Develop a strong brand in 7 steps

People come and go, and as long as there isn't a unique individual whose reputation and market presence is so strong that what they say or do can influence general opinion, not much will change. An organization's reputation is what sticks and reputation comes on foot but goes on horseback. In this blog, I would like to tell you about the steps that every organization must take to achieve a strong and successful brand.

Why is brand development important?

Brand development, in other words: the development of a strong brand, ensures that an organization can take a strong position in the market, claim a preferential position in people's brains and that trust is high up front. In times of high competition and low loyalty, it is therefore a must-have to be a brand that is top-of-mind with the target group (in a positive way).

Your brand's evolution of revolution

For organizations that are just starting out (start-ups) or have decided to change course rigorously, we talk about a revolution in brand development. There is nothing left or the organization is actually starting from scratch again. Of course, it's good to look at your competitors with an oblique eye, there are plenty of examples of organizations that are doing great (we all know Coolblue and Bol.com), but my advice as an organization is to mainly work with “yourself”. How to do that? By opting for an authentic approach to brand development. This is also easier to maintain in the (medium) long term.

But even if an organization has been around for a long time and things are well on track, it is good to be aware of brand development. We are then talking about an evolution. Continue developing what is already there (and is/is working well) and making adjustments based on progressive insight, changing market, new course, etc. It is important to continuously test whether who you are, what you do and say and what you express as an organization fits reality and is in line with each other.

7 success factors for a strong brand

1. Identity

Of course, we'll start with the basics. Who is the company? What is the intrinsic motivation and why did the company ever start? What may have changed along the way and how is the organization now in the competition. What is the mission and vision, but more importantly, what is your WHY? Your purpose? By the way, my advice is not only to review this again in the boardroom, but also to involve the employees. After all, they work for the organization every day and have valuable insights that will surprise management and management. As an organization, also look outside. Why do companies actually do business with you (or why not...), what do suppliers think of you and what about any partners? This provides a good insight into the environment and allows you to specify who the organization really is in a very specific way.

2. Positioning and proposition (message)

You are not alone. Actually, it doesn't matter what a company does, there is always competition. The only question is how much competition is there and how distinctive can an organization be. So decide what makes the organization different from everyone else and why people should choose this brand. (Here, too, the advice not to navel gaze, just ask current customers!) If you, as an organization, know which spot in the market suits you well (positioning) and the message (proposition) is clear, the company can get started with editing the target group. By the way, make sure that the proposition is realistic. No false promises or unclear messages. Ambition should certainly come back to it, as long as you can keep what you promise. A good tool to help with steps 1 and 2 is Esch's Brand Steering Wheel.
This provides a super-strong foundation for an organization's brand development. It has four elements:

1. Brand competence (What do you have to offer?)
2. Brand tonalities (Who are you?)
3. Brand picture (How to get over?)
4. Brand benefits (What are your benefits?)

3. Target group

Who is actually the target group? And no: “Everyone” is not the answer here. By clearly and clearly defining the target group, it can also be reached better. So: focus, focus, focus. Personas can help with this. Really spend time and energy in determining the target group. Take a look at the sites of CBS, UWV and the SER, where you will find a lot of information and data. But there are also numerous industry reports (paid and free) and, of course, Google will soon be your best friend. And I almost forget it; but don't forget to dive into Google Analytics to get more insight into current website visitors. This way, you will soon be able to use your energy (reading time and money) in a very controlled manner to achieve the marketing KPIs.

4. Name, logo, tagline

What's in a name? Hip foal! A name contributes to familiarity and emotional connection. A wrong name can really detract from the brand and even cost customers. The Corona beer brand lost 258 million dollars in sales in the first 2 months of 2020 because it was associated with the COVID-19 virus. Unlucky, of course, for the beer brand, because a few years ago, who would have imagined that a global virus would break out with that name... But when a company is called Potter and they bake bread, that also creates uncertainty and takes extra efforts to tell the target group exactly what the company does. In principle, names that are difficult to spell, unclear names and derivative names (from the competition) are also in principle a no-go. There is a good chance that the target group, if they are already looking for you, will accidentally end up with the competitor. In addition, an organization can invest extra, especially in this digital world, to make it clear to people what it should be. Learn more about developing a brand name here.

Once a company has (had) developed (and established), it is time to (have) a beautiful logo designed (or have it designed). Here, too, the following applies: do it with care and attention. Does it match the services that the company has to offer. Is it sleek and business or hip and modern? It must suit the organization, but certainly also appeal to the target group. They must have a certain association with a look at the logo. And, of course, I mean positive. The choice of color and font are also extremely important here. Colors evoke emotions (also note the differences abroad) and the readability of the chosen font is a thing, though. How annoying when your company name is X, but people read Y.

5. Don't forget the website!

The website is actually the most important brand development tool out there. It is the place where the target group comes into contact with the organization, learns more about the company, seeks confirmation and (hopefully) starts doing business. Although there are of course more factors involved in the choice of a potential customer, a visit to the website can ensure that no business will be done anyway. So take the website seriously and make that visitor a positive booker! Think about the message on the site, the user-friendliness (user experience), the navigation and the relationship between image and text (and how both contribute to the brand experience).

6. Develop the marketing toolkit

All the preconditions are there to get started with the brand. Make sure there are sufficient materials and resources available to manipulate the market. This includes videos, presentations, fact sheets, brochures, advertisements, blogs, white papers, references, etc. Developing a good content strategy and social media campaign also contributes to the development of a strong brand.

7. Let's do this!

Last but certainly not least... A plan will only be successful if it is actually implemented. Just do it! It has been well thought out, others are involved. Trust the plan... But stay critical. Keep an eye on whether the implementation is being done as agreed and what the results are. Make adjustments where necessary, make additional tests both internally and externally. And know that developing (and maintaining) a strong brand isn't something that happens in a day. It takes time and attention. Always.

With these steps, there is a good basis for the development of a rock-solid brand. The most important thing is that this involves looking beyond the boardroom, being critical and honest and spending time and attention on all facets of the brand.