Essential first steps for building a successful brand

Branding, specifically successful branding, is the act of imbedding a word into the mind of consumers in a positive manner for as long as possible. It is a methodical, time-intensive process that is first established via a tenacious PR campaign over a period of years, and finally maintained through advertising once a brand has taken root.

Step 1a: Define a new category

The first thing a company should consider is what category the company, its services, or its products belong. Ideally, a new category will need to be created, and named. This is perhaps the most important decision a company can make on it's path towards branding nirvana.

• New categories allow companies to profess a kind of ownership, with claims of originality being among the most effective and respected strategies used during successful branding campaigns.
• Companies whose products and services do not warrant the creation of a new category are doomed to follow the leaders and originators of whichever existing category the company's products and services fit.

Step 1b: Choose a short, Unique name for the new category

• The category name is just as important as the category itself. Step 2 below outlines the key points to follow in choosing names.

Step 2a: Choose a short, unique name

Whether it's a company, a product, or a service, the name chosen should be as short and unique as possible. Generic names, acronyms, or long and complex names are harder to remember, have little character, and are eventually shortened by the consumer.

• Acronyms are a last ditch effort to turn generic names into something shorter and more memorable. Acronyms are not necessary for short, unique names.
• Federal Express changed it's name to FedEx after years of consumers trying to give its generic name character, and make it more memorable.
• Trends are not to be followed when choosing a name, unless the goal for the company, product, or service is to be short-lived, or designed to ride a fad to it's inevitable end.

• The following are a few do's and don'ts:
  • Choose a name that is easy to spell accurately when hearing it for the first time.
  • Meaningless, or meaningless-sounding words (Altria; Microsoft; Sony) should sounding pleasing to the ear, while conjuring up as little meaning as possible.
  • Unless absolutely necessary, the name should sound generic (North American) or have little cultural flavor.
  • Avoid trends, such as placing single lowercase letters before the name, or adding ".com" after it.
  • Avoid Unique or phonetic spelling (often used in order to capture the Web domain).
  • Try to determine how the newly chosen name might be shortened or twisted by the consumer.

Step 2b: Choose a memorable logo

Once the category has been decided upon, and the name of the company, product, or service has been chosen, the logo's next. Logos can help clarify the name or business, establish a tone, and help better position a company, product, or service within an industry or market.

• Most logos, or "logotypes," are made up of two components:
  • wordmark: the actual name
  • bug: the symbol
• The bug generally comes first. The goal is to capture the essence of the company, product, or service with as few lines as possible.
• The rule of thumb: less is more (less lines = more memorable).

Step 3: PR

At this early stage, forget advertising. Advertising can only defend a brand. It can't build one. Instead, put your efforts into PR. Think of PR as word-of-mouth approval from a friend, and advertising as the obnoxious car salesperson.

• PR is nothing more than third-party endorsement, i.e. news; a powerful credibility builder. The only thing more powerful is word-of-mouth.
• PR can be anything from press releases to street-level guerrilla marketing tactics

While the cost per person is generally more for PR as compared to advertising, PR's "third-party" effect runs deeper and is more effective at garnering loyal customers than the "salesperson" approach upon which advertising is built.

Not sold on PR? Scan this story on the power of PR.