Small Fuel Branding Series Part 1

I like the stuff at the Small Fuel Marketing Blog, and I've got a few recent posts to share with you at this time of the day all week long.

So let's start:

What (bad) Cigarettes Can Teach You About (good) Branding

July, 2008 | Written By James Chartrand

Most people have a difficult time understanding the concept of branding. Yet branding is the foundation for your business, the most crucial marketing aspect that lets you differentiate yourself from the competition.

Branding is the all-encompassing mental image that people perceive of your business. It collects the experiences and associations attached to your product or service. Branding creates the recognition, expectations and reactions of consumers to set your business apart.

Branding is very unique, too. Anyone can replicate your product or service – just look at your competitors. No one can identically reproduce your brand, though. If they could, they would be your business.

When considering what might make consumers lean towards one product or another, branding often plays into the equation. Proper branding can prompt a choice, increase conversion or sway people to provide word-of-mouth referrals. It can be the deciding factor between a sale and a loss.

Good branding creates demand, encouraging and enhancing the positive feelings and desirability of a product or service. Bad branding, or even no branding at all, can close businesses down.

Examining existing businesses and corporations lets us see the large role branding plays in reaching success. It's an integral element of business success and the foundation of essential marketing.

To show you just how important branding is to your small business, take a look at this success story.

Click to Read: 'What (bad) Cigarettes Can Teach You About (good) Branding'

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