Your brand is one of the most important tools
at your disposal, but at the same time, it can be your downfall. Every time
anyone comes in contact with whatever part of your business, your brand is
involved. Having a positively recognized brand will not only attract customers,
but it will also help you recruit talent and draw possible investors.
There are tons to learn when you're trying to
improve your brand. However, you should also look into building up the brand of
your individual products. In a nutshell — Apple is the brand and iPhone is the
product. Yes, the iPhone shares in the successes and failures of the bigger
Apple brand and vice versa, but the iPhone also enjoys its own brand
recognition. This is why fans of the product are not necessarily fans of the
brand in general.
Here are a few other things you need to
understand when you're working to improve your product branding.
Consistent but Different
Going back to the example above, Apple and the
iPhone have similarities in their branding. That sleek, chic, minimalist look
is famous the world over. Apple products are also mostly associated with
aluminum finishes, which people know to be durable (iPhone 6
notwithstanding). Meanwhile, the iPhone also has some positive associations
to its name that it doesn't share with its umbrella brand. One example is how
the iPhone became famous for gaming. Because of strong App Store support in the
early days, many enjoyable and viral games were introduced for
iPhones (and iPods
and iPads). This couldn't be farther from how PC gamers view the Mac.
Your product's brand has to be able to stand
on its own and at the same time, contribute to the umbrella brand. Logo and
design elements can help. It would be good if the strengths of your umbrella
brand are evident in your products as well.
Your Target Audience
Much about marketing is done with particular
target audiences in mind. You'll have a difficult time if you don't identify
this early on and try to market for everyone.
Your products' brand should also operate in
the same way. Different items in your product range should have specific target
markets. Your brand for each product should clearly express which markets those
are. For example, products with cartoon mascots are most likely aimed towards
kids.
Understand your target market thoroughly and
use this to your advantage.
Packaging
How you present your product is essential to
its success. Even if you have the most effective, best value product out there,
it can't fully reach its sales potential if you package it poorly, particularly
if you only sell your products online. Your packaged good is the only physical
interaction that your clients will have with you and your brand. Make sure your
packaging reflects the value of your business in general.
There are many packaging
suppliers in Utah that you
can work with to help you figure out how best to present your products. If your
product line allows it, you may want to consider adopting flexible packaging because of its many advantages over its
rigid counterpart.
Brand Messaging
Your brand messaging ties everything together.
It is the underlying message being conveyed through all your touchpoints. In
strategizing your marketing approach, it's best to figure out what your products
and your business is trying to say. A coherent and consistent message
across all your brands and products will boost your brand recognition and help
you earn your customers' trust. Just make sure you deliver on what you say.