Branding should reflect your business

Kristen Durose is managing director of Red Star Wealth Management, independent financial advisers based in Blackpool. She discusses the importance of branding for your business.

One of the things I knew for sure when I started my own business back in 2011, one of only a few things I knew for sure by the way, was that I wanted to create a brand which reflected all the attributes Red Star Wealth Management was to represent. Rather than the brand being something of an afterthought or an evolving concept as time went on, it was part of the foundation.

This might have had something to do with my love for personalised merchandise but also for a financial services company (yawn) I also knew that what I wanted was for the company to be seen as vibrant, modern, forward thinking and client centered. I knew that how the company looked to the watching world would have much to do with whether I was successful in projecting the image I wanted the world to see.

The explosion of social media and the very odd phenomenon of creating a brand name from celebrity relationships – I refer you here to Brangelina (apparently you have to be a “super couple” to be able to drop the “and”) highlights how a brand can sell just about anything – even the desire for a lifestyle you are unlikely to ever have!

Branding is not however a new thing and dates back further than driving a white hot glowing iron into the flesh of cattle to mark it as yours, which in itself has been happening for hundreds of years. No, in fact as far back as Ancient Babylon merchants would hang pictorial signs or paint their storefronts to entice shoppers in and to advertise the quality of their wares.

Your brand is a reflection of your company, your product or yourself. It tells people what you do and what you stand for. It can be a powerful tool to encourage business, especially for brands seen as desirable, luxury or the new must have – there is a reason Louis Vuitton can charge upwards of £1,600 for a backpack – their brand tells us that backpack is worth it (I am not sure to be honest it’s not really that nice……)

But be careful! Once your brand is known, whether locally, nationally or internationally, any negativity can spread like wildfire; think Tesco (Horsemeat Burgers), Maria Sharapova (Doping) or BP (oil spill disaster). The value of these “brands” dropped significantly in the wake of negative publicity. So if your company brand is for great client service, quality products, delicious food – whatever it is, plan how your brand can really tell your customers what you do, and what you believe, and then make sure you AND your team all work hard to take care of brand “us”.