HOW TO CREATE a BRAND
THAT SELLS

By Leo Gamayunov
Co-founder / President @ MINÖÖMA

on June 21, 2016

"Brand". A word that you hear very often. Back in school, you were probably incessantly lectured about the importance of branding in your intro to marketing courses. Like most of us, you have heard too many definitions, sometimes vague, arbitrary and even contradicting. Sound familiar?

We want to put an end to it here and explain what a brand really is.

Having a strong Brand allows charging a premium.

Everything else is marketing fluff.

Distilled for you, here are the 3 crucial attributes for a brand that sells.

1. resonance

We say that a brand has resonance when a client while getting acquainted with your communication channels (website, business card, social media) can clearly understand what you are selling. Your communication channels need to answer these questions:

What is your product?
How to use it?
What is your target audience and why is this product or service relevant?

Your company's mission statement is the main pillar of your Brand Resonance.

2. differentiation

We say the brand has differentiation when the communication and advertising channels are clearly stating how your product or service is different from your competitors.

Differentiation is closely related to the concept of Unique Selling Point (USP).

Differentiation has to answer the question:

Why does the client have to choose you over the competition?

3. trust

We say that a brand has trust when the client clearly sees how the company can prove its expertise and competence via branding.

Trust has to answer the question:

How can you prove your claim?

All 3 attributes must be present in a strong brand.

One can clearly deduct which attribute of a brand needs improvement.

Imagine during the sales process, your client says: "I don't really need this" - this means the brand lacks Resonance. Think about how to communicate the value of your product/service so the client understands the value. Show case-studies. Focus on solving the problem.

If the client's objection is in regards to the price, this means that a brand has a problem with Differentiation. It is not clear how is the offer differs from the competition. Mr. client can easily go to the guy next door, looking for a better price.
If there's no difference, why pay more?

Finally, if the client's response is about risk and budget constraints, then the Brand lacks Trust. Otherwise, if there is a guarantee of performance, there is no risk and given the clear value and differentiation its a go.

Prove your trustworthiness by showing real examples of other clients that you've helped.

When you find answers to these questions, come up with a slogan that unifies them all.

Start thinking about these 3 rules and make your Brand work for you. Raise your average sale and attract more clients.