Small businesses throughout the country often try to separate themselves from the competition by having customers associate a certain feeling or image with the company. By having a repetitive message to clients, business owners can make their name well known and, as a result, increase their profits.
Examples of great branding are all around, if one knows where to look.
How could anyone forget the classic Canada Dry commercial in which a waddle of penguins lines up to use a ginger ale vending machine at the top of mountain one at a time? One penguin goes on his friend's shoulders and presses the button for a soda. Unfortunately, the penguin is unaware of how fast the can will come out of the machine and is knocked down as a result. After the penguin falls, he knocks down every other penguin behind him, creating a domino-like effect as the penguins fall down to display the Canada Dry logo.
While this ad entertained millions of viewers, it can also serve as a valuable lesson to small business owners in Canada. By having the vending machine at the top of a snowy mountain, Canada Dry reinforced the image of a fresh and ice-cold environment, one that is appealing for thirsty customers. Secondly, the brand used animals to sell its product, which, according to many branding experts, is one of the most effective ways to attract clients to the brand. Thirdly, when animals, especially ones that are widely considered cute, act like humans - in this case using a vending machine - many people tend to respond.
In America, one of the most important events in advertising each year is the Super Bowl. While this game features the top teams from the National Football League's two conferences, for the casual fan it is also a time to discover the best commercials that the industry has to offer.
"According to the SpotBowl site Monday morning, Anheuser-Busch had four of the top six most popular commercials, including one showing a junior Clydesdale horse trying to pull a cart, one with a bear getting in the way of a man's Bud Light and one that depicted a sheep streaking across the field while the horses were playing football," wrote Paul R. LaMonica at CNNMoney.com following the 2006 game.
While no one has the a sure-fire way to get noticed, it can often be good to look at what the competition is doing to get more clients. Branding expert Stefan Topfer recently wrote that small businesses should keep an eye out for the latest branding trend.
"Take a close look at what others are doing (branding, positioning, strategy etc.) in the same market as you," wrote Topfer for Nasdaq.com. "Is there a new trend that they have all adopted that you have not? It is healthy to be slightly paranoid that you are being left behind by the competition."
He also suggests getting feedback from clients, because it can often be hard to gauge what type of branding is effective when a person is so close to the creation process. By finding out what real, everyday customers respond to, businesses will have an easier time discovering what will get the best reaction.
Branding represents one of the best ways to sustain an image for a company. Consider the most successful companies today. McDonald's has an extremely recognizable clown while Coca-Cola is well known for having Santa Claus drink its product. The more recognizable a brand becomes, the easier a time the company will have getting customers.
