In the era of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok every person with an online presence is a brand. Branding in the social world is challenging. But do you portray your brand as it is? Or you have an artificial portrayal of your self on social channels to please your following?
‘Har Paani Ka Bottle Bisleri Nahi’ was a clever campaign with a clear two-tone message. #BISLERI was, is, and will always be synonymous with ‘Water’. Every bottle of water is not a ‘Bisleri’. We all know the difference between the quality of Adidas and Adibas (…pun intended).
THE BRAND
Creating a brand is a daunting task as it involves time, consistency, and review. Rome was not built in a day, similarly, you can’t build a brand without consistency. Can you imagine a brand like Red-Bull sponsoring a classical concert playing Beethoven and Mozart? No, Never! Red-Bull has been always synonymous with extreme and alternative sports content.
But in retrospect according to this Harvard Business Review article, While Red Bull spends much of its $2 billion annual marketing budget on branded content, its YouTube channel (rank #184, 4.9 million subscribers) is lapped by dozens of crowd culture start-ups with production budgets under $100,000. Indeed, Dude Perfect (#81, 8 million subscribers), the brainchild of five college jocks from Texas who make videos of trick shots and goofy improvised athletic feats, does far better.
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A successful brand is built over time. A slow gradual build up allows you the opportunity to gather a bigger, wider and relevant audience that appreciates your brand rather than the flash and awestruck followers that will fade over time.
THE BRANDING
Within every brand is a product but not every product is a brand
David Ogilvy, Founder of Ogilvy & Mather a.k.a ‘Father of Advertising’
The branding process starts with the identifying of your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) or in lay-mans terms, The Differentiator. This USP needs to be prominent on any channel you choose to communicate with your audience. The various channels in corporate communication are your Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or any other Social Media Marketing channels. Once you identify your USP, you now need a Brand Strategy that resonates with your Brand Identity in such a way that the tangible elements of your product start to associate with the intangible elements of your brand.
THE BRANDED
Now if you are a seasoned businessperson, you already have created a brand. Focus clearly on what your brand has achieved. Understand your industry leaders and take them on. Come online and tell us a good story. Build a community of your followers and product/service users. Show us the lives of your brand founders. Tell us more about your brand and why us built it. Be that good Samaritan who can inspire the community.
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Branding in the social world may take ages. Start with the small steps that make the journey worthwhile. Because at the finish line when you turn back you will realize you ran a marathon.
