08/30/2022

5 Small Business Branding Styles For Complete Success

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There are many branding options available to consumers. Companies can reap different benefits depending on which type of branding they choose. Experts believe that all these branding strategies can help companies increase their product sales and improve their business reputation. 

It can sometimes feel like a constant bombardment.

Consumers are used to seeing advertisements, logos, slogans, and other forms of business promotion every day. Consumers may be curious as to why businesses are so aggressively marketing their products and marketing services in Miami.

Building a brand is the answer.

The promotion of a product/company through advertising and design is known as branding. Some branding strategies are more popular than others. The most popular types of branding materials that consumers encountered between 2020 and 2021 were:

  • Product (39%)
  • Retail (37%).
  • Service (31%).
  • Corporate (22%).
  • Personal (18%)

Small business owners and managers may find it difficult to determine which types of branding strategies will most benefit their business. Experts agree that branding has many benefits and influences consumers in different ways.

This report can be used by companies to learn about the strategies and benefits of different types of branding.

Customers will be more inclined to purchase their products and services if they have a good grasp of branding.

Five Types of Branding For Small Businesses

  1. Product branding 39% of consumers have seen product promotions in the last year, which shows that product branding is an important part of branding.
  2. The impact of retail branding on consumers’ perceptions of a company is felt by 37%, 59%, and 37% respectively. The impact of retail branding on consumer sentiment is a key business strategy.
  3. Service branding 31% of respondents say they hired a company that provides a service like plumbing or accounting because of a word-of-mouth referral. The most popular way that services are branded is by one person, especially among older consumers.
  4. Company branding 22% of consumers claim to have seen company branding, which is an advertisement that promotes a business’s values rather than its products in the last year. However, 50% of consumers believe company branding influences their perception of the business. This suggests that businesses should focus on authentic, consistent, and long-lasting brand values.
  5. Personal branding 18% of respondents have experienced personal branding in the last year, including influencer-endorsed products. Experts believe that people who tell stories about a product’s appeal are more likely to be drawn to it.

1. Branding Products

Products are makeup companies, so product branding is the most common type of branding consumers will encounter.

Nearly 40% of people saw product branding materials between 2020-2021 (39%)

Experts believe that product branding provides consumers with a reason to buy your products.

“When people shop, they don’t want to buy something that hasn’t been used or discussed before,” stated Edward Mellett, the founder of WikiJob.co.uk. This is a job and career site. Promoting your product informs customers about what product they are buying and why they should buy it.

Mellett believes many companies are branding products for crowded markets. Therefore, each product’s brand is crucial to a brand-building process.

Experts agree that product branding can tell a story about your company, your products, and your company.

Debra Pokallus, the founder of Bel Essence which sells natural skincare products, said that branding gives products an identity. Our products help people understand our mission and values.

Bel Essence products often have descriptors like “detoxifying” and “natural” in the names. Bel Essence products often contain or display natural ingredients like tea tree oil and sunflower oil.

Pokallus states that logos, colors, and packaging designs for Bel Essence are only effective when they can be tied to larger company values such as sustainability and health.

Product design services are a way for businesses to connect specific products with their larger mission and vision.

2. Retail branding

Many of us have stories about impossible-to-navigate stores, unfriendly sales associates, unprofessional websites, and the worst kind of post-shopping feeling: I’m never going there again.

Over a third of consumers (37%) claim to have encountered retail branding. This includes in-person and virtual design and layout. Nearly 6 out of 10 respondents (59%) stated that retail branding influences their opinions of the company hosting them in their store or website.

Experts agree that retail branding is crucial because it links customers’ shopping experiences with your brand’s goals.

Melissa Packham, chief branding strategist at A brand is not a logo, an advertising and marketing agency, stated that “Creating a shopping environment that aligns with your brand is key to shaping your brand experience.”

Packham states that the Apple Store is an example of a unique retail brand experience.

Apple Stores are clean, simple, and elegant. The walls are lined with Apple products and Associates are on hand to assist customers.

Packham compares shopping at an Apple Store to shopping at a discount electronics store, which can often feel unremarkable. Packham believes that Apple has a distinct competitive advantage because you can tell it’s an Apple Store when you visit one.

Others agree that the principles behind retail branding should be applied in the e-commerce market.

Matthew Paxton, creator of Hypernia is a guide to video game servers and consoles. “Consumers are shopping online because they want convenience and tools that make it easy to make the right buying decisions.” Your website’s design, layout, loading speed, functionality, accessibility to customer reviews, and other factors all influence how customers perceive your brand.

Website designers who create user-friendly websites make it more likely that customers will buy your products. It also helps to build a positive brand association.

Retail branding is important for a company’s image online and offline.

3. Service branding

It can be hard to market services in Los Angeles. You could have many people cut your lawn, fix your pipes or represent you in court. These services are expensive, so customers trust word-of-mouth interactions to choose a provider.

36 percent of respondents said that they were referred to the company by a friend when they last hired them for a service.

Consumers may also hear about a service provider through the following:

  • Search engine results (15%)
  • Social media posts (9%)
  • Advertisements on television or radio (7%)
  • Billboards and physical advertisements (3%)
  • Digital ads such as banner ads on websites (2%)

Experts believe a word of mouth referrals are crucial for service branding, as the services provided are personal to consumers.       

Jay York is the founder and chief executive of Grove Brands. This marketing and branding company was founded by Jay York.

York has many clients who offer trade services such as painting. York advises these companies to keep in mind that their services are not just about selling products. These results can last a long time and are often costly to alter. Therefore, consumers are more likely than ever to hire a provider they have already checked out.

York believes that service branding can be achieved by ensuring that clients have positive experiences. Encourage them to recommend your services to others in the community.

For older consumers, it is very common to hear about services via word-of-mouth networks.

Nearly half (46%) of 55-year-olds said that they have used a service provider since hearing about it via word of mouth. Only 34% and 22%, respectively, said they had done the same for 35-54-year-olds.

Experts recommend that service companies reach younger customers by leveraging social media’s word-of-mouth features.

Positive reviews are the most common form of modern word-of-mouth referrals 

From existing customers,” Robert Brandl, founder of WebsiteToolTester and chief executive, said.

Brandl suggests that companies add social sharing buttons to their websites to encourage positive reviews. Customers can share positive experiences with service providers on social media.

Service branding is likely to continue to depend on recommendations from customers’ friends, as opposed to other forms.

4. Corporate branding

A strong reputation makes it easier for businesses to sell their products.

It is difficult to brand a business. 22% of consumers have reported seeing corporate branding in advertisements, including those about the company’s values, between 2020 and 2021. 50 percent of respondents said that company branding influences their opinions about featured businesses.

Experts agree that customers must be able to deal with overexposure and skepticism of advertising and to build their brand.

“We are constantly bombarded by advertising content and media,” stated Kate Bourque, a branding and web design consultant. “Customers are more sensitive to advertising than ever before and can see through any that appears disingenuous or inauthentic.”

Bourque claims that consumers are more likely than others to associate a brand or company with a specific identity. It is not enough to tell consumers that your company cares about the environment. If your branding materials do not reflect the diversity of your target market, it is useless to shout about diversity and your company’s commitment.

Bourque believes that the branding of a company’s products speaks more about its values and beliefs than a commercial advertising them.

Others agree that consistency is key to company branding.

Timothy Robinson, chief executive at InVPN, a publication of reviews and ratings on virtual private networks, stated that it is important to maintain a consistent tone and style in corporate communications.

Robinson believes that companies can create a brand voice without being too authentically marketing their values through consistent communication, logos, and customer service.

Your company can build a strong reputation and identity by focusing on the “subconscious” aspects of its branding, such as a consistent brand voice or tying products to larger business values.

5. Personal branding

It’s not easy to get people to buy your product. Some companies resort to personal brandings such as testimonials from customers and referrals from family members or friends to help market their products.

In 2020 and 2021, personal branding materials were used by around one-fifth (18%) of the population.

Experts agree that personal branding is crucial because it puts people and not companies as the protagonists in a story.

“People don’t like to see themselves in stories about an anonymous organization,” stated Daniel Foley, a chief market officer at Scooter guide. The company produces ratings and reviews for electric scooters. “Great brand storytelling should be told through the eyes of a person, whether it’s a customer, an employee, or a partner.

Personal branding is the ability to tell the story about a customer, business owner, or employee. However, it must be rooted in the relationship or value that the company has with an individual.

Personal branding can be illustrated by Shaquille O’Neal’s IcyHot advertisements or relationships with Instagram influencers that market specific products.

Foley stated that you can’t hug or give thanks to a company. However, you can hug and thank someone. Personal branding is therefore a valuable and relatable strategy for branding.

Different types of branding strategies can be used by different businesses

Although branding is not easy, small businesses often face a challenge in deciding the best branding strategies.

The most common encounters consumers made in the last year were:

  • Branding products (39%)
  • Retail branding (37%)
  • 31 % – Service branding
  • Corporate branding (22%)
  • Personal branding (18%)

Experts believe that every type of branding offers businesses certain benefits.

  • People are motivated to buy a product if they have a brand.
  • Retail branding makes shopping more accessible and enjoyable for consumers.
  • Branding services depend on how companies build their word-of-mouth networks.
  • Corporate branding is a way to increase consumer perception of a company.
  • Personal branding allows businesses to tell compelling stories about their people.

Businesses can increase sales, enhance their reputation and increase profits by creating a customized branding plan.

About the author

Kobe Digital is a unified team of performance marketing, design, and video production experts. Our mastery of these disciplines is what makes us effective. Our ability to integrate them seamlessly is what makes us unique.