Branding is the process of creating a distinct identity for your business in the minds of consumers. Branding involves developing a company’s name, logo, colors, visual identity, and tone of voice.
In many ways, branding involves and goes beyond visual elements and includes a company’s personality, customer experiences, messaging, mission, values, and actions. How a company interacts with its customers, including customer service; the tone and style of a company’s messaging; and the brand story or narrative behind a company, and its origin story; can all significantly influence how customers perceive a brand.
The goal of branding is to influence how people feel and think about a brand, company, or product/service, create a distinct identity, and build pricing power and loyalty over time.
Sure, you’re familiar with the brands and stories behind companies like Nike, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Apple. You know the visual identities of their businesses, their missions and values; and the experiences associated with those brands.
But what if you are responsible for marketing a small local business, maybe you believe you don’t have to worry about building your brand and branded customer experiences.
I invite you to consider that branding for small business is critical to their success. It is crucial for establishing recognition, building trust with customers, and differentiating yourself from competitors, which is especially important for smaller businesses to stand out in the local market and drive growth. Here are the key reasons small local business should consider the importance of establishing their own brand(s):
- Customer Recognition: A strong local brand helps customers easily identify and remember your business, making it more likely they will choose you over others.
- Trust and Credibility: Consistent branding builds trust and perception of quality, which is vital for attracting new customers and retaining existing ones.
- Market Differentiation: Branding allows you to highlight your unique selling points and value proposition to help effectively position against competitors in your space.
- Effective Marketing: A well-defined brand provides a foundation for targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with your ideal customer.
So how is branding for a local company different from branding from companies that compete on a regional, national, or international basis?
Local business branding differs from broader branding by focusing on building strong connections and associations with a specific geographically concentrated community, often utilizing local references, community events, and personalized interactions to establish a deep, authentic presence within that defined area; rather than trying to appeal to large diverse audiences across a wider market.
Key differences between local and national branding include:
- Local businesses focus on people living within their immediate market area, while broader brands target a wider demographic across a larger geographic region.
- Local branding often involves actively participating in local events, supporting other neighborhood businesses, and incorporating local culture into marketing materials to foster a sense of belonging and place.
- Due to the smaller target geographic market, local business can be more effective in their marketing spend, targeting a tighter market definition that enables them to concentrate their message frequency, avoiding the budget dilution that frustrates regional and national brand marketers.
- Due to the smaller target customer base, local businesses can build more personal relationships with customers through face-to-face interactions and tailored communication.
- Local branding often relies on localized advertising, grassroots marketing tactics, and leveraging local influencers to reach the community effectively.
- Local brands often use language and references that resonate specifically with their community, reflecting local values and interests.
For example, a local bakery might highlight their use of locally sourced ingredients, promote partnerships with nearby farmers markets, run special promotions in local media, and highlight promotions during local festivals to strengthen their connection with the community.
“Your brand is a story unfolding across all customer touch points.”
-Jonah Sachs
Branding, including local branding, is unique in that it is present throughout the entire customer journey, influencing every stage from initial awareness to post-purchase engagement, as it shapes how customers perceive and interact with a company at each touchpoint. Essentially, branding is a foundational element that impacts the customer experience at every step, not just a specific stage.
- The Awareness Stage is where initial impressions are crucial, through marketing campaigns, social media presence, and visual design you introduce your brand to potential customers.
- In the Consideration Stage customers are actively comparing options, so branding plays a key role in differentiating your company from competitors and highlighting your unique value proposition and market position.
- In the Purchase Stage a strong brand can influence the final purchase decision by building trust and confidence in the brand.
- In the Post-Purchase Stage branding continues to impact repeat purchases, loyalty, and advocacy through fulfillment and customer service actions, product experience, and ongoing brand messaging.
Along with print and digital display advertising and branded content, social media is considered one of the best media for supporting branding, as it allows for direct interaction with your target audience, building brand awareness, fostering community engagement, and sharing your brand story in a readily acceptable way across multiple platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, depending on the target demographic.
If you’d like to learn more about branding, and in particular local branding, please give us a call or email us here at Sentinel Solutions. We are expert at this type of marketing and can help you develop a program for your business that effectively markets and positions your brand in the marketplace.
Give us a call if we can help at 603-352-5896 or e-mail to Advertising@SentinelDigitalSolutions.com. We’re here to help you succeed.
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