Branding Your New Product
Product branding can be a real challenge, and even the
most well thought out products can fail at this stage. All the elements of product
branding must be right, or you will not be able to establish yourself in the
marketplace. The key to product branding is to identify what you want to do
early, and then find a way to correctly express your ideas. Although to many it
seems that product branding is only for large businesses, this is not the case.
Product branding is an important part of product design within any business,
and there are steps that you need to get right in order to be successful.
What is product branding?
In
simple terms, product branding is like your promise to the customer. It shows
them what they should expect from your products, and tells them why your
product is different from the competition. Your brand not only encompasses your
product, but who you are and what you want to be. Effective branding will stop
you from getting caught trying to please everyone, and in turn pleasing no one.
If you get your product branding right, then you will definitely be on the road
to success. There are a number of things
that are vitally important to product branding:
Brand equity strategy
Before you can begin branding your product, you
need to develop a brand strategy, which will tell you who you want to tailor
your product to, and where and how you want to do this. If your product
branding strategy is consistently strong, you will end up gaining high brand
equity. Brand equity is the value that is added to your product due to its product
branding. For example, Coca Cola can charge more for its drink than competitors
because of its strong brand equity. Brand equity often leads people to attach
an attribute to your product, such as perceived quality. If you get your
strategy right, high brand equity will follow.
Define your brand
Next you need to define your
brand, so that you know exactly where your branding is going, and what the
strengths are of your product. In order to do this, you need to research
thoroughly your customers’ needs and also answer a number of questions,
including:
- What is your company mission?
- What are the strengths and features of your product?
- What is the image of your product or company right now?
- What attributes do you want to be associated with your product and
company?
Product branding techniques
Once you are comfortable with your branding
strategy, and that you know what message you want to put out, you need to find
ways to make your brand known. Here are a few ways that you can do this:
Logo
A logo is a key element in product branding and product
design, and the better and more powerful your logo, the easier it will be to
identify your company and product. A good logo uses bold and simple colour
schemes and shapes, and conveys to people the image of your company.
Integration
Make sure that you integrate your brand ethos and
philosophy into every aspect of your business. This includes how you answer
phones, your dress code, even your email signature. If they all fit in with
your product branding, it will make the brand stronger and more believable.
Taglines
Taglines are a good way to simply get your brand
message across. A good tagline is memorable and meaningful, as well as concise.
The statement should capture the essence of your product branding strategy, and
give people an idea of what it is you are doing. It should also make people
intrigued and want to know more about your product.
Marketing materials
Make sure that you use your brand image and logo
throughout your marketing campaign. Make sure all papers and emails from your
company contain some form of branding, and that they all deliver your product
branding message. Incorporate your branding into your product design, so that
people are regularly exposed to your brand.
Be true to your brand
Always remain true to your product branding
strategy. If you cannot deliver what you have promised, then customers will not
return to you, or want to refer you onto new clients. If you are true to your
brand, then customers will trust you and want to use your company again
Be consistent
Perhaps
the best way to achieve success in product branding is to be consistent.
Whatever technique you use to brand your product, and whatever branding
strategy you have, you should always be consistent. If you do not maintain the
same brand strategy and ethos throughout everything you do, then your brand
will not become strong. Consistent product branding is more likely to lead to
success and high brand equity, putting your company above the competition.