When it comes to your business, it is important to build reputation and identity in order to send out the right image to current and prospective customers. Marketing is a term often thrown around when businesses are trying to sell a product or service, but how many companies fully understand what marketing is and how it differs from your brand?
While branding and marketing are both very important to the success of your business, they are very different. All companies must sell in some way, even if you are a nonprofit organization. Your marketing and branding strategies play a huge part in how you sell not only your product but the image of your company. After all, it's your reputation that helps build awareness in the face of new customers!
How Does Branding Differ From Marketing?
Branding should be seen as something much bigger than marketing; it is the expression of the truth and values of an organization, showing the characteristics, values, and attributes associated with the company. Your brand is so much more than a good logo or a well-designed website; it is ultimately what drives people to become loyal customers.
Brand Strategies and Why You Need One
Having a brand strategy in place for your business has many benefits. It sets you apart from your competitors and can help you deliver focused marketing material with unified messaging. Brand strategy also builds on your company's identity and gives your business a concentrated concept.
There are various promotional strategies you can adopt to support your brand and help push it to the next level. Your ultimate goal should be to create a brand that is at the forefront of thought when your ideal customer is making a purchasing decision.
Promotional Giveaways as a Branding Tactic
Creating and handing out promotional gifts is a great way to allow a potential customer to sample your product. If you are a service-based company, promotional merchandise may just put your brand in the minds of your consumers and become your very own advertisement. If your branded product is useful and relevant to your target audience, it will no doubt be used in public, which can create more exposure.
In a recent study, 71% of consumers said they felt happy when receiving branded merchandise. That happiness is quickly associated with your brand.
Not only does promotional merchandise give your customers the warm-fuzzies, it's also the most effective marketing tool for every demographic: from millennials and Gen Xers to baby boomers and the silent generation.
Imagine giving a client a pen that doesn't work. Can you picture them frustrated, shaking the pen, and looking at it only to see your logo? If this happens, your company has been associated with a product that is unreliable. This is why it's so important to properly vet products and suppliers, and take the time to build a brand strategy that you can execute with ease. With proper planning, promotional giveaways are a proven tactic for boosting sales, increasing brand recognition, and helping promote the attributes that comprise your "brand."
If you're ready to build your brand, or are looking for advice on how to increase awareness, get in touch with Axis Promotions to start a promotional product strategy today.
