05 Mar The brand is the business

Whiplash Team, 5^th March 2021

The brand is the business

A strong brand is the bridge between an organization and its customers. The perception that the user has of the brand will be the one that defines their purchase action.

It is well known that the brand is not only a logo. The brand is much more. It is the idea that a person has of an organization, a product or a service. It is the full array of all the feelings, aspirations and sensations that emerge in the individual when he/she thinks about the company, the product or the need that the brand satisfies.

For this reason, the brand is a strategic element that must be present in every aspect of the business. It is, in short, an instrument for continuous growth. This is the notion that organizations must take into account when approaching the construction of a brand. No matter what role the brand plays in the lives of its users, if it is well built and operates according to its purpose, with coherence and consistency between the story and the actions, it will be a memorable brand.

Today, new models prevail, and brands are perceived as change agents in all aspects of the society. Their function, within the social framework has changed and they need a purpose in accordance with the times, filled with the aspiration for a fairer, more balanced society and more sensitive to the environment. It is not a time for empty promises but to demonstrate with actions what we say.

All this positively influences brand perception and loyalty building. For an organization, it costs five times more to attract a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. This means that many companies could increase their income by dedicating time to retaining a percentage of their customers, which is achieved, among other ways, with good brand building.

Quality is important, of course, but a customer assumes that when he/she buys a product or acquires a service, he/she will get quality for his/her money. When a person connects emotionally with a brand, he/she stops perceiving it as a supplier and begins to feel it as a valuable asset in his/her life. And this is reflected in his/her buying habits.

Thus, it is necessary to build emotional ties with users. For this, tactical marketing aimed at specific audiences with specific campaigns, is not enough. It is essential to create value through the brand, with an inspiring storytelling and with a conviction on its purpose that is reflected in all its actions, both within the organization, in its model, in its processes and in its personnel, as well as outwards, in its communication and in its social actions.

But inspiring it is not enough. We must go further. Elevate the purpose of the brand and connect it with what motivates and interests the users, with what they want, with what they desire. It is about creating an aspirational connection, that gives meaning to their relationship with the brand.

All of this is achieved through strategic branding. A process that must involve the entire organization and impact all processes, because building a strong brand is, above all, a necessity for the evolution and growth of the business.