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Did you know that branding equals success?

Consciously and unconsciously, we identify ourselves with all kinds of brands. You undoubtedly have a preference for a brand. For example, if you were asked what your dream car is, you answer will probably contain a brand before the car model! There is much psychology behind it, but it is essential to know that everything a brand communicates creates a particular image that we may or may not identify with. If you want to grow online as a company, investing in your (online) brand is essential.

What is branding?

Branding is the positioning of a brand in the market. This means that your brand personality, brand promise, core values, competencies, vision & mission, and differentiation are evident. Especially for your target group, but certainly also for yourself. After all, you want your colleagues/employees to breathe your brand. By continuously sending out signals (communication), a brand consciously and unconsciously creates a specific preference (or aversion) among consumers or the business market. It’s important to understand that even the slightest signal can make or break a brand. An example; When I visit a large corporate that invests millions in campaigns but they serve dirty coffee, it affects my perception of that brand.

What is online branding?

‘Online branding’ is not very different from ‘offline branding’ with the big difference that you do not always influence the conversation around your brand. In addition, you naturally have to deal with all kinds of factors that determine whether your target group sees your brand. That means that online branding or building an online brand is just a bit more complicated. In addition, the amount of media, devices, external platforms, and increasing regulations regarding privacy make it difficult to ensure that your target group always sees the right message at the right time. When we talk about online branding, it consists of several parts;

• Your website
• Your social media and especially the content that you publish here
• Your direct contact channels such as chat
• E-mail marketing
• Online advertising such as Google Adwords or display marketing
• External websites such as review websites

Be a magnet that pulls your audience

Imagine this; you want to buy new shoes and enter ‘trendy men’s shoes’ on Google. You see three advertisements from unknown webshops, and you click on one. Why exactly do you click on that one ad? And how long does it take you to make that decision? Probably a mix of feeling and reason. The ad must say something about price, collection but you will likely also be triggered partly by the name of the webshop and tone of voice. In short, a certain feeling you have with one of the advertisements.

Imagine the same situation, but then that you are looking for a new TV. Do you search for ‘Ultra 8K TV’ or do you Google for ‘Coolblue,’ or do you even go directly to MediaMarkt.nl? Brands that you both know, trust, and with which you ‘have a certain feeling.’

The latter indicates that branding is really of vital importance. As an online marketing agency, we do many Adwords campaigns, but we also see that online branding is becoming increasingly important. This is partly due to the increasing number of competitors and because consumers want speed and convenience and, above all, no hassle. After all, why should I, as a consumer, order something from an unknown webshop and run the risk that the TV will not be delivered on time? A well-known brand, therefore, also creates trust.

Also, in terms of ROI (return in investment), you could argue that branding is ultimately more effective than pure online marketing. This has to do with the fact that advertising prices are getting higher due to increasing competition, and it is therefore essential that your brand is preferred so that the ‘chance of success is higher. The same applies to a lesser extent for content marketing efforts.

Brand Positioning

As mentioned, the positioning of your brand is also essential. Bol.com was initially known for books but has become a powerful platform where you can order everything, including sneakers. Handy, of course, but if I want new sneakers, I will sooner be attracted to a webshop that has wholly devoted itself to sneakers. Why? Because as a consumer, I perceive a sneaker webshop as a specialist. A specialist probably has just that pair of sneakers that I want.

Your fight towards being a brand

Another excellent example in which branding (or rather positioning) plays a significant role is price fighters. Good examples of real price fighters are who at some point have chosen to focus more on brand experience and quality, whereby the core message did not necessarily change (we are the cheapest). Why? Because price initially yields many customers but ultimately does not result in loyal customers who have a bond with your brand. Price is not your own; there can be a competitor on the market who wants to buy market share and do it for even lower prices. If customers initially come to you because of the cost, they are also away again if someone offers it even cheaper.

Only online or also offline?

As an online agency, we do a lot digitally and online, but we also recognize offline’s power. A giant highway billboard or a shiny brochure makes your brand more tangible and visible. That also means much confidence that you radiate.

Online branding, what are the benefits?

Do you want to know what online branding delivers?

As you may have read, branding is the best way to create brand preference for your target group. If you want to know more about (online) branding, please contact us or read more about what we do with online branding.