Baked beans are baked beans right?

In this article we look at the impact a brand has on decisions clients make.
How many times have you walked down the isle of your grocery store and picked the more expensive brand of ketch-up even though it tastes just like the store brand variety? A good brand is an incredibly important aspect of any business. Clients are loyal to a brand they believe in, a brand they can identify with. Simply put; great brands are big business.

So what’s in a brand…..?

Firstly a brand needs to be what I call instant! When thinking of a brand I do not want to feel like I’m reading a novel, the colors and logo must immediately relate to me what I can expect when selecting a particular brand and to achieve this certain aspects of branding must be taken into account.

Your brand must suit your product. If I buy biscuits I want to see a picture of an old lady, a baker or a cozy kitchen – I am not going to buy biscuits if the manufacturer’s logo is a picture of a fish…well…unless of course they were cat biscuits.
Similarly I am not going to buy paint from a company with a black and white logo.
Always remember…a picture’s worth a thousand words…

As important as it is for the brand to suit the product, it is just as important that it appeals to the target market. A teenager is not going to buy a pair of shoes because the brand is recognized as a brand offering comfort and support to sore feet…

Branding is so powerful that a student at university far away from home often cures a severe bout of home sickness by simply buying a brand of product that their parent would always buy and that would remind them of home.

Once your client buy’s into your brand, consistency is likely to keep them coming back forever. Human beings are creatures of habit and habit is formed from familiarity. We buy the same cake flower because our cakes never flop although the actual make of flower has absolutely nothing to do with our exceptional baking skills. Why risk a change…besides the packet of flower actually carries the slogan “too fresh too flop”

Many a husband can attest to the power of branding and Sunday mornings spent driving around town searching for that specific brand of canned apples for the wife’s apple pie…

As a nicely presented meal often tastes better so a nicely presented product often sells better and branding is the first step in presentation.

Brand loyalty also means that clients tend to be more forgiving. If for whatever reason you need to increase the price of your product but you have a well established brand it should not impact on your sales too much. Clients are prepared to pay for their brand of choice. If for some reason a particular product is defective you have a better chance of getting that client back for a second time if they know and trust your brand.

Lastly, effective branding promotes “word of mouth” advertising.
If Mom finds a washing powder she feels works and the brand appeals to her she will try the fabric softener too and she is bound to tell all her friends about these products.

So, the answer is NO – beans are never just beans – it depends what brand they come in.