How to learn Branding?

[Taktik]

Hi guys,

I have a question: After a long time of searching for a product, I have found one, that is not too expensive to make and it is in a field, where I can get expertise in a reasonable amout of time in order to start making to product. There is only one problem: if the product is a success, it is not that hard for competitors to make a similar product. In order to protect myself from imitators ... I need to have a branding strategy that is top notch (among other value skews).

The problem I need to solve right now is how to do that. I don't have a lot of experience in branding and I need to learn it. (Since my budget is tight, I plan to do everything myself, at least in the beginning. If the brand becomes a success, I will outsource - but that is not an option yet).

So, what do I need to learn in order to get good at branding? I am grateful for any suggestions, tips...

Thanks.

 

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[Lex DeVille]

Hi guys,

I have a question: After a long time of searching for a product, I have found one, that is not too expensive to make and it is in a field, where I can get expertise in a reasonable amout of time in order to start making to product. There is only one problem: if the product is a success, it is not that hard for competitors to make a similar product. In order to protect myself from imitators ... I need to have a branding strategy that is top notch (among other value skews).

The problem I need to solve right now is how to do that. I don't have a lot of experience in branding and I need to learn it. (Since my budget is tight, I plan to do everything myself, at least in the beginning. If the brand becomes a success, I will outsource - but that is not an option yet).

So, what do I need to learn in order to get good at branding? I am grateful for any suggestions, tips...

Thanks.

NOTABLE! - Lex DeVille's: How to Build a Kickass 4-Step Brand

There are a lot of places to learn brand building. You can spend a lot of time and money on it if you're not careful. I spent five figures having brand materials created that I never used. My most successful branding attempts were created 100% by me for free. You can create effective brands...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

[Taktik]

NOTABLE! - Lex DeVille's: How to Build a Kickass 4-Step Brand

There are a lot of places to learn brand building. You can spend a lot of time and money on it if you're not careful. I spent five figures having brand materials created that I never used. My most successful branding attempts were created 100% by me for free. You can create effective brands...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

Great, thanks.

 

[VicFountain]

Analyze the most famous businesses and figure out what they have in common. Look at Coca-Cola, Ferrari, Louis Vuitton, Facebook.

Some hints: they stand for something, their name is well known/recognized, they impacted many people (whether positively or negatively), they have a mission/purpose they stay aligned with, they don't imitate, they innovate.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

A book on branding that has been recommended here over the years...

Brand Seduction
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1632650134/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

 

[Taktik]

Another question that came up: At the moment I am planning with two to three products for the brand.
The problem is that the products have diametrically opposed functions (altough the "product type" is the same).

Now I'm wondering if it even makes sense to have these products under one brand. Years ago I read the book Positoning by Ries/Trout. If I remember correctly, it says that you should only have one type of product per brand so that you can position the product as optimally as possible in people's minds. Every additional product (e.g. toilet paper for a handkerchief brand) dilutes the original brand (which then leads to a drop in sales for the original product, while the new product does not really gain momentum).

I am aware that many brands that exist today do not adhere to this, but the book left a strong impact on me because the argumentation is just so plausible.

Because of that I am thinking of positioning the brand so that it stands for one specific "idea" (product type) and the products then reflect this characteristic, even though they have different functions.

What do you guys think?

Thanks.

 

[Walter Hay]

Another question that came up: At the moment I am planning with two to three products for the brand.
The problem is that the products have diametrically opposed functions (altough the "product type" is the same).

Now I'm wondering if it even makes sense to have these products under one brand. Years ago I read the book Positoning by Ries/Trout. If I remember correctly, it says that you should only have one type of product per brand so that you can position the product as optimally as possible in people's minds. Every additional product (e.g. toilet paper for a handkerchief brand) dilutes the original brand (which then leads to a drop in sales for the original product, while the new product does not really gain momentum).

I am aware that many brands that exist today do not adhere to this, but the book left a strong impact on me because the argumentation is just so plausible.

Because of that I am thinking of positioning the brand so that it stands for one specific "idea" (product type) and the products then reflect this characteristic, even though they have different functions.

What do you guys think?

Thanks.

When you consider the overriding place that emotion has in branding, it would be risky to use the same brand for two products with diametrically opposed functions.

The company owning one of the world's most famous brands, Coca-Cola, markets their beverage products with over 500 different brand names.

Many of those beverages are not even remotely like the one that everyone knows as Coca- Cola. That drink began its life being sold as a feel good drink, and there have since been countless variations on that theme.

Other themes have been, and continue to be used in marketing their beverages under
500 + brands.

I suggest choosing a different brand and theme for each of your products, making sure that they have appropriate emotional appeal.

Walter

 

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[wallraks]

Hi guys,

I have a question: After a long time of searching for a product, I have found one, that is not too expensive to make and it is in a field, where I can get expertise in a reasonable amout of time in order to start making to product. There is only one problem: if the product is a success, it is not that hard for competitors to make a similar product. In order to protect myself from imitators ... I need to have a branding strategy that is top notch (among other value skews).

The problem I need to solve right now is how to do that. I don't have a lot of experience in branding and I need to learn it. (Since my budget is tight, I plan to do everything myself, at least in the beginning. If the brand becomes a success, I will outsource - but that is not an option yet).

So, what do I need to learn in order to get good at branding? I am grateful for any suggestions, tips...

Thanks.

Marketing is what you do to communicate the value of your product. Branding, on the other hand, is how you package and present that message. So branding is just marketing in disguise? No! Marketing and branding are two different things. In order to get good at branding, it’s important to understand who your target audience is and why they should buy your product or service - this will help shape the direction for your brand identity and messaging. There are many elements of a brand that need attention such as logo design, color scheme, fonts - but those decisions can be made easier with a little research into which colors evoke certain emotions or feelings in people (or don't).

I have created my own brand Corido Marketplace and its working out for me. You can check it out

 

[Taktik]

When you consider the overriding place that emotion has in branding, it would be risky to use the same brand for two products with diametrically opposed functions.

The company owning one of the world's most famous brands, Coca-Cola, markets their beverage products with over 500 different brand names.

Many of those beverages are not even remotely like the one that everyone knows as Coca- Cola. That drink began its life being sold as a feel good drink, and there have since been countless variations on that theme.

Other themes have been, and continue to be used in marketing their beverages under
500 + brands.

I suggest choosing a different brand and theme for each of your products, making sure that they have appropriate emotional appeal.

Walter

I see your point. This is, as if Red Bull would launch a drink that makes you sleep better (to stick with the examples of beverages). It would absolutely not work.

But what if the target audience for one product is also the target audience for the other? In light of your post and the thoughts I have had myself, I guess it is still better to have multiple brands with only one product over one brand with a very diluted positioning. Even if that means you have more to do (it's easier to build/promote one brand than several), it's probably best in the long run to keep everything separate.

Thank you.

 

[MattL]

I'm struggling to formulate a valuable answer without knowing more about the product and the niche.
(Not that I want to know that or that you should share it on a public forum)

@Lex DeVille's thread is great.
MJ's book suggestion looks interesting.

If thought leadership is relevant for you, study people who already are seen as the go-to persons in their niches.

No need to search the world wide web for them. Plenty of examples on this forum alone.
MJ is the go-to guy for business advice.
@Andy Black is the go-to guy for Google Ads stuff.
@Fox is the go-to guy for advice on running a web design biz.

Study how they got to where they are.
Then replicate what's relevant.

 

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[Flint]

After a long time of searching for a product, I have found one, that is not too expensive to make and it is in a field, where I can get expertise in a reasonable amout of time in order to start making to product.

Great. Two questions:

• What steps have you taken to source it, sell it and see what the market tells you?
• What steps have you taken to establish comms with your niche?

There is only one problem: if the product is a success,

That's a good problem to have. Start having it.

it is not that hard for competitors to make a similar product. In order to protect myself from imitators ... I need to have a branding strategy that is top notch (among other value skews).

Branding that you just wrap around your product that's no different to what others could source won't protect you from competitors with deeper pockets.

Instead of wondering how to slap some branding on your product, think of your niche/audience and how you could build a following/tribe. People want to be part of a community and create a lifestyle supported by products and services offered by companies this community recognises and trust.

Engage with a niche and tune in. You can't do it from the sidelines. Start talking to your potential customers and learn to speak their language even before you can offer a product. Your business will have a certain character/personality that may or may not resonate with them. If you're on the same wavelength, this is what your brand should eventually represent. And if you build an audience and trust, you should also get loyalty... until you disappoint them that is. Try to build relationships for life.

 

[Taktik]

I'm struggling to formulate a valuable answer without knowing more about the product and the niche.
(Not that I want to know that or that you should share it on a public forum)

I can go into a little more detail without giving too much away. The products I have in mind are in the food niche and every product has a specific purpose. So basically the idea is as follows: If you have this problem, take product A, if you have that problem, product B is a good choice...
All products share the same principles (that the brand would convey), but are vastly different in their function.
The question is: do I put all products under one overarching brand or should I use multiple?

 

[Taktik]

Great. Two questions:

• What steps have you taken to source it, sell it and see what the market tells you?
• What steps have you taken to establish comms with your niche?

I haven't taken any steps yet, as I have just discovered the idea a couple of days ago. I also need to do a litte bit more research in order to make it really work, but I am working on that already.

Instead of wondering how to slap some branding on your product, think of your niche/audience and how you could build a following/tribe. People want to be part of a community and create a lifestyle supported by products and services offered by companies this community recognises and trust.

This x100! Thank you for the input.

Engage with a niche and tune in. You can't do it from the sidelines. Start talking to your potential customers and learn to speak their language even before you can offer a product. Your business will have a certain character/personality that may or may not resonate with them. If you're on the same wavelength, this is what your brand should eventually represent. And if you build an audience and trust, you should also get loyalty... until you disappoint them that is. Try to build relationships for life.

Definitely the way to go. Thanks.

 

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[Kung Fu Steve]

I wonder how many people confuse branding with graphic design

 

[Flint]

I wonder how many people confuse branding with graphic design

What Your Brand Isn’t - Proof Branding

Your brand isn't your logo or your website. So what is it? Recognizing what your brand is will help you stay focused so your brand doesn't fade.

proofbranding.com

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

What Your Brand Isn’t - Proof Branding

Your brand isn't your logo or your website. So what is it? Recognizing what your brand is will help you stay focused so your brand doesn't fade.

proofbranding.com

I thought this was going to be some giant data driven thing about how 62% of people confuse branding with logos or something

 

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[Flint]

I thought this was going to be some giant data driven thing about how 62% of people confuse branding with logos or something

Happy to disappoint

Salary Survey 2017: Marketing is still misunderstood

Despite efforts to promote the value of marketing within businesses there is still a lack of understanding and appreciation for the discipline.

www.marketingweek.com

For the purpose of this argument, let's define branding as a "marketing practice of actively shaping your brand".

 

[Walter Hay]

Brand building is far more than simply choosing a brand or logo. It is the entire process known as marketing.

Unfortunately most people seem to think that marketing = advertising, but that is only a part of the marketing process. According to the American Marketing Association:

"Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large."

Although that definition fails to specifically mention market research, I believe that market research based on numbers is overrated. That is because that kind of research doesn’t always involve getting into the target demographic’s heads.

This should be your first step. You have to get inside the heads of your potential customers. Think like them. Dream like they do. Mentally put yourself in their place in society. If you can identify the emotional triggers that will identify them with your product, you will have the foundation on which to build your brand.

Appeal to those emotions in your brand name, logo, slogan, color, labels, website, eCommerce platform listings, and even packaging.

In a recent analysis by the global marketing research firm Nielsen, packaging design is described as marketing’s “dark horse” and “forgotten hero”, suggesting that the amount of consumer decision-making that happens at the shelf (that shelf might be your website) has been “underestimated and under-leveraged”. The reason is that the right packaging can promote impulse buying – in other words, an emotional decision. Use it!

As I emphasize in my labeling book, emotions outsell facts by a huge margin. Even using the right color can give you a big edge.

Your marketing plan must also include the often forgotten subject of logistics, from product development or acquisition, to delivery to the customer, and follow up. Without those factors included in your brand building you will have no foundation and your “building” will collapse.

Walter

 

[Manfern]

Branding is fascinating topic!
Learning and creating brand right now.
I'm no expert on subject so I post quote from a book called "Build a brand in 30 days"

"Brand is serious and important to your business:
but it’s also very simple in its essence.
Brand is about meaning.
In short - your brand is the sum total of all the meanings that all your possible audiences carry around about you in their heads and in their hearts."

 

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[rpeck90]

I looked into branding some years ago.

You can sum it up with 4 words: "never sell the product".

The key is to identify the "thing" your product (and, by extension, company) excels at and go all in on "why" people need that thing. MJ's, for example, is the idea of a "productocracy". The more obscure, the more valuable.

The job of your marketing becomes to showcase why certain people may want to adopt the ideal into their lives; the company/brand you build should focus on delivering it.

Red Bull's is "adrenaline in a can".

-

To create a brand, focus on delivering work as a craftsman and follow up with products afterwards.

Create results.

Over time, each result will tell its story and your "brand" becomes valuable.

Without going through this "craftsman" phase, your brand will lack resonance, which is why most lack connectivity. You have to live a great brand; congruence cannot be bought, which is why many are eponymous (Porsche, Ferrari).

An authentic brand should radiate value and attract specific clientele (who wish to pay premium for your ideal).

-

I wrote a long post about how to "create" a brand several years ago, but held back posting it, mainly because I have been going through the "craftsman" phase myself. You can see the most valuable part here (excuse the profanity, that's another one of the reasons I've yet to post it):



TL;DR Marketing comes down to "Product + Offer".

The default is to try and sell the product, but, really, it's the offer people are buying.

The offer your company creates is what attracts those willing to pay you. The product becomes a means to distribute that offer more widely. Your "brand" becomes a calling card for said offer.

The big mistake most make is to put the cart before the horse -- trying to slap a label onto a product and call it branding. Branding (done properly) is holistic and comes from within. There is no shortcut.

-

Someone who would be a good point of call would be https://www.twitter.com/coltybrah - implicitly understands this and put it to great use with Kill Crew - Fighter's Club (which is killing it, excuse the pun).

-

Cool image I made for the massive branding post: -

 

[Walter Hay]

It is possible to evoke emotions simply by the choice of an emotive brand name. A cream sold as "The ultimate age defying cream" has the brand name IMMORTAL.

What is being sold? It is as the name signifies, the idea (emotion) that users will always look young. That name is designed to have an emotional impact on every woman who sees it.

Walter

 

[Phil Yu]

A book on branding that has been recommended here over the years...

Brand Seduction
Brand Seduction: How Neuroscience Can Help Marketers Build Memorable Brands: Weber, Daryl: 9781632650139: Amazon.com: Books

Thank you MJ. just finished your Millionaire fastlane book 2 weeks ago. great book.

 

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[Kevin88660]

Hi guys,

I have a question: After a long time of searching for a product, I have found one, that is not too expensive to make and it is in a field, where I can get expertise in a reasonable amout of time in order to start making to product. There is only one problem: if the product is a success, it is not that hard for competitors to make a similar product. In order to protect myself from imitators ... I need to have a branding strategy that is top notch (among other value skews).

The problem I need to solve right now is how to do that. I don't have a lot of experience in branding and I need to learn it. (Since my budget is tight, I plan to do everything myself, at least in the beginning. If the brand becomes a success, I will outsource - but that is not an option yet).

So, what do I need to learn in order to get good at branding? I am grateful for any suggestions, tips...

Thanks.

Depends on the sector and what moat you can build around it.

Are you also providing service or just delivering a physical product? That could bring new ideas.

 

[Manfern]

Found another quote about brand and purpose.

"Amazon’s success is not due to the millions of products, the online
experience, prime membership, or low prices.
The root cause of Amazon’s
success is its obsession with customers(customer experience).
Amazon’s mission is to be Earth’s
most customer-centric company where people can find and discover
anything they want to buy online. It lives its mission. That’s why Amazon
disrupts every industry it enters."

Logo and name is representation of brand identity.
Main function of brand is to connect with target audience and manage their expectations.
Offer=promise

Brand story is marketing maybe.
"Branding, in comparison to marketing, is more internalized. It is about defining who you are."