I recently had a client who wanted to work on “branding” his business with me. I was very excited about it as he understood the importance of creating a brand even though he runs a start-up operation. As we explored further his idea of branding, I realised I needed to clarify with him that a brand is not just a logo or a product. A brand is something that’s a lot more intangible. It’s the touch and feel of his business to his customers. It tells them what they can expect from him and how they can differentiate his business from the competitors’. It’s a person’s “gut feeling”, quoting Marty Neumeier, the author of The Brand Gap.

As small business owners, many of us may not know how branding is relevant. We may think it’s a big word, or too ambitious or costly to aim for. It’s actually as simple as making sure the message you’re communicating with your customers is consistent at all contact points. Case in point, Apple Inc. The message Apple communicates is “simplicity”, “creating thinking”, and “ease of use”. Today they’re a brand giant because they’ve consistently delivered that message in their product designs, experiential communications (e.g. advertising campaigns), customer product experience, and customer service.

I found this picture online the other day:

This is not an Apple campaign. It’s actually done by a Japanese apple fan who tanned the apple by putting a sticker on it at the last growth phrase. The lesson here is that when you have a brand that’s so involved in people’s lives, they will promote for you. That’s the power of branding, and it’s achievable for small businesses.