Brand identity protection | Priority Marketing
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but a business should never let its brand identity be compromised.
A brand identity helps a business or organization differentiate itself from competitors in a crowded marketplace. It is reflected in messaging across all communication channels. Consistency is the key to building recognition, instilling trust and fostering loyalty with audiences.
It can take years, even decades, for businesses and organizations to build their brand. That’s why it is so important to maintain and protect a brand identity.
Brand development is one of Priority Marketing’s featured professional services. The firm helps for-profit and nonprofit clients establish or refine their brand, bringing brand perception into alignment with an organization’s true identity.
What a brand says about itself in its advertising, on its website, through collateral and across social media matters to consumers. Strategically establishing a brand platform is an investment into the brand.
Branding: A definition
First, it’s important to explain branding. The term “brand” is what target audiences think about your business or organization. HubSpot offers this definition:
“A brand is the identity and story of a company that makes it stand out from competitors that sell similar products or services. The goal of branding is to earn space in the minds of the target audience and become their preferred option for doing business.”
Strong branding creates an accurate perception and reflection of companies or nonprofits. The accuracy part is incredibly important. You want the public to know exactly what an organization stands for and represents, as well as the products, services or programs it offers.
WATCH: What is branding?
Notable Statistics
Marketing experts frequently survey consumers to gain insights that help the industry. These brand-related statistics below arose from research through HubSpot and Harris Poll.
- 89% of consumers are loyal to brands that share their values.
- 64% of consumers believe shared values create trusted relationships with brands.
- 72% of consumers expect personalization and engagement from brands.
- 45% of consumers unfollow brands on social media because of irrelevant content.
WATCH: Four ways to craft your brand story
Protecting brand identity
Brands need to differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace. It’s a constant battle to stand out and stand above other organizations offering similar products or services.
Just like individuals protect their personal identity, businesses and organizations need to safeguard their brand from theft and infringement.
Specifically, the four steps outlined below can help protect a brand:
- Legalities: All organizations should seek legal protection for their brand. This includes filing for trademarks or copyrights with the federal government. Brands can, and should, protect any original content, including their name, logo, signature lines of products or services, key phrases and more. There are filing fees and extensive paperwork to gain this protection, but it’s worth it in the long run.
- Variations: Every business has a name, logo and website. However, companies that sell similar products often have similar names and looks. Generally, experts recommend acquiring all variations of your branded web address, including alternate extensions and spellings. Also, businesses should claim all branded social media handles and directory listings.
- Action: It’s important to regularly use your intellectual property. This includes marketing, advertising and social media posts that include the name, logo and branded content. Organizations that use their brand publicly have more evidence that it belongs to them and not a competitor.
- Monitoring: Businesses should continually monitor their brand online. Free tools like Google Alerts keep a pulse on what’s being said or written about a brand. There are also paid monitoring tools that ensure no imposters are copying your brand identity. Priority Marketing, for example, offers social media monitoring services that prove invaluable in protecting a brand.
Branding services
Over the years, Priority Marketing has helped hundreds of local businesses and nonprofits establish and protect their brands. Today, the firm’s branding services have grown to include the development of:
- Brand positioning (unique selling points or brand promises)
Interested in hearing how Priority Marketing’s team of talented professionals can establish and protect your brand identity? Please give us a call today at 239-267-2638 or send an email to [email protected].
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