How to Create and Keep a Memorable Brand

As a business leader, you want to achieve customer loyalty. To do so, it’s important to create a recognizable brand that cohesively explains to its customers exactly what the company is all about.¹ Creating a brand is not merely about slapping up a logo and writing a pithy tagline.

“A solid brand can help a business connect with existing customers while also drawing in new ones,” writes Forbes magazine.¹

Despite new technologies, or perhaps because of them, experts say customer loyalty can be much harder to achieve in the 21st century. Every business should have a marketing strategy that inspires customer brand loyalty. Here are six tips to help keep your brand memorable.

1. Keep your brand consistent: No matter the size of the company, put someone in charge of your brand's voice and tone.¹ It needs to be consistent across departments and copywriters so that it remains authentic and on message.
2. Make sure to have a strong brand narrative: Stay away from business-speak, jargon, and complicated explanations. “Speak to your customers like you’d speak to your friends,” suggests Entrepreneur magazine.²
3. Check in on your brand: After you've created your brand, check in on it consistently. Make sure that your brand continues to be received positively in the market. Aggressive competitors have been known to apply tactics intended to damage the reputation of brands. Ask yourself, “How is our brand perceived by our customers, our partners, our employees, and our competitors?” writes a member of the Forbes Communications Council.¹ And make sure that each member of your team and each new hire truly understands the brand and your messaging.
4. Be transparent and authentic: “There's no shortcut, no storytelling, no creative that will have more impact than establishing transparency and being consistent with it,” writes another Forbes Communications Council member.¹ “I view a brand as a living organism, and I build it with the thought process of how I build human relationships.” If your company makes a mistake, own it and explain to your customers how you plan to fix it.²
5. Understand your customers: Don’t assume that because your customer buys your product that you know why they love it. “Keeping a pulse on your customers is critical to success,” says a third Forbes Communications Council member, and should therefore be built into a business strategy with customer service check-ins, social media feedback, and organized market research. The feedback you receive can help you learn what differentiates your business from its competitors, even in a crowded marketplace.
6. Personalize every interaction: When speaking to your customers on social media, make sure the human behind the post is visible. Technology has made things more convenient for businesses, but part of your digital marketing management should include the human touch, because “automating the process can … make it feel dehumanizing. A good fix is to have your staff sign their individual names on company social media interactions and bulletins, as well as ensure that their personal information is easily accessible to consumers,” says Entrepreneur magazine.²

In the 21st century, business is undergoing an evolution. As digital technology changes and expands business models, those who run companies will need the tools to keep up. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that careers with marketing skills as a core attribute, such as advertising, promotions, and marketing management, will grow by 10% by 2030.³ The field of sales management is also expected to grow by 7% from 2020 to 2030.⁴ Business professionals with a comprehensive and up-to-date skill set, including a Master of Business Administration (MBA), will have a decided advantage when it comes to career opportunities. Whether you have a background in traditional business management and are looking to enhance your skills as a leader, or you are an entrepreneur ready to start, lead, and market your own business, Walden University’s MBA program can help you become a well-rounded professional with the knowledge to impact your organization’s bottom line. Its online MBA degree curriculum includes the course Marketing for Competitiveness, which highlights marketing theory, tools, and strategies.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering online business and management degree programs for working professionals. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

¹Source: www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2019/03/25/eight-ways-to-build-your-brand-more-effectively/#2345182df761
²Source: www.entrepreneur.com/article/249994
³Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers, SOC code 11-2000. Retrieved September 2021.
National long-term projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, do not guarantee actual job growth, and are subject to change.
⁴Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Sales Managers, SOC code 11-2022. Retrieved September 2021. National long-term projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, do not guarantee actual job growth, and are subject to change.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.