Brand marketing is nothing new. Evidence of brand marketing success is all around us.
This is why in the southern United States all soft drinks are called Cokes. Coke is a brand name for Coca-Cola, yet it has become the word representing the entire group of products in its category.
Other examples of successful brand marketing are use of the word Kleenex for facial tissues, and Q-Tips for cotton swabs. While this usage is not universal, it still shows extreme success in brand marketing; the brand has become the name of the product.
Most brands do not reach this level of brand recognition. However, marketing campaigns are focused on bringing brand names to the attention of potential customers and investors. For large corporations, big budgets are set aside to market brands on television, radio, Internet and mobile technology. With money to spend, these companies create high-quality videos using famous celebrities to promote their name brand.
If you live anywhere that connects to media, then you will have heard of these brands:
- Apple
- Windows
- Budweiser
- Estee Lauder
- Sherwin-Williams
This list of companies has spent millions of dollars to put their brands in the forefront of people’s minds. If anyone mentions Sherwin-Williams, for instance, the listener will immediately know that it is a paint company. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, this venerable company spends their marketing budget on variety of methods to promote their brand. They sponsor charity events, major league sports games, post large-scale signage, run television commercials, and have numerous websites and mobile applications.
It is painfully obvious that a small business cannot market in the same fashion as big business; however, the concept of brand recognition remains the same. The irony is that many of the low-cost and free methods of marketing that small businesses can use to market their brands are now being adopted by big corporations. Corporations have begun to realize that social media and word-of-mouth marketing often trump big-money campaigns.
With brand marketing, the goal is to get people to recognize your company’s name on sight. With a small marketing budget, there is a list of ways that you can propel your brand name to the forefront. You can hire a staff member to do the marketing for you or you can find freelance writers and marketers to work on an as-needed basis. The following suggestions can start your campaign.
- YouTube
- Google+
- Website
- Medium
- Other social media such as Snapchat, Vines, Pinterest, Instagram
- QR codes
With a large proportion of people connecting to the Internet and social media through their mobile devices, visual content continues to be vital. Sites like YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram offer videos and snapshots that are fun to view on your phone, and a great way to implant visual memories. There is no cost for using the sites, and you can invite your customers to contribute and share their own uploads. You can take advantage of this trend to offer a reward for best picture such as a free meal or gift card.
Sites such as Google+ and Facebook allow businesses to create pages for posting images, videos and updates. You can easily interact with your customers by posting surveys, contests or charity drives to give people a reason to stay active. Tom’s invited customers to participate in charity by donating a pair of shoes for each pair purchased. This allows customers to feel good for buying their shoes and contributing to a worthy cause.
QR codes can be printed on your marketing materials online and in print. The codes can be scanned with a reader that is available for mobile technology. QR codes lead people to a single page which can offer coupons, surveys or contests.
Medium is accepts written articles on various topics for no cost. With a membership, you can hire freelancers to write about issues that concern your business and direct people to your website. With time, consist brand promotion will lead to brand recognition for your company.
Paula A is a freelance writer who works with a cup of coffee at her side to keep herself fueled. When she is not writing, editing or drinking coffee, she is chauffeuring her family to activities, making jewelry, trying recipes or making a quick run for a hazelnut latte.
