You Can Learn a Lot from a Cheeseburger. Branding Concepts Easily Understood.

Ahhhh Branding..We hear about it all the time in marketing but what is it exactly?  Much like the Golden Arches, the second we see them what happens to us psychologically?  When the famous bitten apple logo is seen on a new product does it make us curious? Do we know that a band-aid bandage will  not only stop the bleeding, but won't stick and pull the hairs off our arms?  Branding is many things.  If you own a company and you aren't aware of what branding is, I guarantee you are losing business on a  daily basis.  In this blog you will learn a few things about what it takes to build a brand, what branding is, and what branding isn't.

Due to the importance and critical nature of branding for a company, I'll make this simple. Branding takes three things to be effective:

1. Time
2. Hard Work 
3. Money

Branding takes time to develop.  There is no quick fix on this one people.  There is no such thing as
"Get it and Go" marketing in this arena.  Branding takes a lot of hard work.  You need to know your audience, Know what they need and want, know how to fix their problems.  It takes hard work determining what type of benefits your products offer and how you will differentiate and be unique to the consumer. Branding also takes money.  Face it, whether we want to or not, marketing and advertising costs money. However, that money is an investment and in order to see your R.O.I.  A small investment can turn into large dollars as long as the right communication gets out there creating a clear image.

Creating a clear image is a mind boggling experience.  Mind boggling is right, due to the fact that branding is part of a psychological response.  Do your clients remember you? Do they get a warm feeling when they think about your company? Do they trust you? A person should be able to make a decision about a business in 3 seconds or less and they should remember it. Branding not only should be memorable, but it should be motivating and create loyalty.

According to an article from Forbes Branding is your companies promise, you know what you're going to get, and you know what the attributes  the company has.  It's the companies path.

When we think about branding We can think that we aren't taking a road well traveled.  We are taking the client down OUR road and it's the only road in the whole wide world that has our lanscape,  it's unique.  The client can only get what we offer, in our way, with our stuff!

To make it easy here are some elements of branding:

• Branding is your Look
• How they will remember you
• What type of character your business has
• What type of service your business offers
• Branding is your personality
• Branding is your voice
• Most of all Branding is what you promise

One thing that we should be aware of is that branding never changes.  In an article by CBS they reported in June of 2011 that Jack in the box sales were down 62%.  A lot of the blame was on the economy along with other multiple factors,  but Jack in the Box's marketing plan changed.  Besides the egg rolls and tacos on the menu, they changed the face of the Jack in the Box with their new motto "Just Jack".   With their almost risky, sexual innuendo's commercials (a Carl's Jr. Theme), they seem to be all over the map with their marketing strategies.  We aren't even sure they sell cheeseburgers any longer.

Carl's Junior however, utilizes the sexual innuendo marketing ploy very well when it comes to their target audience.  Clearly when watching their commercials we are aware that they are geared up for Men between the ages 18-35. (video below) Carl's Jr. promotes almost entirely to that crowd.  But the question is do they sell burgers?

In QSR's 50 ranking special report they announced McDonald's as being the top seller, while Carl's Jr ranked at #23 and Krystal's ranked #50.  Krystal's is trying to brand themselves as the Sports or halftime fast food joint. With Krystal's coming in at #50 and Carl's Jr at #23,  one can only assume that when it comes to branding,  if it doesn't sell it isn't creative.  Marketing is meant to take you to the next level.  It should bring you higher up the food chain even if you aren't selling food.  A well thought out branding strategy is imperative for any business to thrive.  If you aren't sure what your brand is or don't have a crystal clear (sorry Krystal's, whoever you are) image to your audience, you will be sure to fail.

A full branding business plan is the only way to ensure that you will be successful.  Calling on a professional to assist is often a great way to invest your marketing dollars.
Be sure to take time to plan, and invest time as well as money.  Going the cheap route, not having realistic expectations and marketing goals will only cost you more in the end. A successful marketing plan will put more dollars in your pocket later on and will enable your business to grow to that next level.

EveGreyProductions is a video marketing and branding firm.  We offer many services other than video production and can really help you define your branding needs.  We do full 1 hour analysis of your market, your viewers and your branding design. Call today for consultation 619-288-9350.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-48541027/has-jack-in-the-box-lost-brand-focus/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/loisgeller/2012/05/23/a-brand-is-a-specialized/
http://www.qsrmagazine.com/reports/2011-qsr-50?page=10