Branding Tip#1

Branding far exceeds the benefits of advertising because it’s the most sincere way to build customer loyalty. Branding is found in life. Real life. Not exclusively in a textbook or classroom. Every small business owner is, in essence, a branding expert without realising it.

I’m not going to sum up the term Branding or Emotional Branding, as it’s sometimes called, in mere words. Your emotional connection to the subject will be far more beneficial.

Let me be clear. I am not an academic Branding Expert. My knowledge of branding is confined to life’s experiences.

I read a few top-rated books, and, together with my personal reaction to the litany of stimuli unleashed by advertisers across print, electronic, and social media, I believe I can share some sobering thoughts on the subject. My presentation style may be considered unorthodox, even scoffed at by branding experts.

Feel free to send me a note via my personal email:

rj08193@gmail.com

Thanks for indulging me.

Roland P. Joseph

Art coordinator,

(soon- to- be- launched)

BUCKED-UP MEN’S Blogzine

Branding Tip#1

The Art of Branding for Small Business Owners.

My foray into the exciting and sometimes esoteric realm of branding begins with three true stories.

The grumblings coming from an animated group of people as I alighted my vehicle in the car park of a popular south supermarket were conspicuous. Them eh want people like we in they hoitey toitey cafe, papa…

I would soon discover that it was a reaction to the fact that a few selected customers had received personal invitations to the publicly advertised opening of an in-house cafe, emblazoned on a banner outside. I, too, had looked forward to indulging my guilty pleasure – the daily cups of coffee – but questioned whether my showing up would be an intrusion.

The incident incited a sarcastic grin. I recalled what I now deem my first hands-on lesson in branding. Though at the time, I didn’t frame it as such.

The owners of what would later become the most talked-about restaurant and lounge in San Fernando, while chit-chatting with a group of us at the bar, responded this way when asked about the establishment’s formal opening: If you can’t invite everyone, who do you invite? All of our customers are special…

I don’t want to bore readers, so I’ll recap some of the owners’ interactions with customers from the very start of business.

– Some customers at the bar, close to the door, mentioned experiencing a gush of air against their backs each time the door opened. Despite the fact that fewer than six people could be affected at any given time, the owners installed a double door.

– The owners would walk around and chit-chat with every single customer.

– To facilitate safe parking, arrangements were negotiated with land and property owners close to the establishment.

– There was limited parking in front of the building, and anyone was free to park in one of these prime spots. There was no reserved parking. Not even for the owners.

I don’t wish to go on and on, even though I’m tempted to, so I’ll sum it up.

Did we keep coming back to this place because of its appealing aesthetics – the ornate mahogany bar, plush carpeting, comfortable seating and cool air-conditioning? Maybe.

Were we drawn to this place because our car was safely parked and monitored? Perhaps.

And did we come in droves because of the well-stocked bar? We perhaps did.

Was it to look at the owner’s wife, who was young, good-looking, well-dressed, with a disarming smile? I’m sure the men perhaps did.

Or was it the appealing barmaids, efficient service, and excellent food? Again, perhaps.

All of the above conspired to lure us there. But the real reason we went there is lodged in our subconscious mind. We went there because we were all made to feel special. As though the owners were our friends. Whether you were a janitor, a plumber, a garbage collector, an executive, a business owner, a millionaire, etc. Whether you drove a broken-down Datsun or a shiny Benz, there was no ‘segregation’. No reserved parking, no VIP area. We were all special and known personally to the owners.

I’ll regale another story. This one took place quite recently.

I happened upon the formal opening of a newly established supermarket chain branch. With only standing room left, I stood alone beside the crowd. Seated on the comfortable, cushioned chairs under the ornately decorated tent were the early arrivals. At these events, there’s always a true-to-heart Trini in the crowd. A big-mouthed comedian. He peered inside the tent and blurted: Wait, nah, is ordinary people inside dey? I thought it was the mayor and some big pappies.

A woman added. They made a fuss over people like us?

It turned out that the event was planned for the supermarket’s first-time customers. The opening was announced via a microphone mounted on a vehicle and on social media. The owner, decked in a suit, delivered the welcome address. He, accompanied by his family and the staff, was at the door to welcome the customers.

See how this contrasts with the first story.

Now, do I need to tell you what social currency is and its ultimate value to a successful business, more so, those without an advertising budget? The owners of the restaurant and lounge didn’t pay for expensive ads. They didn’t need to. And social media wasn’t around yet. They did their part in accumulating a precious commodity called social currency. In turn, we, the satisfied customers, volunteered to spread the word. Word of mouth, despite social media and myriad advertising outlets, remains the most effective form of advertising. Why? Because it’s the most sincere.

If you garnered anything useful from these tips, let it be: Little things and gestures count in a big way. Customers register their feelings in the subconscious mind.

In my first post, I told you about a precious commodity called social currency without actually telling you. And conversely, I told you about a destructive ‘commodity’ known as (overt) preferential treatment. What I didn’t tell you is: as a business owner or store supervisor, your effort to attain customer satisfaction cannot seem feigned or pretentious. It’s an interpersonal skill that is innate in some people, and though it can be acquired, it must seem sincere.

A final note on the restaurant and bar story. Following its tremendous success, similar businesses attempted to copy the model. Most, however, missed the key point. Copying the tangle assets was only a small part of its success. The real success lay in the special way customers were made to feel. And it wasn’t accidental.

May the happy sound of the cash register continue to ring until my next post:

The Power of Association.

Give me a week between posts. I’m struggling with the lethargy of retirement and weighty emotional strain from caring for stray cats in a neighbourhood of cruel people.

BE KIND TO ANIMALS. It’s Our Humane Duty.

Roland P. Joseph

rj08193@gmail.com