Page 107 - Duct Tape Marketing

91Chapter 7: Establishing Your Position and Brand

Consistency builds brands

When your marketing communications create a single impression for your
business, they build a strong brand. Stay consistent in your marketing by

ߜ Projecting a consistent look
ߜ Projecting a consistent tone in your communications
ߜ Projecting a consistent level of quality, demonstrated by consistent com-

munications, consistent products, and consistent services

If you notice a word used consistently (hint, hint) in the preceding instructions,
write it down and remember it: Be consistent.

Stick with your brand. Don’t try to change your brand image unless you’re
certain that it’s no longer appropriate for the market. (And if that’s the case,
you better be prepared to change your business — because your brand is the
public representation of your business.)

Imagine how tired the people at Campbell’s Soup must be of their label, but
imagine what would happen to their sales if they abandoned it simply
because a fickle marketing manager said, “Let’s try something new.”

Consistency builds brands. And brands build business.

Branding makes selling easier

If you need a motivating fact to boot you into branding action, here it is.
Branding makes selling easier, and here’s why. People want to buy from com-
panies they know and like — companies they trust will be there well into the
future. A good brand puts forth that promise.

With a well-managed brand, your company hardly needs to introduce itself.
Within your target market, people will already know your business, its per-
sonality, and the promise you make to customers — all based on what
they’ve seen and heard through your marketing communications.

Without a well-managed brand, you’ll spend up to half of every consumer
contact trying to introduce your business and make your case, while some
well-known Brand X down the street can spend that time making the sale.