How Your Brand Affects Your Business

Branding is an important element for your business; it is the image that you present to the world. What type of image do you intend to present – a serious therapeutic and medically oriented style, more laid back and relaxed or perhaps elegant and elite? You can develop your brand from your business vision, your archetype style or just refine your current style into something more cohesive, definable and polished.

Whether you realize it or not your business in the eyes of your market currently has a brand identify, either designed by default or on purpose. Take a look at your materials and see how your company is being presented, look at them with fresh eyes, or have someone else take a look and tell you what they see. Consider the following when looking at your brand:

• What feelings do your materials invoke?
• Are they compelling and draw one in, or do they just fade into the background of all the chatter out there in the marketing world?
• What story is your brand telling and is it the one you intend to tell?

Brand purpose: a logical snapshot of what you provide the market and the manner in which you do it.

Brand points of difference: what things are truly distinct from your competitors? For example great customer service is important, but it is not a point of difference; many of your competitors will claim the same thing. A point of difference can include a visual symbol, story, color scheme, proprietary process or product, your niche or a combination of several of these.

Brand promise: the emotional side of your purpose. If you were a tailor, your purpose would be to make and alter clothes and your promise would be to give people confidence when their clothing fits just right.

As you can see branding is more than just a look and logo – it is your promise to your clients and therefore is something that permeates your company. It is the attitude and actions of your staff, the presentation of your services and the total experience of your clients. Your décor will also reflect your brand, so being clear on your brand will allow you to present a cohesive polished look, feel and experience to your clients.

Some examples of branding:

Medically-oriented – this type of brand may perhaps have a more medical look and feel to the logo. The office is more likely to be a more contemporary clinical and very clean look. Credentials would be very important to display, marketing materials would perhaps include testimonials about very specific issues that were resolved. Charting and notes would be kept on each session as well as formal treatment plans. The colors would more than likely be cooler and softer.

Relaxed look – this type of brand would be more relaxed in approach, exude a very friendly atmosphere and appear more casual. The studio is more likely to range from traditional to eclectic furnishings and feel. Marketing materials would focus on the ease of receiving treatments at the client’s convenience. More upbeat color palates would be utilized to create an instantly comfortable and inviting style.

Elegant style – this type of brand would be reminiscent of higher priced spas, exude a confident and quiet atmosphere. The look would be sleeker and very polished, inviting yet perhaps a little aloof. Marketing materials would likely focus on the more unusual services unique to the area and perhaps include seasonal experiences. Colors would reflect a more elegant, luxurious style.

Some other styles might be urban chic, a tranquil oasis, indulgent sanctuary, rustic glamor – what spirit of setting reflects your company brand?

Branding is a key component of any company’s success so take the time to create a brand that will stand out and reflect your vision.