Why 'Branding' is important to grow your business

Asalaam aleikum, I hope you're all well. I was on a roll then kind of fell off my weekly blogging streak but who's counting right? LOL. Anyway, Thank you for the comments on my previous blog post, I love engaging with you guys. I am learning
so much doing these posts which is why it's so fun for me to do these kinds of posts (I think I've said this before). 

Let's talk about branding! When you google the word Brand this is the definition you get "A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that distinguishes an organisation or product from its rivals in the eyes of the customer." I think this is a very straight forward explanation of what a brand is, it does not get simpler than that but branding is much more than that. Below is an excerpt from an article I came across on the Branding journal website which talks about why branding is more than just a logo and a name.

"You can consider a brand as the idea or image people have in mind when thinking about specific products, services and activities of a company, both in a practical (e.g. “the shoe is light-weight”) and emotional way (e.g. “the shoe makes me feel powerful”). It is therefore not just the physical features that create a brand but also the feelings that consumers develop towards the company or its product. This combination of physical and emotional cues is triggered when exposed to the name, the logo, the visual identity, or even the message communicated."

That is basically the core of what branding means to me. I think we should focus on why you need to build a brand and not just a product. A product can be easily copied by other players in a market, but a brand will always be unique.  A lot of the businesses I have interacted with are concerned with why they are not making more sales but that's because offering a product and continuously placing it in-front of your client is easy however, it won't translate to sales if they don't understand what you stand for as a brand, your story and the reason to pick you instead of the next person selling the same product. Let's use this example below;

Consumers pay a more money for Apple products because, over time, the brand has created a perception of quality, consistency and trust. Leading brands like Apple are more than just products or services, they evoke memories and emotions associated with quality. When consumers trust a brand, it makes them loyal and when they are loyal, they buy more. Don’t get hung up on features and functionality. Instead, focus on your messaging and story. 

Branding is the process of giving a meaning to specific company, products or services by creating and shaping a brand in consumers’ minds. It is a strategy designed by companies to help people to quickly identify their products and organisation and give them a reason to choose their products over the competition’s, by clarifying what this particular brand is and is not. The objective is to attract and retain loyal customers by delivering a product that is always aligned with what the brand promises.

I spend a lot of time trying to create a story for my brand Moderne. The pictures we take, the locations we pick for shoots, the way we address our clients and engage with them. Most of our clients are from referrals, A friend or a family member tells them about us and that's how they find out about us. This is because the way our product makes them feel and how our service is delivered. I feel like our clients are our best friends, we call every client "SIS" because that's the kind of relationship I want the brand to exude. I genuinely love how the women we dress feel by wearing our pieces,that for me is successful branding. We offer quality and practicality but also evoke emotions in our clients where they feel beautiful and confident. This is all based on the responses we get from our clients btw. 

What story do you want to tell as a brand? How do you want to make your customer feel? As you try and get answers to these questions,you will see if you're actually a brand or just selling a product. Branding is a huge topic so I am going to cover it in parts. Stay tuned for next week's post to know how to find your brand voice!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments down below. Thanks for stopping by!