CREAM is an acronym I have created for explaining why you should create a brand for your business.
By creating the right brand, you will be making a connection with your ideal customers.
And customers that feel connected to you, will want to buy from you. They will want to buy from you again and again. They will be willing to pay more for what you are offering. And, the best bit, they will talk to their friends about you. They will become brand advocates, selling your business for you.
As human beings, our decision-making is dictated by the emotional part of our brain.
So, when creating your brand, it is important to connect with your ideal clients on an emotional level.
If you can develop a better understanding of what they are thinking and, more importantly, feeling during the decision-making process, then you are more likely to be able to connect with them and get them to buy into what you are doing.
Creating a brand is about making yourself more relevant to your target audience.
If you can empathise with their situation and you can recognise their pain points and their challenges, then you are more likely to establish yourself as a solution to their problems.
A brand is more than just your logo.
Your brand should be evident in every touchpoint that your customers will have through their journey with you. Remember, it takes on average 8 touchpoints for a lead to become sales-ready.
So everything from marketing materials and social media posts to, say for example, how a product is packaged or delivered, to the way that you deal with customer service, onboarding, or resolving issues, should be a consistent and positive experience.
Basically, every single experience that a customer has with your business makes up their impression of your brand. And that will be what they will share with other people.
The main reason to create a brand is to create something that your ideal clients will like, and ultimately love.
Because if you can do this, you’re creating something that they will be proud of talking about and sharing.
By creating a consistent brand, when sharing their experiences with their friends, colleagues, and acquaintances, they will more likely share the story and key messages you want them to share, rather than something they have made up themselves.
Your customers will become cheerleaders for your brand.
A brand not only develops over time, but needs to be maintained over time. This is not a one-off process.
It’s not like once you’ve done it, everything’s there. This is something that needs to be consistently communicated, both internally with your team and externally to existing and potential customers.
For some clients, I create an ‘On-Brand Checklist’, to make sure every communication ticks the right boxes when it comes to being on-brand. And, just as importantly, nothing off-brand goes out.
If you would like to discuss how I can help you create and communicate your brand, please get in touch.
If you are looking to create a brand or rebrand your business, let’s chat.
