Your brand is far more than your name or logo alone.
For modern consumers and customers, your brand is your reputation: a combination of all the associations customers make based on every single interaction they have with your business, product, or service.
Here’s the thing: most business owners don’t really think about their public image (or brand image) until there’s a problem. This might be that your brand image is so outdated that it no longer resonates with your target audience, or there may be underlying issues that turn customers off.
In an increasingly crowded and competitive market, it’s wise to do all you can to make sure that your brand is appealing to and engaging with your potential customers.
This is why it’s so important to constantly think about your brand’s public image.
Business owners often associate brand image with unnecessary expense and making their products look nice, but the reality is that brand image is absolutely integral to the success of any business.
Here’s why brand image goes beyond branding as we know it:
- Your brand’s public image makes an impression
Making a good first impression can make or break a business. Customers will form an almost instant impression and opinion of your products, services, and general brand based on factors like your website, the quality of your content, your social media presence, how responsive you are, etc.
For those with physical shops, you might be judged by the layout, cleanliness, friendliness of your staff, and more.
For online businesses, your website is your storefront. It will be judged on usability, how modern it looks, and the relevant content included.
The point is, making the first interaction with your customer a good one is crucial. Your branding feeds into this as it is often the very first thing that people see. A strong brand can set the right tone for your products or services and can draw in potential customers.
- Brand image creates recognition
The most prominent companies in the world all have one thing in common: a strong and recognisable brand.
Most people would immediately be able to identify an Apple device, a can of Coca-Cola, or the golden McDonalds arches from a distance.
Whilst having a strong brand presence may look simple, but it takes a lot to make your brand this recognisable to consumers.
You need to start with a strong logo or slogan, but it also takes brand associations like reliability and quality to set you apart. What’s more, your brand identity needs to be consistent across everything you do.
- Brand image can help you build a loyal customer base
Unsurprisingly, when you build a strong brand, it contributes to the success of your long-term brand awareness and creates loyal followers out of your target audiences.
If your brand is consistently putting our positive brand images and impressions, then more people will be drawn to the brand and more people will buy from you.
Easy ways to improve your brand’s image might be to update your website design and content, work on putting out regular and useful blog content, or even do a complete brand refresh to make sure your image reflects your identity, values, and services.
Follow that up with strong customer service and effective marketing and you can build a loyal base of customers that return to buy your products or services again and again.
The more often you can deliver on your brand promise with a strong brand image and interactions, the easier it will be for consumers to remember your brand and what it stands for.
In conclusion: your brand’s public image matters
Public brand image is vital for the success of any business. Customers don’t just buy a product or service from you; they buy into what your brand stands for and represents.
That’s why it’s so important to make sure your brand’s public image is strong, well-designed, and reflective of your business.
Think about your brand’s image regularly, and don’t be afraid to update any part of it as needed.
Interested in creating a strong brand personality and effectively engaging with your potential customers? Get in touch with our design and branding experts today.