A brand is a unique identity of a business that sets it apart in today’s market. A brand plan shapes people’s impression of the company’s products or services. In the present decade, building unique brand images and marketing through it is all the buzz in business. It includes not just creating a logo or value but planning all marketing actions and strategies in tandem with it.

Well, that being said, branding strategies in marketing need a lot of practice, vigilance, critical thought, and effort. To become a master entrepreneur in today’s competitive market, you would need to begin with the right skills and knowledge. Hence you need to begin with a course that builds a firm foundation and eventually advances from there.

Here, you are about to learn basic principles and branding strategies and understand why branding is important for your business.

What are the 3 Main Purposes of Branding?

The purpose of branding is inevitable for any company or any type of brand, be it corporate, personal, product, or service. Here are the 3 main purposes of branding.

1) To Arouse an Emotional Association Between Individuals and Brands

Your brand image is what would impact the response of an individual. In order to connect with the customer, the brand must know the industry and target audience.

2) To Create Your Distinct Business Identity in the Market

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Once a brand has established why it fits in the industry, it is time to prove how it is unique from existing competitors. Essentially, a brand plan that sets you apart needs the support of an efficient design and voice. These verbal and visual aspects help you set your unique brand narrative.

3) To Build a Loyal Customer Base

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Some brands have successfully surpassed others because customers have chosen them to be at the top. Hence, your customers are your strength, and you need to win their loyalty by  delivering genuine experiences. A clear message and positive purpose lead a brand ahead for people to like and return to.

Today, there are several branding strategies and essentials that encourage engagement and build a loyal customer base.

What are the 3 Ps of Marketing?

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With clarity on purpose and strategies, you might be now curious to know what are the 3 Ps of marketing.

1) People

The first of the 3 Ps in a brand plan is undoubtedly the one who the brand is for – its people. As a business brand in the market, you interact with a lot of different groups of people. Hence, it is crucial to understand each stakeholder group and uplift these bonds throughout.

You must understand these categories and devise your approaches to each according to your goals and their needs. Here is a list of people groups that brands interact with daily:

• Target audience/customers
• Employees
• Vendors
• Suppliers
• Partners
• investors

2) Process

Clearly, a brand plan has several processes. There are endless procedures involved in the major actions, from innovative ideas to planning, presenting, manufacturing, marketing, and distributing them. These processes require skills like decision-making, teamwork, problem-solving, critical analysis, etc. For your business to run effectively, you must be familiar with all processes that lead to a destination product.

3) Product

Be it a tangible object or a service, your product is the primary end that requires all plans and strategies. This is the most visual part of your brand and needs cooperation between the two other p’s – people and process. It is cyclic, where people reinforce the process, in turn, fuelling products, which encourage actions by people, and so on.

The 3 C’s of Brand Positioning

With an idea about what are the 3 p’s in a brand plan, let us look at the 3 cs of brand positioning.

1) Clarity

Clarity is proof of a strong brand that is aware of its true purpose and shows no ambiguity. A clearly comprehended goal is easy to reflect on and communicate. An emphasis on the brand’s ideas and attributes conveys its potential to people.

2) Consistency

In tandem with the previous point, consistency maintains the established clear image through a familiar outlook. A brand that always reflects its core values in its actions is consistent in its actions. This further establishes a genuine impression among customers that represents a strong image for years to come.

3) Constancy

Constancy is one of the most important of the 3 C’s of brand positioning today. The worth of a brand depends on the constant efforts it puts to be in the limelight. Be it physical ads, social media, or word of mouth, constancy impacts all mediums and keeps you visible always.

What are 3 Branding Strategies?

Now you clearly know what are the 3 main purposes of branding, the 3 Ps, and the 3 Cs principles. So, let’s move on to 3 fool-proof strategies to consider from the start.

1) Consistency

Over time, the visibility of a brand increases due to its familiarity and consistency. With a clear idea of your business, adhering to consistency should be simple. Coming up with set brand guidelines assists in internally communicating the core ideas and visualising them to the public.

2) Emotional Connection

Empathy is crucial in a brand as it establishes a humanistic approach toward catering to the audience. The key is to understand the deeper emotional needs of a customer and serve that besides just a practical one. Hence, each step in the brand plan must address human emotions.

3) Employee Empowerment

Just like your customers, the team that helps you reach the customers is equally important. They are in charge of all the investigation, research, reports, manufacturing, social media planning, etc. Investing in a strong team and maintaining a positive workspace is highly important to have strong branding strategies.

In Conclusion

Today, brand creation is not merely an identity anymore. It is a relevance that needs constant maintenance and upliftment to stay true to the age and customer’s expectations. Any brand should persistently maintain a unique identity in the business world and consider the product’s quality, usability, and consumer interests.

Naturally, this eventual change in the meaning of a brand also inspires the same change in a brand plan. Hence, the need for expert brand strategists is rising, with salaries as high as INR 20 LPA, as per AmbitionBox.

Learn in-depth about how to build and manage a brand image with a comprehensive business management course at the JD Institute of Fashion Technology.