Small business start-ups especially need to think not just about who they are, what they look like, and what they do, but also what they want to mean to their customers, what is their hook. If they have a strong brand, the branding will often follow easily.
A nice example of a 7-11 store can be read here
7-11 started out with strong branding. Their name/logo was easy to say, remember, and see on a small lighted sign, and their red and green color scheme carried the strong subliminal message of “stop and go”. But, they became and remain successful through a strong brand, by staying current with the meaning of consumer convenience – always there, everywhere, low prices, known quality, fast, and thorough coverage of common urgent needs.
When the 7-11 convenience store chain was just starting out, they were competing with suburban supermarkets and urban corner stores, both of which were typically open for approximately the same hours as most people worked, 9-5.
The lesson this should teach the start-up is to know and communicate what you want to mean to your customers.
What it should teach established companies of all sizes is to learn and know how to change and extend your meaning to anticipate your customers’ changing needs and to stay ahead of the competition.
One of my earlier posts about branding and brand value....
Is this how your customers view you?
