A powerful brand image can establish customers’ trust and credibility for your business. By building a strong brand, you can move the needle in your small business and generate revenue. What do you think? Is your brand image strong enough? If not, then you are just losing money to the table. Meanwhile, if you figure out the power of a brand image, you can master your business sailboat. We’ll take you on a ride of the importance of a strong brand image and how you can improve your brand image. Let’s dive in.
What is a Brand Image?
A brand image is the customer’s point of view about the brand based on their experience. It is the combination of customer perception, belief, and feelings about the brand.
How does a strong brand image benefit businesses?
Consumers not only tend to purchase because you have a good quality service or product. They are tempted to buy due to their perception of your brand. A strong brand image is the core pillar of a thriving business. Brand image is a meaningful aspect in generating sales and revenue in the long run. Let’s roll in on the importance of a strong brand image.
1-Boost Brand Recognition
A strong brand image stimulates its recognition among the audience that they can differentiate products or services from the competitors.
Let’s take Gucci’s example. Whether you are a customer of Gucci or not, you can easily identify the double GG logo on their luxury products. All because they build a powerful image that distinguishes them from the rest.
2-Strengthen Trust and Loyalty
A strong brand image builds up trust and loyalty towards a business—as a result, expanding the company’s revenue. When a brand with a good image launches a new product, customers have trust and are more likely to purchase; they know that they will receive what a brand promises.
It’s more likely that you have seen the brand Apple customers swamped at the stores to purchase the latest iPhone model. It’s all because of their strong brand image. Their loyal customers are always ready to get their hands on its new technology.
3-Word of Mouth Marketing
When you have built a good brand image, your customers will likely recommend your brand to family, friends, and others through online reviews. In fact, research reveals that 93% of buyers consider online reviews before purchasing the brand product.
Furthermore, another consumer research shows that 88% trust their friends’ endorsement of brand above traditional media. As a result of positive brand image, they became your brand ambassador and endorsed your brand through thick and thin.
4-Lower Price Sensitivity
Price sensitivity refers to a term that how different products’ prices impact the customers’ purchasing behavior. A brand with a respectable image ignites the spark in customers to purchase from them even though they have high price tags. They have a low price sensitivity customer—no matter what they buy from a brand.
5-Develop credibility.
By building a strong brand image, a brand establishes trust and credibility. Meanwhile, you can fuel credibility by being honest with customers. As a result, your company gains a competitive edge in its industry and attracts more loyal customers.
Strong brand image examples
By all means, the powerful approach to differentiate your business from the rest is to get insights into how popular brands did that. Let’s sneak peek at the strong brand image examples and essential elements that lead them to cut the mustard.
1-Starbucks
What’s stuck on top of your mind when you think of sipping some coffee outside? Starbuck? We got you. They have turned into a global sensation for coffee lovers. How do they build a strong brand image and have a competitive edge over McDonald’s or Dunkin Donuts coffee? Starbucks presents more than just a cup of coffee. They discovered that their target audience craved more than the usual latte, espresso, cappuccino, and americano. Let’s give them what they want! They crave experience.
Starbucks delivers a real customer experience while sipping coffee. They focus on elegant outlet design, customized coffee, great ambiance, and swift service. They make customers feel that they are not alone and are connected by all through this high-quality experience.
2-Airbnb
Airbnb creates its strong brand image by offering consumers a home experience to belong anywhere in the world. Even if you are away from home on vacation, you can still feel at home with Airbnb residents. This strong brand image resonates with the customer’s belief that they crave to experience it anywhere. Meanwhile, the Airbnb brand image has refined over the years and retains a competitive edge.
3-Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton (LV) is an iconic luxury fashion brand that brings innovation, creativity, and excellence to the lives of customers.
LV brand’s strong image offers a
- High-quality products catering a style statement to customers
- Luxury retail experience
- Heritage and traditional values align with customers
Due to their dedication to adaptability, they maintain their position at the cutting edge of fashion. LV’s success always stays on top of trends, styles, and customer demand. These aspects furnish an LV strong brand image and form a loyal customer base.
Brand image vs Brand Identity
- Brand identity defines the company’s core values, vision, mission, and objectives. However, a brand image is what consumers perceive about your brand.
- The brand identity focuses on enhancing the brand personality to convey company value. On the other hand, Brand image focuses on improving the customer experience with the company.
- Brand identity Comprises the visible components of a brand, while a brand image involves both graphic components and brand alliances.
- Brand identity relies on how the company puts forward to stand out from competitors, whereas brand image depends on the brand’s customer experience.
If you want to surpass your competitors and run a successful company, you must build a good brand identity aligning with a strong brand image.
How to improve brand image
At this point, you gauge the importance of a strong brand image, and you might be wondering how to improve your brand image. Here are some valuable tips that you can take as stepping stones to hone your brand image.
1-Know who you are
First, clarify what your company stands for, why you exist, and how you solve your potential customer’s problem. Ensure you convey your values to employees to reflect these in daily customer interactions.
2-Be Unique
If you ride in the same boat as your competitor, it willn’t make you recognizable. Find the disguisable characteristics that make your company unique and broaden your horizon to excel from your competitors.
3-Consistent tone of voice
Use a constant brand voice and tone throughout your marketing platforms to reflect your brand personality everywhere. As a result, consumers can distinguish your brand from others.
4-Be visually appealing
Studies reveal that visual information is processed 60,000 times quicker than plain text. So why not give your brand personality an appealing visual to leave your company’s mark on their brain? This will build your brand awareness and make you stand out. Your consumer will identify your brand visuals, whether your website design or social media graphics. Also, make sure to be consistent with visuals across all touchpoints.
5-Customer Service
Over 50% of customers will shift to a competitor after just one flawed experience with the company. You have no chance for a single mistake, as it will affect your brand image. Customers prefer a business that provides personalized and consistent customer experience. For that reason, consistently deliver a remarkable experience with your brand and product or service to build a strong brand image.
6-Monitor and Analyze customer feedback.
Last but not least, you can improve your brand image from customers’ feedback. Hence, get customer insights from your social sites’ comments, testimonials, or personal interactions. It will help you determine the strategies that work for you, analyze those that are not working, and modify plans.
Summing Up
Now, you have insights into the importance of a strong brand image. On the whole, it’s crucial to craft a powerful brand image to stay at the top of the business game. With a strong brand image, you can create meaningful relationships with your customers and pave the way for long-term success. Thus, it leads you to gain customer trust and generates revenue for your organization in the long run.
Discussion about this post