A great brand is hard to find and even harder to build. It doesn’t matter if your company is Wal-Mart, your own small grocery store or yourself, every one of them want a great brand, one that exemplifies its best qualities and makes every customer want to purchase its products or services. No one-element makes up a brand. It is both a physical and emotional trigger to create a relationship between consumers and the product or service.
What are the qualities, the attributes, that turn a brand into a great one? I’ll try to put up a list of them here, and I’m looking forward for the readers of this blog to fill in the gaps that might come up:
1. An idea
Behind every brand is a compelling idea, which captures customers’ attention and loyalty by filling an unmet or unsatisfied need.
2. Uniqueness
Does it differentiate you from the other organization in your market?
3. Attractiveness
Does your brand appeal to people? A great brand makes sure that consumers can understand your promise and are attracted by it.
4. Honesty
Customers want to believe the promises made, and they are quick to spot insincerity and over-exaggerated claims. Make sure your brand promises are achievable and can get to the customer.
5. Consistency
Regardless of brand choice and implementation, consistency is one key attribute of a great brand. You must ensure that every aspect of your organization, from marketing materials and Web sites to customer service personnel, maintains the values outlined in your brand.
6. Long term thinking
A long-term approach, makes easier for a brand to travel worldwide, transcend cultural barriers, speak to multiple consumer segments simultaneously, create economies of scale, and let you operate at the higher end of the positioning spectrum. Consumers are looking for something that has lasting value.
7. Relevancy
A great brand has to be relevant. It has to meet what people want, it performs the way people want it to.