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Small and big businesses alike should be aware that developing a brand name is an important element in the formula for success, but what is branding in business?

Branding is a system utilized by advertisers to acquaint a product with customers through associating it with a brand name. Various advertising methods are used to introduce the brand name to consumers, and following this is additional advertising to continue and expand brand recognition. Studies show that branding has a beneficial impact on the success a company experiences.

A report from the Branding Forward Project shows that over 50% of marketing specialists felt that branding was somewhat less important today in light of the prevalence of social media coupled with a heightened sense that advertisers should be more accountable for their claims. All the same, these new factors do not change the fact that companies need to have unique brand names that the consumer can identify with their products and services.

Developing a brand

Branding includes selecting a brand name, creating an advertising plan, then executing that plan. A name that can be recollected simply is the best fit. Brief and sharp names work best. Interestingly, non-English names can generate the strongest brand association and connection to consumers. For instance, consider brand names Google, Expedia, and Flickr.

Your logo should be created by a graphic designer to ensure that it contains elements of good design while conveying an association to your product or service. Your marketing plans must be based around publicizing this brand name. One strategy is to draft a famous figure to represent your brand. This celebrity representative technique has worked well for many companies including significant corporations such as Reebok and Nike.

Of course not everyone has their budgets so if your company is smaller, note that you can still utilize this strategy by finding a lesser celebrity to endorse your company or product. Contact public relations firms in your area to see who they might have available and for how much.

Establishment of trust

Establishing the trust in your brand by your consumer is an important goal of branding campaigns. By launching the Macintosh line, Apple developed a reputation for quality and innovation. They followed this up over the years with the launch of the iPod, iPhone, iPad and their other electronics. By continually releasing quality products with branding strategy that reminded consumers of their innovative approach and inventiveness, Apple developed strong, emotionally connected customers. In fact, you could say that their company engenders more brand loyalty than any other computer brand.

Uniqueness factor

Another reason why developing a brand name is so important is the uniqueness factor. In a marketplace packed with so much competition, a company must find a way to make their products stand out. Beyond developing products that are durable and of superior quality, a business benefits from having a catchy slogan, design, or logo that consumers associate with a high degree of satisfaction.

The signature swoosh on Nike athletic shoes identifies it to its customers as a forward-looking, advanced brand. “Just do it” is the perfect call to action phrase, reinforcing the company’s brand and exhorting customers to make the purchase, then play their sport.

Strategy critical to your marketing plan

In the end, it is clear that branding is a basic component of a sound marketing plan. Developing a marketing plan without taking care of this critical strategy first is a huge mistake. Part of your earliest thinking about your product or service should be to develop a brand name.

Get the branding right, and you will enjoy a powerful ascent in your product or service’s market. Get it wrong and you simply will not stand out from the crowd. Generating that magnetic, sticky appeal with your customer is your goal and you may have to perform some research to determine if your planned campaign achieves that.