Since the day I started writing on brand management, I have realised that I have mainly written and focused on corporate brands. I received feedback from the niche audience, following my posts accusing me of neglecting the small businesses or the young crop of entrepreneurs who are working hard to build brands that will endure the test of time.
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I plead guilty as charged for this unforgivable oversight, though I must be quick to point out that it was not an error of commission but omission. This does not however discount the weight of the penalty in any way since the two are the same and interchangeable. In this installment, I shall hazard not to mention the examples of the infant businesses that stroke my attention in trying to send the brand-building message home given the fragility of these young brands.
It is very inspiring to see the crop of young brands that are emerging from the country, epitomising the finest of minds among our midst. These are the budding businesses that are fighting the struggle for existence in an environment that consumed “mighty” brands as the economy continues on an unmitigated melting spree.
I have interacted with a game-changer think-tank organisation that is tilting and rooting the debate on public policy to new depth. The organisation is taking head-on the failing public policy led by the Harare Administration. \ The “young” think-thank has been brave to take the all-rounder assessment of policy across the socio-economic and political spheres, including the economic narrative, which the civic organisations in Zimbabwe are generally hesitant to tackle. The organisation has created a service that has a unique approach, which led to massive media reviews and reproduction of its content at a supersonic speed. But the challenge remains that the institute is still to fully brand as an organisation to assist the stakeholders in identifying, creating associations and appreciating the brand’s persona.
On a different note, in the course of the week a group of young bloggers started conversation on our WhatsApp group on what should come first — the audience or whatever the blogger wants to write about. The debate raged on and on until it degenerated into personal attacks! When I was following the debate, I was convinced that I had to focus this week’s installment on brand building with the aim of encouraging the small scale brands and “young businesses” to evolve into established and competitive brands.
It is from this perspective that I propose some key brand building take-home points for entrepreneurs, persons as brands and small-scale businesses. The process is going to cost time, money and commitment if the small businesses and somewhat young brands are to one day grow and become forces to reckon with. I must also emphasise that the basics will not always require a top-end budget, and there is no excuse whatsoever in not branding our products and services.
Define and identify the values: In setting the foundation of the brand and architecture on which it will stand on, there is need to be clear on what the brand stands for. This should be clear from launch, as it will assist in differentiating the brand from competing offerings and the ultimate delivery of consistent service.
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In that same footing, there should be an appreciation that a brand is a combination of symbols which will include logos, colours and the co-values which define the company’s personality, which might include but is not limited to innovativeness, reliability, creativity and convenience among others. The founders and partners should ensure that these values are a living reality through every facet and aspect of the organisation ranging from how to communicate with stakeholders, the target audience and quality of service among others.
The brand logo: The logo by its nature, when designed well, will be the centrepiece of the firm’s brand for many years to come, as it becomes an embodiment of its existence. However, caution and precision define the hallmark of a logo that captures the brand values and what the organisation stands for.
Employees are the brand bearers: No matter how few the employees might be in the beginning, what matters most is to build commitment to the brand and the values of what it stands for. It is critical for the employees to buy into the branding value system since they are the ones who interact with the customers and stakeholders, lest they contradict the brand values in practice. Their views on the brand should be taken seriously as a means of nurturing their contribution to the building of the brand process.
Content creation: It is prudent for the budding brand to be visible on cost-effective platforms such as blogs and social media to maximise brand exposure while mobilising resources to invest into other critical platforms, such as websites and advertisements. However, there is need for consistency in updating content on the platforms so that they retain stakeholder loyalty and interactivity.
Remain consistent: Always ensure that whatever you put out for public consumption and the interaction between the team and the customers and stakeholders is always in sync with the brand values. In brand management, we must always deliver an experience that exceeds the stakeholders’ expectation. When that happens, we create a fertile ground for a loyal customer and stakeholder base that anchors the business’ sustainable existence.
Focus on niche markets: Always be on the lookout for the untapped spaces that the corporate brands are not congesting and find ways to position the brand as an expert that is flexible and personalise the services. This will empower the small brand to curve an existence outside the scope of an elephant in the room, that in this case is the big corporate and other competing offerings from the young brands.
In the words of my tutor and friend, Ernest Kadembo, till then – Story it! Brand it! Sell it! I hope that the budding brands will embark on a journey that will see them building into national, regional and global brands in the long run.
Tabani Moyo is a chartered marketer, brand strategist and communications asset based in Harare. He can be contacted at [email protected]
This article was contributed on behalf of the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe. For further information, contact [email protected] or visit the website on www.maz.co.zw.
