Why homegrown heroes thrive with brand confidence

Being a legendary brand doesn't mean you have to want to be the next Starbucks. It simply means being a brand that's well-presented, well-known and well-thought-of. You can be legendary, and still local. 

There are many examples in Norfolk and East Anglia of great companies and organisations with fantastic brands that can be considered legendary within their sector. Recently we worked with Dipple & Conway on their brand identity – that’s a legendary brand.

Brands like these are kitted out professionally and meaningfully. They’ve built strong reputations. They're able to tell engaging stories that connect with people. In short, they have big brand confidence. 

Be first in the 'I need' moment

The reality is your audience don’t think about you quite as much as you (or I) would like to think. But every customer has the 'I need' moment, and when they do, strong, confident brands are often the ones that are there first in that moment. They're easily recalled, because someone has reason to remember them. (Brand geeks call it ‘Mental Availability’).

‘Confidence’, what do we mean?

Confidence comes from belief in the way the business shows up – in branding, communications and campaigns. How it looks, what it says, and how it says it. Building confidence relies on having clarity and conviction in your messages and the ability to stand out from the crowd. Not all businesses are there yet. 

Why brands lose confidence

• Branding looks tired – like a weathered old fence unlikely to survive another storm
• A changing strategy – branding needs updating to reflect the new direction
• There's uncertainty – the identity and messaging is confused 
• There are practical issues or a lack of consistency in using the brand  
• Disappointing results results from marketing activity
• Lost in the crowd – not standing out from the competitors

The four essentials of big brand confidence

1. Professional presentation - visual identity and personality/tone
2. Clarity in positioning - knowing your audience, purpose, and differentiation
3. Visibility and communication - marketing campaigns and communications that increase visibility and grow reputation
4. Internal alignment - ensuring colleagues embody your values and purpose

Thinking of bringing brand confidence to the boardroom table? Here’s a couple of key business points for the business case…

Customers are willing to pay more 

Brands carrying a positive reputation have the power to charge more – you create a sense of worth beyond the bare product / service. If you find yourself in a line-up with your competition, you want customers to choose your brand because of perceived quality, not price alone.

A few things that will help with that…

• Make the right impression - your logo, colour scheme, typography etc are consistent and mean something to your customers. 
  
  
• Storytelling - invite your audience in. Share your brand story, but take a supporting role. Make your customers the hero. And in anything you say, demonstrate that you walk the walk, not just talk a good game. Proof points we say. 
  
  
• Experience – this is so important in modern marketing. Differentiated, meaningful experiences (online and offline) help to shape positive perceptions. A business that invests in its brand creates an experience – a way of differentiating what the customer experiences – something memorable. Shareable even! 

For good times, and bad times 

Companies with strong brands are less vulnerable to market disruptors. Business can be seen as one big competition for customers – a strong brand can help you win. Especially, in tough economic climates where there are less customers in the market.

Unless you have the marketing budget to be everywhere all of the time, you need your brand to do some of the work and help build strong connections with your customers. Customer loyalty is hard won and easily lost. Legendary brands are those whose name alone commands loyalty which gives it an advantage over the rest of the brands in that market.

Getting started is easier than you think

Marketing is like asking someone out on a date and branding is giving them a reason to say yes. We're already helping businesses like yours improve their confidence and become better known,, better presented and better thought of in their sectors, with crafted design and powerful messaging that commands attention along with marketing and communications to help grow visibility. 

Are you left questioning your confidence levels? Take our quick Brand Confidence Test – in under two minutes you’ll get your score and some actionable guidance and tips.

Get ready to show up more confidently than ever before.