91Ï㽶»ÆÉ«ÊÓƵ

Knowing what your customers want and how you can deliver it is an integral part of the branding process. You need to know what drives your customers, and what makes them buy. In most cases, it's not only about price or performance.

Researching what customers want

Ask existing customers what they like about doing business with you and ask potential customers what they are looking for.

If your brand values are in line with what customers look for when they're buying, you have the beginnings of a useful brand. This means you're ready to start building on it. If they're not, you'll need to reconsider: 

• the benefits you offer to your customers
• whether you're targeting the right people

For example, a clothes shop that has 'high end fashion' as a brand value can benefit from this if its customers want to buy the trendiest clothes. However, if its customer base is looking for practical clothing, those brand values may not be in line with customers' buying needs. Read more about customer research: what you need to know.

Communicating your brand to customers

Once you’ve defined your brand values and identified customer needs, the next step is to consistently communicate those values across all touchpoints.

Every interaction with a customer should reinforce your brand, including:

• your logo and business name
• staff uniforms and their behaviour
• product packaging and design

Consistency builds trust and strengthens your brand. On the other hand, inconsistency - like mismatched design or conflicting messaging - can damage your brand and hurt your business.

Get customer feedback

Get regular feedback from customers to check that your business delivers the promises your brand makes. Ask dissatisfied customers or former customers for feedback as well - you can gain valuable, and sometimes more honest, information from them about how your brand is perceived.

You should remember that your customers can change too so you should continue to manage your brand.