What are best practices to build a strong brand that your customers love?
However attractive, a well-stocked pet product aisle can overwhelm even the most informed shopper. For new pet brands, itâs mission-critical to break through the crowded shelf clutter, grab your audienceâs attention and show them why they should trust your product above the many other options on the shelf â all in a split second.
Which leaves the million-dollar question: With so many brands vying for the same wallets, how do you make yours stand out?
Start from the inside
No matter the industry, the most successful brands have one thing in common: They solve a problem. Whether big or small, they make life a little bit easier, better, faster. The same should be true for your pet product. So, for starters, take the time to figure out your point of difference. What do you do better than other brands? What do you stand for? What new and different perspective do you bring?
Think about how you want people to feel when they encounter your brand. Whether itâs a dog kibble or a guinea pig enrichment toy, youâre offering something intended to strengthen the health and wellness of a beloved family member. You need to find that emotional connection.
With these answers in hand, itâs time to craft a unique positioning. It could be a pithy statement or a series of phrases. Either way, it unites your point of difference and your emotional connection with your tangible offering.
Ultimately, this message should be front and center on all of your branding elements, from your packaging to your social media to your website. Itâs your brandâs north star.
Designing your brand
Now that youâve defined who you are, itâs time to create the essential elements of your brand.
Logo: Think of your logo as the nucleus of your brand. Because your logo is such a visible and pervasive part of your brand, itâs one of the most important elements to get right. Make sure you spend the time, energy and resources necessary to develop a unique and memorable logo.
Tips: Cute is nice, but lots of brands do it. Give your brand meaning, and develop a logo that communicates something about your productâs point of difference.
Asset toolbox: With your logo as a touchstone, build a toolbox of core brand assets. These elements include typography, color palette, forms and shapes, patterns, iconography, brand voice and key visuals. Each of these should complement and build on one another to communicate your brandâs unique positioning.
Packaging: Start with one formula or product type. Choose your primary display panel (PDP) and prioritize the most important messages for that outward-facing side. If your package is a bag, consider how the design appears when filled to preempt any potential belly or hip issues. Then push your designer to craft a design that creates a billboard-like effect on-shelf, that radiates your presence across the aisle.
Functionality: Not only does your packaging have to look good on-shelf, it also needs to stand out online. Consider how your design will show on digital store shelves, thumbnail listings and tiny mobile phone banner ads. Make sure the look and feel comes through clearly on all sizes and forms of marketing collateral.
Architecture: Whether youâre starting out with 2 or 10 offerings, decide early how your line extensions will work together. How are they visually connected? How do their names play together? Plan for growth and be intentional with your brand architecture from the very beginning.
Ready to launch
Your website is your digital window to the world. Your distribution strategy will define the kind of site you will need. If itâs a sales tool, create a shopping cart and make the purchase process as easy as possible. Or flesh out your brand story and clearly link to retail stores and selling sites.
Branding bonus: helpful tips to keep in mind
- Use your PDP to hook your customerâs attention. Secondary sides are ripe for âseal the dealâ selling points and supporting information
- Know where your target customer shops. Whether big box or boutique, digital or bricks and mortar, get your product where your customers are
- Allow for realistic budgets. Good work takes time, and time is money
- Stay true to your brand. To build trust, customers need a consistent experience with your brand â no matter where or how they encounter you
- Remember that no one is waiting for your new brand. You need to find your own spot on the shelf. Identify and position yourself against the weakest competitor â then kick them off the shelf
Sales support
An effective sales strategy includes branded tools for your sales team, including sales training presentations, customer-facing sales presentations, ISO sell sheets, promotions, retail samples and shopper marketing pieces. Use these elements to ensure sales is telling the same brand story that appears on your package, your website, etc. Consistency is key to success.
Social media
Social media is a fantastic opportunity to target your desired audience, geographically and socio- economically. Enlist influencers to spread the word while building credibility (though beware of bots. If a deal to acquire followers sounds too good to be true, it probably is). And track engagement â shares, comments, views and likes provide a wealth of data to measure the effectiveness of your campaign.
In the end, invest your marketing dollars where your customer is. Test your elements and messages. Revise. Repeat. And then blow it out when you find what works.
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