. After all, what counts is that they comprehend the vision you're attempting to express and that it resonates with them. To collect metrics, ask relevant questions about your organization, industry, or product, such as "How would you describe your overall perception of this brand?" Include open-ended questions like "What comes to mind when you think of this brand?" for more precise insights.
Draw important conclusions
Draw crucial conclusions from your data collection efforts, and then act on them. The results of your survey will provide ways to strengthen and improve your brand image. You may, for example, ask your survey participants to mention both the attributes they look for in your product category and the qualities they connect with your brand. By modifying the way you display your brand to fit market need, you may bridge gaps between these two lists and establish your brand image.
Reevaluating your brand rules, enhancing customer touch points, and spending more time identifying and understanding what makes your brand special are all examples of this.