Business monitor Sept:Layout 1 17/08/2009 14:00 Page 22
BUSINESS MONITOR
you are selling, a re-design is indicated. Don't be sold retail or two thousand delivered to a
!
It is essential to
scared by this - brands develop their identity all business. For retail sales a carrier should act both
the time. as advertising for your brand and a style statement
create an identity that
In addition to the corporate brand you may well for the customer, publicly stating their allegiance
wish to have a product brand name(s). The key to your brand. Make it worthy of that allegiance;
defines your business, benefit of this route is that printwear products can think how people re-use Harrods bags and aim for
which is instantly
have a relatively short life cycle and you don’t the same value.
want your corporate brand associated with an For corporate sales consider having boxes printed
recognisable and which can
outdated line. as the big brands do. At the very least apply big
work in a whole host of
Don’t get desperately hung up on creating brand bold sticky labels. Corporate customers are as
names. What you build into the brand – its values responsive to the brand promise as private
settings. It can then
- matter more than the name. Two examples: Rolls individuals.
Royce is the name of a rich financier and a clever Most suppliers to P&P readers already have their
become your engineer put together but look what it means. own brands – some have several for various
corporate brand.
Clever creatives would probably sneer at a purposes. I believe that there is a serious business
business making software for micro computers opportunity available to them in creating the
that called itself Microsoft but…it doesn’t need brand building package for the more far-sighted
continued from previous page
"
saying does it? printers and embroiderers. Therein lies a long-term
That said, brand names can tell customers about commercial relationship. They should also look at
extra you have spent" or, indeed, “despite the low the product proposition. Kosset Carpets suggest the independent retail rag trade where small
price this product is good enough to carry our luxury. If you want racking and you want it fast, businesses have grown big by generating big sales
brand”. you’re going to pick Rapid Racking’s number out from their own brands. Nor is this a threat to their
Along with consistency you create uniqueness. of Yellow Pages. If you can create a name that has own brands, or devaluing the investment they’ve
Once you have sold a customer Mibrand, they this type of benefit you can enhance the value of put in. Far from it. Lots of businesses build a brand
have to come back to you if they want the your brand. In these two cases the customer based on selling other people’s high quality brands
identical item – it isn’t available anywhere else. Do wouldn’t expect bargain prices either – speed and My final reason for going down this route is about
corporate buyers do this? Quite simply, yes. They luxury attract a premium. pride. It’s one of the seven deadly sins but
bought your proposition the first time; the brand Next apply your identity with rigour. Colours, businesses with their own brand feel a sense of
delivered its promise. It ain’t broke, don’t mend it. typefaces, layout are always, always precisely the self-belief, of confidence, which others lack. That’s
What then are the tools for building a brand? Let’s same. I can't stress this too much - if you're so-so a special ingredient in every sales opportunity – a
start by looking at advertising, because there’s a about creating your corporate identity or lazy winner.
perception that brand building is all about big about its application, you'll never build a brand. I Putting the full brand package together is no five
budget advertising. Brands do spend in the media would also strongly recommend spending some minute task. It evolves over time. But, to return to
– because it works – it’s that consistency thing money with a designer who has experience of that religious thing, a brand is something you and
again. Advertising is an inherent part of the brand developing brand identity. The final result will be your team can believe in and something your
development process but there are steps to take better. customers can trust. Fully exploited those
before that investment delivers the return. At the risk of teaching granny to suck eggs, the sentiments are value you can take to the bank.
It is essential to create an identity that defines basic rules are to use clear typefaces and strong
your business, which is instantly recognisable and colour combinations. Consider the brands you Paul Clapham is a marketing consultant with over
which can work in a whole host of settings. It can personally like and by all means follow them. There 25 years’ experience covering a broad range of
then become your corporate brand. If you feel that is a further trick worth considering: use a dog as business sectors and a full spread of marketing
yours is dated or no longer reflects the qualities the brand symbol. No, I am not barking mad. disciplines. He works with small, medium and large
Consistently three of the most successful UK companies alike to increase their profitability
brands are Dulux, Churchill Insurance and Andrex through marketing. Tel: 01453 765432
– all associated with man’s best friend. They also
feature very high on customer satisfaction
surveys. There is zero logic in this, but I’m a
great believer in copying what works in other
business sectors.
Then apply it everywhere. Your stationery,
vehicles and advertising are the obvious start
points. At your premises, apply your brand
identity at every opportunity where the
customer's eyeline naturally goes to. So, from
the pavement forward, this would include front
of house signage, window displays/posters,
decal on front door, floor graphics or, more
expensively, woven into the carpet, point-of-
sale material, ticketing, garment labelling.
How you present the delivered
product is important
whether it’s two or
three items
| 22 | September 2009 www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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