Branding isn’t just one aspect of your marketing campaign. It is the combination of everything your business stands for. Branding is not created with a single, stand-alone event — rather it is created over time through a series of strategically thought-out actions.

Let’s review a few common myths about branding and introduce some constructive, proactive branding principles worth remembering.

Myth – Your USP Is Your Brand

While your USP (Unique Selling Position), or differentiation, might be used to help convey your brand, it is not in and of itself, your complete branding strategy. Instead, let’s look at a contrasting principle.

Principle – Your Brand Is All Encompassing

Your brand is built and conveyed, with every action you take, with every product/service you offer, with every piece of communication you send, and with every contact you make with your customers.

Myth – To Be Remembered, You Must Have a Logo

Not true. Look at brands like Puffs (tissue) or Ziploc (plastic bags). These brands are conveyed with a simple stylized font with the product name. No swirls, no images, no “logo.” While logos certainly are not “bad,” they are also not mandatory.

Principle – Customers Remember You Primarily By How You Treat Them

The most innovative logo, the most attractive colors, and the world’s best designer will do you no good if you don’t offer excellent service. Customers remember you and your company by the way they are treated. Was their shopping experience good? Were all their questions answered? Were their problems solved to their satisfaction? These things to help customers remember you more than any logo could ever hope to.

Myth – Once Your Branding Strategy Is In Place, You Need Do Nothing More

This is probably the biggest myth of them all! Many businesses are led to believe that once they have an amazing [tag]USP[/tag] and a snappy logo they’ve accomplished everything in the realm of branding. Sadly however, just the opposite is true. Your brand strategy is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Defining your strategy is just one part of that process.

How do you want to be perceived by your customers? What should you portray: an image of trust? Loyalty? Dependability? Innovation? Wide selection? Speedy service & delivery? What makes you perceive other companies when you shop? Is it their selection? Customer service? Pricing? All of the above?

Make a list of the qualities you and your employees must display to customers in order to portray your desired brand. Share the list with everyone in your organization and ask them to develop specific ways they can support the brand. Compile a final branding strategy and share it with everyone in your organization. Make everyone your brand Ambassador; from the receptionist who answers the phone and greets clients, to the top honcho.

Successful brands are those that are well defined and that have the support of the entire organization. Brands based on myths are those that simply have a spiffy logo, a “killer” USP, and the hope that the customer will “get it.”