The ditto method to building a brand that sells

how to infl uence customers to buy from you }}

The DittoMethodTo Building ABrand That Sells

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YOUR BRAND: THE PROMISE, THE PERSONALITY, THE PRODUCT,THE PERCEPTION.

At the heart of every successful business lies a powerful brand. Your brand is the product you deliver, the promise you make and your customers’ perception of your business versus your competitors.

Some people think that a brand refers to a

logo, typeface or set of colours. And they’re

not wrong; all of these elements form part

of the visual identity of your brand. However,

savvy business owners know that a powerful

brand is about more than an attractive logo.

Effective branding elevates a business from

being just one among a sea of identical

commodities to one with unique character

and promise. Branding is simply the route

by which you build familiarity, trust and

recognition with your target market,

compelling prospects to buy from you.

If there’s one single element to your business

which will have the biggest impact on how

customers perceive you (and, in turn, how

much they’re willing to pay), it’s your brand.

Your mission is to uncover the magic

elements within your business that really

matters to your clients, and communicate

them clearly and consistently. In this book,

I’ll show you how to identify your niche in

the market, understand your customers’

point of pain and map out each touch point

they experience during the buying cycle to

ensure your brand wows at every turn.

So, pop the kettle on and grab a couple of

biscuits (go on, you deserve it) and we’ll get

started, shall we?

introductionYOUR BRAND: THE PROMISE, THE PERSONALITY, THE PRODUCT,THE PERCEPTION.

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B E L I E V E

YOU CAN

YOU WILL

A N D

step 1.

Step 1Know your strategyAt the branding workshops we run, it’s always revisiting brand strategy which yields the

most light bulb moments from our guests. The truth is that most business owners are so

busy running businesses that they simply don’t have the time to review the basics.

What is it that your business offers – what solutions do you provide?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Who are your customers?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What is their point of pain?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What problem of theirs are you solving?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Think about what you want your business to be known for. And think about where you

want your business to be this time next year, in two years time and in five years time.

What’s your plan? What are your goals and aspirations?

Branding secret no.1Building a powerful brand is the key to making your business more desirable, more valued and more challenging to your competitors

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Don’t be like the rest

of them

step 2.

Step 2Know your nicheAt Ditto, we always encourage clients to think about what it is that makes their business

unique and special. Don’t ever be the same as everyone else. Pick one thing about your

business and make it incredible. Make it stand out. And don’t stop until you do.

What motivates your clients to buy from you?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What do your most profitable clients have in common?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What do you do differently to your competitors? What messages do they send out?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Why are you so much more brilliant than your competitors – what’s the magic component

to your business that your clients really care about?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What do clients really love about your business – where do they see real value? If you’re unsure, don’t be afraid to ask some of your friendly clients – don’t make the mistake of assuming you know the answers. Your clients may hold some valuable truths which you risk missing.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

From this, you should be able to distil a list of characteristics which summarise your

business. Compare this to your competitors – are the areas your business is valued for

sufficiently different?

Don’t be like the rest

of them

Branding secret no.2A powerful brand will in�uence your prospects, altering their perception of you and compelling them to buy

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hardtomake

decisionsknow

values are.

whenyou

what your

It’s not

Roy E. Disney

Step 3Your ValuesYour core values are what resonate the most with your clients, and are the key differentiator

between your business and your competitors.

Take The Body Shop as an example. Their core values centre around ethical trading, using

natural ingredients and being against testing on animals. Customers who share similar

values will buy into this, and choose The Body Shop over other companies who offer a

similar product but whose values differ.

What values drive your business? Perhaps your culture is driven by product development, innovation and cutting edge technology. Maybe it’s driven by a desire to help others and support local community.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Think about your business as a person. How would they speak, behave and dress? Would

they be chatty and fun, or authoritative and reassuring?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 3.

Branding secret no.3Buyers emote about brands that they love. Build emotional resonance with a robustly tested market and your brand will grow.

hardtomake

decisionsknow

values are.

whenyou

what your

It’s not

Roy E. Disney

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SET THE

ON FIREWorld

step 4.

Step 4Moments of TruthMoments of truth relate to interaction your customers have with your brand. This covers

everything from face to face meetings, phone calls, and proposals, to the way in which you

deliver your product or service. Uncover each moment of truth, and work out how you can

turn it into an opportunity to make your brand sing. Always leave a lasting impression.

You may say that you deliver a high end, professional service, but does the experience you

deliver back this up? Sending out conflicting messages will undermine your brand and is the

quickest way to waste your marketing budget. All the professionally produced websites and

glossy brochures in the world can’t save you if your basic touch points (the way your team

answer the phone, the way your office feels when clients visit, the quality of your aftercare)

haven’t been carefully thought out.

Start by plotting out your customers’ typical journey as they convert from prospect

to paying customer, and map the touch points they experience during the buying cycle. This

could include a meeting at a networking event, visiting your website, phoning your office,

being sent a proposal and a post-sale call or email to follow up on their experience. Are all

of these touch points as good as they can be? Do they show your clients that you genuinely

care? Do they reflect your brand accurately and show you in the best possible light? What

needs to be changed?

Branding secret no.4Your brand is no more than what your customers perceive you to be, based on the sum total of all of their experience and interactions with you. Make the most of every opportunity to make your brand shine.

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always

promise

step 5.

Step 5Making sure you deliverSo, you’ve won your customer. Now what? It’s absolutely imperative to deliver upon

your promise. Only ever promise what you know you can deliver, and if you can deliver

more than promised then so much the better.

‘Under promise and over deliver’ may sound like a worn out cliché, but it really does ring

true when it comes to impressing customers. Anyone who has been stung by a sales person

who promised the world, but let them down on the product will tell you that this is the

quickest way to make your customers lose faith in your brand.

No exceptions to the rule – this has to be right every time. And if something does go

wrong, be sure to put it right. You don’t need me to tell you how quickly reputations can

be broken, and this is especially true when working in a niche market. Don’t. Mess. Up.

Branding secret no.5Anyone can promise to deliver something. Not everyone actually can. Only ever make realistic promises, or you’ll risk damaging your reputation and driving clients away.

always

promise

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Pablo Picasso

step 6.

Step 6Audit your existing brand and review your designList all of your current marketing activities, and dig out any printed collateral too. Do all

of your activities support your brand and speak to your target market? It’s easy to

get stuck in a rut of ‘routine’ advertising – the type that you sign up to every year without

thinking about whether it’s yielding a return. Don’t fall into the trap of attending the same

events and sending out the same mailers and considering the advertising box to be ticked

off – the reality is that unless your marketing is engaging the right people, it’s a

total waste of time and money.

Give your visual brand an honest appraisal too. Does it support your brand message? Your

visual identity needs to be striking to attract attention, and must also reflect your business in

the right light. I recommend getting a professional involved here to give you some feedback

on where there’s room for improvement.

TIP:Think about positioning yourself as a thought leader. Being viewed as an expert will allow you

to have greater influence on your target market, and make prospects more likely to trust you

and buy from you. It’s a powerful route to gaining a loyal following – and there are loads of

low cost activities you can get involved in to set yourself up as an expert, for example writing

a blog, writing for online forums, running workshops or speaking at conferences.

Branding secret no.6Think big! Push outside of your comfort zone and give your brand room to grow.

Pablo Picasso

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step 7.

Step 7Budget and planThe simple fact is that investing in the right kind of marketing will help your business grow.

As a general rule, you’ll need to increase your marketing budget if you wish to attract

higher sales. Work with your accountant to agree a realistic budget, and commit to

investing it. At Ditto, we set aside a monthly budget to put towards all of our marketing

and I recommend you do the same. Don’t be shy about revealing your budget to your

design agency; in almost every instance, expectations exceed budget. We always work with

our clients to get the most from their budget – being up front about what you can afford

and what you want to achieve will get you the most from your investment.

To avoid your marketing being based entirely on knee jerk reactions (either to lower-than-

expected sales or the offer of a low cost, last minute advertising slot), plan your year out.

When are your peak seasons? When are the key events of the year that you want to

attend? Commit these activities to your diary, along with your budget for each event

or campaign, and you’ll be on track for measurable growth. You’ll also benefit from the

warm fuzzy glow of knowing that you’ve got your marketing plan sorted for the whole

year. Feels good, doesn’t it?

Branding secret no.7Building a brand isn’t really about money. If you have talent and ambition, you can build many elements of a powerful brand without an investment.

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William Bernbach

a final word.

A final wordFind your difference, and flaunt it. Don’t be afraid of it. Make your brand stand out for

reasons that matter to your clients. Don’t make your brand look or feel like anyone else’s.

Use design to convey it and words to express it. Make your brand as unique as you are.

We love to help brands to grow. I do hope that this book has sparked inspiration to help

you build a powerful brand for your business! If you would like to learn more about how

we can help you to engage more customers and build a more profitable business, feel free

to get in touch; we’ll be happy to hear from you.

William Bernbach

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about us.

Ditto came to life in 2003, founded on the idea of providing local businesses with a design studio that cares more about their clients than about potted plants and being pretentious, like so many design studios around.

Today, we work with the owners of small to medium sized businesses who value working

with a team who skilfully combine commercial reasoning with powerful design. We attract

clients both locally and internationally who ask us to work on branding and creative design

to help their businesses grow.

At Ditto we believe very firmly in the power of building strong relationships – the sort

where everyone is able to collaborate and have some fun. We want to get to know about

you, your business and what makes you tick so we can deliver you the best possible results.

We’re not the pretentious type; it’s just not our style. If there’s ever anything you need,

or you’ve got any questions or concerns, please feel free to pick up the phone and talk to

us (don’t worry, we’re not the type to charge you every time you get in touch!). We want

you to be really happy with the work we do for you. After all, our reputation – and yours

– depends on it.

our people.

We believe that people buy from people – so here’s a bit about us

DerekWith an impressive design career under his belt (he doesn’t like to boast, but he’s got over

30 years experience in the creative industry, working with the likes of Chanel, Royal Opera

House, Sun Alliance, American Express, Crest Homes and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to name

a few – as well as a couple of celebrity clients!), Derek’s mantra is akin to that of a vintage

wine – quality improves with age.

HannahFinalist at the 2011 West Kent Business Excellence Awards, Hannah takes care of brand

development at Ditto. As well as writing a monthly marketing column for local press as

their resident branding expert, she runs workshops to empower our clients. Known for her

endless enthusiasm and smiling a lot.

DanDan is our resident computer geek and graphic design extraordinaire. His passion for branding,

typography and unique designs never fails to come through in his work. Our clients are

fanatical about his design work – the volume of referrals we receive speak for themselves.

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about us.

Put your brand in our hands

Would you like to work with us? We have a limited number of free consultations every

month; call us to book your complimentary session and discover how we can transform

your business into something truly special.

Call us 01732 456944

Email us [email protected]

Catch us online www.ditto.uk.com

Read our blog www.dittoblog.com

Come and visit us – you’ll be very welcome

46 London Road

Sevenoaks

Kent TN13 1AS

(Parking to the rear at Bligh’s Meadow)

thank you.

What other people say

“Hannah is an extremely talented, customer focussed businesswoman with an easy going

nature that makes her a pleasure to work with – and somehow she always manages to

make me feel inspired about my business”

Paul Sanders, photographer

“Hannah always takes time to gain insight into who we are and what we want to achieve.

Ditto’s work is always of an extremely high standard”

Brionie Battersby, Holmes Search

“Since Rotosound started working with Ditto, we’ve really got to grips with our marketing.

I’m extremely proud of what we’ve achieved together – it’s essential in moving our business

forwards in a competitive environment”

Jason How, Rotosound

“Many people and businesses lay claim to excellent customer service but fall short when

it really comes to it. Ditto do not disappoint. An abiding wish to understand and deliver

exactly what the client wants; a genuinely friendly, open and interested approach; and the

delivery of excellent work time after time make Ditto stand out consistently in a competitive

market”

Sam Ithell, Hard Hat

This book is copyright protected.Copyright noticeUnless otherwise credited, all text, images and artworks are copyright to Ditto Creative Limited. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission of Hannah Griffin or Ditto Creative Ltd. Please respect our rights.Thank you!

The ditto method to building a brand that sells

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