Brand Marketing Is More Than A Logo
Branding is perhaps the most misunderstood concept in marketing. To some, Branding seems to entail merely having a logo design while others define it as 'senseless' sponsorships of events. Both of these are limited views that miss the value and long-term power of Branding.
A Brand identifies your organization from all others and should genuinely embody the unique identity of your organization. A Brand should symbolize your organization's unique attributes and speak to the correct audience. Your brand is the focal point for the summation of all external perceptions about your organization. Brand Marketing is the overall container of all marketing activities within an organization. Advertising, Press Relations, Events, etc. are each elements which serve the larger task of marketing your brand.
The value of Brand Marketing is often questioned, especially by small business owners. "How will Brand Marketing help my business? What I need are sales, not name recognition..." While this view is understandable, it is nonetheless short sighted because the dividends of Brand Marketing help you reach potential customers who are more likely to purchase your product. This means less wasted effort and energy seeking customers who aren't likely to buy from you, and more time sharpening and refining your value proposition to the audience who will.
Let's put it in practical terms - consider an example of a real estate agent who advertises on a Mobile Billboard. Over the course of several months, the agent's name and picture are shown over and over again in a defined geographic area. This may seem like a simple advertising gambit - "Call me for your next your house purchase". In reality, however, it's marketing in support of the agent's unique Brand. Don't think of the primary objective being to have someone contact the agent simply because they see the billboard - that's a flawed expectation because the reality is that consumers generally need the services of a real-estate agent only very infrequently, and those that are in need at the present time are more likely than not to have already secured an agent. So if driving leads isn't the main purpose, then what is? In this example, the billboard is helping the real estate agent create a brand relationship with a mass audience of consumers and that relationship is consistently reinforced and strengthened over the duration of the campaign. The goal of the Mobile Billboard campaign, therefore, is only secondarily about generating phone calls directly from the billboard. The primary objective is to help the real-estate agent become top of mind, the most recognizable and regarded expert in the field when - and even before - the need for a real estate agent arises for the consumer.
Viewed from this perspective, the benefit of running a Mobile Billboard Campaign for twelve months instead of one month is obvious. Billboards allow advertisers to define the visual image and perception of their Brand, and extended duration equals increased frequency and repetition. Slowly but surely, Brand Marketing allows your company to move above the ranks of commodity suppliers to be perceived as an expert and authority, or - more precisely - as the being a leader at delivering the specific attributes embodied by your unique Brand.
Brand Marketing isn't about flash in the pan advertising to generate immediate sales next week. It's a long-term process that elevates the value of your brand and organization by reducing hidden and wasted marketing costs and improving profit margins.
Call us to discuss ways to market your brand with an effective mobile billboard campaign.
