Brand Image and Brand Identity to Gain Competitive Advantage

Most business owners and entrepreneurs ignore brand identity and image. They do not focus on branding, thinking it is a secondary aspect and assuming that it will grow as the company grows. Here is a reality check, the market is continuously growing, and competition is cut-throat. If you aren’t consistent with your brand, the consumer might soon forget you and switch to another brand. There is also a possibility that the consumer liked the service or product you were providing but could not recall your company's name or logo. Also, it is significant to note that branding isn’t just fancy logos and designs. An entire user experience creates an anchoring emotion in the customer’s mind. Note that brand image and identity aren’t the same things, and brand identity is just a by-product of brand image.

A good brand image is the foundation of a strong brand identity, and here are a few reasons as to why you should build a strong brand identity:

1. Gain customer loyalty: Once you have a strong brand identity and assure the best service to your customers, they will keep coming back to your brand and promote it for free through word-of-mouth marketing. Earning the trust and credibility of the consumer becomes easier as a company with an identity looks more authentic and reliable.
2. Price Premium: A strong brand identity increases the value of the company and its products and services. People do not mind shredding out a few extra bucks on a brand of their liking, as they know the quality and service associated with the brand. 
3. Personification: When you personify your brand into a person, with its purpose, story, and things it stands for, it gets easier for the audience to relate with it and feel a closer connection. Shared values and hobbies can build a strong customer relationship between the audience and the brand.
4. Unique identity: It gives you the chance to stand out from the present market competition. If you have a strong identity, a logo or tagline alone is enough to trigger the brand name in the user's mind. 
5. Leverage it in the future: Once you have built a strong relationship with consumers through your brand identity, the release and launch of any future products and services become easier. It can save tons of money on marketing as the audience will immediately relate to the new product and service based on the existing brand image. It is not just a short-term thing; it is a long-term journey. 
6. Helps in decision making: Usually, before making a purchase, the first-time customers have their reservations and doubts, but when the brand identity is strong, the customer knows what to expect from the brand, and the decision-making process is cut short. 

9 Ways To Transform Your Brand Image To Gain Competitive Advantage

These are nine ways that can significantly influence the way the audience and the customers perceive your brand:

1. Mission, Vision, and Goal: Before you start the journey, sit down and ask yourself what the purpose of your organization is — that’s your mission. The second step is to ask where you want your organization to be in the next five years. That is your vision. The last step is to identify what issue your company is solving, and there you have the company goal. The mission, vision, and goal statements reflect the company's ambition, and it gives the entire team a common motivation or goal to work towards. 
2. Invest in professionals: Do not settle for less. Your brand deserves the best, and so do your customers. Invest in professional brand designs, a poorly made logo or brand guidelines can crush the image to the ground, but a good logo and design can help the brand reach new heights. 
3. Define your target audience: Decide your target audience, and study the consumer behavior of this particular group. Ask yourself what values they care about and how to earn their brand loyalty, and then make a strategy and plan. Once you know your target audience, you can design the services and products around their necessities and needs. 
4. Brand positioning statement: A brand positioning statement is different from the mission, vision, goals, and tagline. It is the soul of the brand. It contains the purpose of the products and services provided by the company and how they are unique and different from the competitors in the market.
5. Brand personality: Personify your brand by giving it its voice and personality. Based on your target audience, define the personality of your brand that would be easy to relate to and relevant. Choose the voice of the brand that will resonate with the target audience. 
6. Social media and digital presence: Everything is slowly becoming virtual. Therefore consistent virtual presence is necessary. A strong digital presence that is also consistent can draw more attention and attract new customers. Posting regularly on digital and social media platforms might not seem lucrative, but it is the easiest way to get attention and build a solid foundation for the brand identity. 
7. Public relations: Do not leave public relations behind. Public relation is the most straightforward way to present yourself in the good limelight across the world. A good public relations strategy can earn you loyal customers and a bunch of goodwill. Public relations is a way to show your audience what you stand for, your brand’s story, and what you plan to accomplish in the future.  
8. Quality customer service: Customers are the main focus of any brand. Good customer service translates to good customer retention. If you keep your customers happy, they will stick by you throughout the journey. Listening to the needs and demands of the customers and acting on them is necessary to stay relevant in the market. 
9. Staying consistent with your brand: Follow the brand and communication guidelines religiously so the brand is stuck in the users’ minds. Even a glance at the tagline, logo, or color scheme should be enough for the audience to identify the brand. 

Building a brand identity on proper strategy and concept is essential. When you spend time and money on proper brand building requirements, the user can easily relate to it. A good brand identity relies on a good brand image, and a good brand image relies on the concept and strategy behind the entire branding process. 

A part of branding is also providing your consumer with the best products. Consider sourcing your apparel from reliable and experienced manufacturers. Fashinza can help you with sourcing premium quality goods and takes care of the entire process from design to delivery. Rest assured, you can focus on the other areas of your business while Fashinza takes over the rest. 

In conclusion, design your brand image so that everything is closely knit and the user leaves satisfied with the service and the product. It takes years to build a reputation, but with the right techniques, it only takes a few months to build a good customer retention brand.