Article - Corporate Branding Strategies for Start-Ups
29 Oct 2019
3 Corporate Branding Strategies for Start-Ups Competing with Market Leaders
Starting a new business can be fun and exciting, especially when you think about all your future possibilities. You have got a great business model, just enough seed capital to get started, and a brilliant product or service. But reality sets in once you market your product. Sadly, there is nothing more painful than having a great product or service, but not being able to get people to notice your brand.
In a tough and competitive market, starting up a business can be hard work, but establishing a trusted brand is even harder. In a world where 64% of consumers pursue relationships with brands based on trust and shared values, branding is your business. It is who you are, what you do, how you do it, and how people identify and remember you. But a brand does not just develop overnight – it all starts with the branding.
As the most important aspect of running a business, branding is the act of creating and building the reputation of your brand. It is defined by your voice, mission, values, and presence. It distinguishes and differentiates your products or services from others. Holding a vital place in marketing, branding strategies are imperative for any new venture, especially start-ups.
Too often, a new business will dive into the market with a lack of clarity of their service or product and zero idea of who they are or where they are going. Besides competing with market leaders, start-ups face many difficult challenges getting off the ground, and cannot exist for long unless customers trust their brand.
Today, marketing is all about brand awareness, creating an emotional bond with customers, and building enduring, meaningful relationships. which means start-ups need to be a little more innovative, especially when running on small, tight budgets. If you are a start-up looking to compete with market leaders, here are three strategies that will get you off the ground and into the minds of your target market.
1. Social Media Marketing
Creating a social media marketing campaign is a fantastic branding strategy. Today’s millennials want to be inspired, excited, and motivated. Using platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, inform your target market before launching a new product or service. Creating a campaign is an excellent opportunity to generate excitement, create awareness, and get your message out on the streets.
2. Branded Exposure Products
The secret weapon to broadcasting a message, logo, or promotion, exposure products, such as pop-ups, banners, pull-up banners, banner walls, branded gazebos, flags, umbrellas, inflatables, and display stands are great tools for turning heads and drawing in attention. Portable, versatile, and the ideal backdrop for presentations, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, reception areas, retail outlets, and outdoor events, these marketing geniuses are long-lasting and can be transported and set up effortlessly.
3. Branded Corporate Workwear
Corporate clothing culture is one of the most successful marketing strategies used today. With employees being the key to how people judge a brand, many market leaders dress their employees in smart, stylish workwear. Not only does it offer the quickest and best ROI, but branded corporate wear builds a professional image and encourages customer loyalty and trust, leading to higher sales. It also offers free advertising. Wherever your employees go, so does your branded corporate wear, displaying your logo and message for the world to see.
Your brand is your biggest selling point, and it needs as much exposure as it can get. But branding strategies are evolving at a burgeoning pace. What worked five years ago may not work next year. Today, business is all about shifting perceptions, and if you want loyal customers that will purchase your products or use your services time and time again, you need to create emotional experiences that leave your brand in the minds of your audience, and that is exactly what the team at XCO Group can help you achieve.
As the leading safety, sports, corporate apparel, and exposure products suppliers in South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, we service hundreds of businesses across the board. Whether you are a start-up venturing into the market for the first time, or a brand looking to reinvent your image and attract the right target market, we can help your business grow with branding.