First impressions matter
With today’s internet-savvy consumers, brands must work more efficiently to reach potential customers and stand out against competitors. From the first glance, a customer will judge a brand’s ability to fulfil their expectations. Does it seem professional? Is it trustworthy? Will it deliver value for money? Unfortunately, these questions can’t be answered by a simple logo made the week before, and it all comes down to research. In other words, it’s the work behind the scenes that will add value to your brand and through which every element (be it the logo, colour, use of typography, imagery) is crafted to pull its weight to draw in clients.
Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability
Jason Hartman
Deal or no Deal
A fully realised brand will consolidate who you are, who your audience is, and your place in the market. Not only are these insights crucial for building a brand, but they also lay the foundation for any future marketing campaigns. With customer and competitor profiles under your belt, you can focus resources on promotions that cut to the chase and drive consumer engagement.
Moreover, the quality of your brand affects the perceived value of your market offerings and will allow you to raise prices. Customers expect and will accept higher prices from high-end brands. On the other hand, inconsistent branding will send mixed signals and damage consumer confidence causing clients to look elsewhere.
Repetition makes reputation, and reputation makes customers
Elizabeth Arden
Longevity
Allocating a tight budget to your brand might seem like the right idea in the rush to launch your business but prematurely releasing brand assets will do more harm than good. Piecing something together for the here and now runs the risk of misrepresenting your business and will lead customers to form wrong associations that may be difficult to unlearn. As such, by taking extra care from the outset you’ll save time and money in the long run by avoiding mistakes on account of insufficient research and development.
Similarly, the quickest solution will not lead to the best outcome. Convenient or impulsive brand decisions won’t stand the test of time and you may find yourself outgrowing them very quickly. Look at it as an investment and divide the cost by the number of years you hope to maintain the brand. In this way, you can determine the value of your brand and the returns in consumer engagement and brand loyalty.
Your personal brand serves as your best protection against business factors you can’t control
