Brand-Building for

Small Business

Part 1: Simple Steps to

a Winning Brand Idea

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WHAT IS A BRAND?

Is it a logo, a label or a

television commercial?

A brand is a perception

that lives in the minds of

consumers…

It’s their concept of – and

opinion about – a particular

product or service, which

determines whether they’re

going to buy it or not.

And every interaction between a brand and

its customers builds this perception.

Sales person TV ad

Word-of-mouth

Showroom

Website

Invoice

Billboard

Facebook post

Product

Packaging

Tweets

Your brand is your

Image and

reputation

• You are instantly recognisable and familiar

• You have loyal customers who keep coming back.

• You have free advertising, when satisfied customers

tell their friends about you.

• You can charge more if your brand is more well

known, liked and trusted

A strong brand drives sales and profit

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Building a brand is about building

emotional connections with your

customers.

There must be something beyond

the expected functional benefits of

your product

Being a nice guy doesn’t

cut it though. There are

plenty of nice guys.

Your reputation needs to

stand out and be different.

You need a

simple and

memorable

brand idea

Functional

Benefit

Emotional

Connection

‘PLAYING WITH FIRE’

How do you find the right

idea for your brand?

Finding the sweet spot

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What your

customers

need and

want?

What your

competitors

lack?

What you are

really good

at and love?

What do my

customers want?

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KFC: tapping into real, local consumer insight and eco-systems

Who needs your

service?

How much do they earn?

What type of people are they?

What are their

lifestyles like?

How to define your target market

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You may have distinct types of target customers

Garden service example

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Families

- Want to spend more time on the

weekend doing stuff together

- Very busy during the week as both

parents are working and kids are at

school

Young professionals

- Very busy working during the week –

often late

- Have hectic social lives

- Want to socialise on the weekend and

sleep in late

- Use the internet for EVERYTHING

Retired couples

- Time rich and want to spend time with family and friends

- Often socialise at home

- May garden themselves but need help with heavy lifting

- Not up on technology

• Questions to ask

– What do they need from you?

– Is there anything about your services and your

competitors’ services that frustrates them?

– What is important to them?

– What are appropriate times and channels to

engage/serve them?

Getting insight from customers

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– Start with your existing customers – they’re

more likely to talk to you

– Use questionnaires

– Often having a conversation reveals better

insight as it allows you to explore interesting

ideas that come up.

Cost-effective methods of discovery

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Love technology

• Book / change booking online

• Pay online

Love to socialise and sleep in late!

• No early morning appointments

• Get the job done quickly so they can get on with their lives

• key drop service

Love trends, design & brands

• Offer design component – trendy plants, arrangements etc.

• Help them derive status from garden

Practical Things to Do with the Insight you Find

The garden service example

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Young professionals

What am I

really good at?

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Ask Yourself: What do I offer?

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Features?

Services?

Products?

Specifications?

Remember

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Customers ultimately buy benefits, not

products, services, features or specifications.

Before parting with their hard-earned cash,

they always want to know: “What does it do

for me”

Example of product vs. benefit

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PRODUCT:

ANTI-LOCK BRAKING

SYSTEM

BENEFIT:

KEEPING CONTROL

WHEN BRAKING ON A

SLIPPERY SURFACE

Example of functional benefit and linked emotional benefit

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PRODUCT:

ANTI-LOCK

BRAKING

SYSTEM

FUNCTIONAL

BENEFIT:

KEEPING CONTROL

WHEN BRAKING ON A

SLIPPERY SURFACE

EMOTIONAL

BENEFIT:

FEELING LIKE A

GOOD PARENT

“In the factory we make lipstick;

in the store we sell hope.” Charles Revson, creator of Revlon

What don’t my

competitors do?

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How are you different?

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What does

everyone offer?

What unique

benefit do I offer?

What is your Brand Idea?

Brand Positioning

Brand positioning is the unique combination of

functional benefits and emotional associations that

makes a brand relevant, distinctive and compelling to

its target market.

It is a concise definition of how you want the brand

to be perceived by its target market – and why they

should be motivated to choose it ahead of its rivals.

The unifying idea…

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What my

customers

want…

…that my

competitors

lack

…that we

love and do

well

What one idea makes you different?

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THE JOY

OF DRIVING

WINNING

PERFORMANCE

BEING THE

CUSTOMER

CHAMPION

A few examples

Sheer driving pleasure Just do it How can we help you?

Bra

nd

Po

sit

ion

ing

(Str

ate

gy)

Ta

gli

ne

(Cre

ative

Exe

cu

tio

n)

Is about Is about Is about

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PART TWO:

USING YOUR BRAND IDEA

TO DRIVE BUSINESS

GROWTH

Thank You Get in touch:

info@ywood.co.za

www.ywood.co.za

JHB: 011 268 5211

CT: 021 425 0344

@askYellowwood

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