We still believe that Hovis is the bread with “nowt taken out“, which makes the Hovis brand hugely valuable despite a whole new generation of branded breads. We know that Coca-Cola is “the real thing“, and that any other cola must be an imposter. At the less well known end of the scale, we trust Little Tykes, the local nursery school, because we’ve read good reports about it in the press, friends have spoken well of it and the premises look smart and well-cared for.

These beliefs translate directly into profitable sales – profitable because people believe they get what they pay for. A good brand should never need to reduce prices in order to gain market share. Why then do companies who should know better fail to care for brand values right through to the point of sale and beyond? They spend thousands or millions of pounds in building and promoting their brands, only to have them damaged by the people at the sharp end, those who deliver the revered product into the hands of the public.

Why do the cleaners who work for Office Bright wear shabby overalls and leave a lingering whiff of Benson & Hedges instead of Domestos on a Monday morning? Why does it take 18 rings before the local gym answers the telephone to a prospective new member? Why does the garage that bent over backwards when I wanted to buy a new car fail to return my call when I have a problem with it?

It’s not easy is it? We don’t have control over every aspect of our business at every stage of the supply chain. We cannot write scripts for our staff and hover over them as they deal with our customers. If we are wholesalers, we are further removed and have almost no control over how our brands are protected once they are distributed.

When budgets are limited, it’s tempting to think you’ve done the job once you’ve paid a design company to create a logo, some packaging and literature. But that’s just the start of the process of building a brand. You need to decide what the character of that product or service is to be, how you want people – the buying public – to relate to it. Is it to be warm and friendly or cool and sophisticated? It’s tricky to be both!

And if mixed messages are given out, for example: “We want you as a customer but we can’t be bothered to pick up the phone,” or, “our logo and strapline say we care about cleanliness but we can’t afford to give Mrs James a spare overall,” you’ll get what you deserve. The awful truth is that your customers will very rarely complain. They will just register the less than adequate service and quietly go away, in the process muttering about you to their friends and colleagues. Hardly a recipe for success is it?

So, when you are building a brand, make sure you consider every aspect through to the point of delivery and beyond. If your product delivers its promise in full and exceeds all the extravagant claims you’ve made about it in those expensive ads, they might not be beating a path to your door (that’s unless you’ve invented the perfect mousetrap) but the route to a well regarded brand and increased sales will be a lot smoother.

Claim your free brand workshop

Alpha is offering readers of Printwear & Promotion free, no obligation workshops on building and maintaining a brand.

An experienced marketing strategist from The Alpha Design & Marketing Group will visit your company and help you brainstorm ways to improve your branding to increase your profits.

Workshops are available on a first come, first served basis and are limited to the first 15 companies to respond.

Email; elainenester@adm-group.co.uk to guarantee your valuable workshop.

For help in developing new marketing strategies call 01743 236631 or email ElaineNester@admgroup.co.uk. First meeting and a fully costed proposal, free of charge.

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