Joan Jett once famously wrote about her poor reputation. While that may have been a punk rock selling point for Ms. Jett, your company can't quite afford the same luxury.
In fact, your brand's reputation matters more than anything in the social media era.
As a result, it's up to you and your team to come up with strong, effective brand management solutions that further your company's message while improving public perception.
Here are the five biggest principles of brand management to get you thinking about your brand's performance.
1. Brand Management Is About Setting Your Company Apart
You and your team know how unique and wonderful your brand is. But you'll have a harder time convincing your audience to choose you over the competition if you're not doing anything to stand out.
The best brand management strategies are those that set a company apart.
Think about some of your favorite brands for a moment. What makes you choose that brand over a similar product from a different company?
Odds are, it comes down to the right slogan, packaging, and message.
Don't be afraid to get unique and think outside the box. Unique branding strategies have worked for tons of companies, such as Old Spice, who had a particularly famous and bizarre brand management strategy.
2. Perception Is Reality
What your customers think about your brand matters.
Okay, on the surface that may seem obvious. But you may not realize how much the perception of a few people can influence the opinions of many.
We live in an age where online reviews have more purchasing power than ever the most well-crafted commercial, so don't neglect customer reviews.
3. Brands Change Over Time
One of the great things about brand management is that if something isn't working, you're free to change it at any time. Heck, even if something works great, there's no shame in changing it!
Take McDonald's, for instance. When was the last time you saw Mayor McCheese in an advertisement? But we're willing to bet that as soon as we mentioned McDonald's, their catchy jingle popped into your head.
Don't be afraid to switch things up, especially if something isn't working. Brands, just like people, have the power to change whenever we decide.
4. Keep It Consistent
While you're free to be as creative as you want with your brand management strategies, it's so important that when you find a new angle, you stick with it.
And not just on your website. You'll need to have a single, consistent voice across all of your advertising channels.
5. Don't Overthink Things
If you're stressing out about how you'll find a great new angle to market your brand, take a deep breath. The worst thing you can do is to overthink things.
When in doubt, keep it simple. Go back to your brand's core principles. Then, come up with modern ways to reaffirm those principles to your audience.
Brand Management Matters More Than Ever, So Stay Ahead Of The Curve
Brand management is a wonderfully complex aspect of your marketing strategy, and we could spend hours telling you about how important it is.
But at the end of the day, these five principles represent the significance of brand management and its implementation.
Want to learn more, or see how you can better manage your unique company? Get in touch to book your free business growth session and let's chat about how we can help you grow your brand.