Branding is not just for the 'big' guys

Brand is not just for the 'big' guys

It doesn't matter whether you are big or small... you still need a brand... and it doesn't need to cost you a lot of money!

Over the years I have worked with many large and small companies to help them determine their brand... one that will take them into the future. Most of the time it is the smaller companies that I have enjoyed working with. They really listen and then breathe the brand, not just pay lip service to it.

An example of the two styles that really worked ... Neverfail Springwater and Small Cow Farm - one a large multi-national corporate, the other a family owned and run small business. Both had very different scales of needs but in the end it was all about creating, building and reinforcing their brand.... no matter what size.

When I was corporate coach for Neverfail we had to decide how good we wanted to be and how this would impact the overall brand. This was the starting point of my "5 Star Standards" training package (more to come about this in a later blog). The whole company was trained through these standards, many things were changed... and the important thing was that everyone felt involved and the brand was reinforced by all staff. The most exciting part of this was the enthusiasm the process was met with and the amazing feedback that improved the brand out of site. It was great to see a young delivery driver come up with an idea that solved one of the issues that was effecting the brand - the spark in his eyes when he felt listened to and then had a say in the implementation. Too often the brand is 'owned' by management and they then give directives as to how the staff must behave - they forget that the brand is owned by the customer - internally as much as externally.

The second experience was with Small Cow Farm - a family owned dairy that decided they wanted to start producing their own cheese. This was seven years ago now and they have won so many gold, silver and bronze medals we have lost count. The family gathered around their dining table to listened to our suggestions for their brand using our "Brand Code' process. At first we weren't sure if we had gone OTT for them but the next meeting we had with them they were so excited that we ended up almost staying the night. To this day their brand has not changed - they have stayed true to their brand words of 'special' and 'different' and are constantly introducing new products and innovations, always with these words in mind.

So - what is your brand? It doesn't matter about your size, number of customers, budget or at what stage of development you are at. The ONLY thing that matters is to decide your brand - before it is decided for you... and this will be done whether you like it or not.