Two Words

 A lot of ink, literal and virtual has been spilled over the years in the service of writing about brand communication. Well, while I am as guilty as anyone out there of filling the page with my thoughts on the subject (and guiltier than some), I’d like to tell you something today which is very short and simple. It’s what all brand communication is really about at its core. A lot of work goes into branding campaigns and finding ways of effectively communicating the message of various brands to the public and no matter what the brand is or how they choose to try to convey their brand communication, the message that they’re trying to get across is a very simple one which can be gotten across in two words: trust me.

Of course, there are thousands of different ways to try to get this message across; and thankfully so, since otherwise

1) The world of advertising would be an incredibly dull place

2) Myself and a lot of you reading this blog would be out of work!

The question of branding and in fact the question addressed by every advertising or marketing campaign is how to get this message across to the public. People trust their favorite brands; we all know how attached we can be to our brands and of course, developing brand communication in a way which forges these bonds of brand loyalty is my (and most likely yours as well, since you’re reading this) bread and butter.

All brand communication is about building relationships; namely, relationships of trust which build loyalty. The company needs to take their branding and really run with it. Too many companies forget when working on their brand identity and brand communication that this relationship with the consumer is a two way street. If the customer is supposed to trust and be loyal to the brand, the company behind the brand should make customer service a part of their brand identity and make a point of taking care of their loyal customers in return for their business; something which companies who truly care about building a strong brand do as a matter of course.

Making your brand communications effective starts with building a strong brand; one which conveys the core values of the company in a way which resonates with the core values of the consumer. Creating a brand which does this is essential to fostering brand loyalty in your customers; this will ensure the longevity of a business (and of course, the career of the marketing personnel behind it).

However you choose to carry out your brand communication (and in this information-inundated age, I’d recommend using every any and every possible avenue to get noticed), your brand will be as strong as your ability to get it into the public eye. No matter how simple or sophisticated your branding campaign, keep this one rule in mind: all you are trying to tell the consumer is these two words: Trust me.
 

Bruno Auger

Tags: branding, values, company, relationship, brand communication