"A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well".

Jeff Bezos

Most businesses are recognized by their brands. For instance we can identify Nike by its Swoosh, Amazon by its smile with an arrow and Starbuc​ks by its dou​ble-tailed mermaid. Whether you are an entrepreneur or established business owner, your brand should convey a message of authenticity, sincerity and trust. This should be the underlying goal of every company.

When we think of the brands mentioned above, we automatically know the level of customer service we can expect as well as the quality of products and services. This is the essence of effective branding. Soulaima Gourani from Forbes states that “your brand should clearly communicate your values, skills and personality”. This means that your message must be accessible to the appropriate audience. Therefore, crafting your message must be a deliberate action backed by research, planning, innovation and strategy.

Effective branding not only distinguishes you from the rest of the industry but more importantly, it is the bridge between your actions and customer perceptions. In other words, you should take a holistic approach to developing your brand. Consider this scenario; you pride your company on having the best products on the market; you have worked hard over the years to develop your products and the results have been rewarding. You are an established leader in the industry. In spite of this success, your staff is unhappy, underpaid and overwhelmed. As a result, customer dissatisfaction rises significantly eventually leading to perceived decrease in value for money and you begin to lose customers. I am sure that as you’re reading this you are thinking of brands that you love but hate their customer service. Moral of the story: your bottom line is an integral aspect of brand development.

I want you to think about your own business especially in terms of how you stand apart from your competitors, the quality of your goods and services, the customer experience you deliver and how you handle customer complaints. Customers are attracted to companies that match excellent products and services with exceptional customer service experiences. Strengthening your brand through direct customer interaction has been simplified with the use of social media platforms. Additionally, publishing feedback and testimonials from customers enhances your credibility and develops the position of your brand.

Ensure that your brand only says positive and remarkable things about you.