Brand New Buzz

Building a brand is about two things: creating an identity for a company, product, service or person and then communicating that identity to the public until the association is automatic. Marketing departments throughout corporate America know that getting the word out to the media and the public in general is a great way to establish and maintain a brand identity . What many newer and smaller companies forget is that it is just as important to communicate with new and returning customers.

The instant a consumer becomes a customer — or even during the process when they are shopping a company’s store or website — their view and experience of a brand changes. They are no longer simply being informed or entertained. They expect to receive value and whatever tangible or intangible benefit is promised by said brand. Failure to deliver during every step of the purchase, delivery, and use process is the fastest way to ensure that the customer never returns. It’s also a good way to generate bad word of mouth about the brand. Something that should be avoided at all costs. Therefore it is vital that companies of any size make sure that they have quality products, service, shipping — in short, that they deliver what they promise. And this applies doubly to companies that rely on outsource firms like Marlabs to handle billing, customer service, IT, or other work. Every employee is a brand representative.

Assuming a company has put sufficient time into developing all their services, products, and trained their employees to excel, there are other things they can do to keep customers engaged with and excited about their brand. Continual engagement is the key to not only repeat business, but to turning a returning customer into a loyal advocate for the brand who spreads the word about the product or service and recruits new customers to the fold.

One of the best ways to maintain communication with customers is by sharing company news on a regular basis. This news may be announcements of sales, new products, or special events. It may offer a look “behind the scenes” of the company or profiles of corporate officers or activities. Depending on the medium, it could include tips and information about using products or getting the most from specific services or it could be sharing fun and funny stories and factoids.

Company information like this was traditionally limited to press releases and mailed newsletters or fliers. In the digital age, companies can make use of websites, blogs , podcasts, and online video and photo sharing. They may maintain a twitter account or facebook page that allows fans and followers to contribute to the conversation or set up their own forum or wiki. Other companies are exploring the use of special apps that serve a multitude of functions. The key is figuring out what technology will work best for both the message and for reaching the desired customers.

photo courtesy narcosislabs with Creative Commons License.

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