It's All About The Brand: Using Public Relations To Brand

by Michael Maynard

How do you brand your business? A catchy name and logo certainly help, and if you have an advertising budget to get the message out, that's even better. But branding your business shouldn't stop there. It should reach into all aspects of your business - from customer service to community events.

After all, it's all about the brand.

This isn't meant to sound superficial. Branding without substance will get you nowhere. The product or service does matter. But who's going to know about you if you're not getting your message across in a consistent fashion?

Publicity can be an effective way of reinforcing and telegraphing your company's core message, that is, its brand. The ways to get this message across are endless, but there are a few key points that all companies should follow in branding.

Identify your message. What are you promoting in your message? Is it product excellence? Is it friendly customer service? Is it great service? Whatever it is, use publicity to promote these qualities. If it's important to your business to have a presence in the community, get involved in local events and organizations. Look for partnership opportunities with charitable agencies or schools, and don't be afraid to promote yourself for the work you do. It's a way of reinforcing your company's message. If customer service is your branding emphasis, create an award for outstanding customer service, and promote it in the local papers.

Know your audience. Too many times, a branding campaign is built without really knowing who it's trying to reach. Don't try to reach everybody. No company can be all things to all people. Identify your audience, and you'll be in a better position to use media outlets that target certain demographic groups, whether by age, ethnicity, or gender.

Choose and use a spokesperson wisely. Using a spokesperson can be a wonderful way to boost the branding of your product or service. But make sure that person can effectively convey the brand and reach the targeted audience. Selecting the best-looking or highest-profile individual for your campaign may not be the best or most cost-effective way to tout yourself. Your spokesperson should fit the image of what you're trying to promote. Is it wholesome or rebellious? Are you trying to be shocking or soothing? Know this before you go shopping for a pretty face. And once you have a person, make sure to utilize them through personal appearances and interviews with local media.

Create excitement. No matter what the product is, you can generate interest. Whether it's soft drinks or banking, everything can be branded. It's all in how you shape the message. A bank that brands itself as accessible to customers kicks off new Saturday hours by staging open houses at various branches and offering giveaways for customers and their children. Maybe the bank president is on hand to show his appreciation to customers. Public relations activities such as these ground the brand in reality.

Branding isn't a one-shot deal. It takes an ongoing effort to keep the company's message fresh in the minds of customers and prospects. You have to be creative and flexible. The goal of branding is essentially the same as that of running your business: to stand out from the crowd.

Michael Maynard can be reached at Graham Communications, 40 Oval Road, Suite, Quincy, MA 02170, (617) 328-0069, (617) 471-1504 fax, e-mail [email protected], Web site www.grahamcomm.com.