The Basics of Branding: How to Maximize Brand Efficiency and Boost Your Bottom Line

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2 The Basics of Branding: How to Maximize Brand Efficiency and Boost Your Bottom Line 1 The Basics of Branding: How to Maximize Brand Efficiency and Boost Your Bottom Line The Branding Evolution A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well. Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon.com Branding taps into the most basic of human emotions, but the process of connecting with customers and making your company stand out is not as simple as it used to be. Businesses used to rely on memorable taglines and logos to sell their products and services. However, in today s economy, it takes far more to acquire loyal customers and build a sustainable following. Now, a brand is represented by the sum of all the interactions a consumer has with your company. It requires attention to every little detail to create memorable experiences at each touchpoint from the first time a consumer is introduced to your brand, to the purchasing process, to the interactions with service associates, to the packaging, to the experience of opening and using the product or service. Designing a superior customer experience like this can be costly and resource-intensive, but the most effective businesses maximize their brand efficiency to deliver on their promises with the least amount of time and effort. By understanding the basics of branding and using resources as efficiently as possible, you can build a successful company inside and out, attract more customers, and increase revenue.

3 2 J The Basics of Branding: How to Maximize Brand Efficiency and Boost Your Bottom Line Benefits of Branding Businesses that develop a strong brand see valuable benefits both internally and externally, such as: Standing out against competitors and peers Helping current and potential customers remember your company in a clear and positive way Building a compelling experience that attracts new patrons and increases repeat business Improving trust, loyalty, quality perception, and word-of-mouth referrals Boosting revenue Increasing employee satisfaction and retention Any business can achieve these benefits with extensive funds, but the most profitable ones do so by focusing on a few critical branding elements and using resources wisely.

4 The Basics of Branding: How to Maximize Brand Efficiency and Boost Your Bottom Line How to Build a Successful Brand Many companies believe a catchy name, logo, and colors are all that is required to create an effective brand. Although these are valuable for recognition, successful brands understand that the small details and overall experience are equally important. The elements that create a meaningful brand experience and contribute to your bottom line include: Visuals: Your audience visually identifies your brand through logos, colors, typefaces, design, packaging, and more. Verbal: Your brand s story is communicated through carefully crafted messaging with a unique personality, voice, and tone. Sensory: Memorable experiences captivate all of the senses and use every touch, sound, taste, and smell as an opportunity to send a message. Company culture and logistics: An effective brand starts within your company s walls. Having efficient internal processes, workflows, and supply chains, as well as a distinct company culture, trickle down into the service that team members provide for your audience. Customer experience: All of these elements culminate into a remarkable experience that is consistent through all touchpoints, connects with your customers emotions, and resonates long after the interaction ends.

5 4 J The Basics of Branding: How to Maximize Brand Efficiency and Boost Your Bottom Line Maximizing Brand Efficiency to Increase Profits Many companies spend years and millions of dollars developing their brand, but those who maximize their brand efficiency can do so with far less time and effort. These businesses focus on developing integrated capabilities that quickly build trust with consumers and increase their loyalty. By investing in a few key areas, you can establish productive and transparent processes, reduce time to market for new products and services, and build deeper relationships with your audience. Brand Efficiency Brand The most efficient way to produce anything is to bring together under one management as many as possible of the activities needed to turn out the product Peter Drucker, Writer and Management Consultant Marketing Your Product Develop Messaging Product Packaging Logistics & Placement Operational Tech (IT) Loyalty Brand services: Development Enhancement Extension Digital asset and control mgt. Private labelling Print, digital, and social media advertising Material sourcing Full lifecycle job management Design Material and alternative substrate sourcing Prototyping and testing Mfg. expertise Full lifecycle job management Warehousing Inventory mgt. Transport Freight brokerage Global cartage Complete SC transparency eprocurement/ efulfillment Transactional integration Full lifecycle collaboration Mobile and digital interaction Advanced analytics Speed Elevated Customer Experience

6 The Basics of Branding: How to Maximize Brand Efficiency and Boost Your Bottom Line 5 Marketing: Marketing efforts often get complex and intertwined as your company grows and more stakeholders get involved. Efficiency can be improved in this area by creating a central repository for digital files that can be shared across all channels and partners. Having a digital asset management system reduces time spent finding and sharing information, recreating lost assets, and building new campaigns. Messaging: Keeping messaging consistent across all business units and stakeholders can take a significant amount of effort, time, and money. You can make this process more efficient by insisting on collaboration between your marketing and communication partners, implementing print management software to create print uniformity, and creating standards for suppliers to follow. Packaging: Designing attractive packaging that communicates your message is a key component of product development and branding, but maximizing efficiency in this area goes far beyond the box. It involves optimizing your design process, material sourcing, prototyping, testing, manufacturing, supplier relationships, and more. Packaging can be a significant undertaking, but continuously improving these areas can greatly decrease expenses and improve brand perception. Logistics: Production and delivery are often afterthoughts during the branding and development process. However, designing your product or service with the whole life cycle in mind (including transportation, warehousing, and inventory management) can increase speed to market and reduce costs. Technology: Technology plays a critical role in making your business more productive and lowering costs. Automating processes and integrating systems in areas like material ordering and customer communication can uncover additional efficiencies and produce long-term benefits for your bottom line.

7 6 J The Basics of Branding: How to Maximize Brand Efficiency and Boost Your Bottom Line Take the Next Steps Toward Building a Successful Brand Remarkable brands are not built in a day, but dedication over time delivers invaluable benefits. By paying attention to the little details and maximizing brand efficiency, your business can craft consistent experiences that exceed your customers expectations, create a strong company culture, and improve your bottom line. Optimizing your brand requires a talented team and strategic partners to make your vision a reality. Unisource Worldwide has helped companies around the globe grow their brand with innovative marketing, messaging, packaging, logistics, and IT solutions. We have worked tirelessly to reimagine efficiency and develop state-of-the-art solutions that transform businesses, including print management technology, award-winning packaging design, and more. For more information on how we could maximize your brand efficiency and boost your bottom line, contact us at Unisource or.