07 Dec Importance Of A Strong Brand During This Time
Online Presence
Your brand image is what identifies your brand, it’s more than just a logo. Now more than ever, it’s beginning to become so important businesses have a strong brand image. Especially now that businesses/shops are having to close and turn to an online presence, many companies haven’t had to do this before – especially small local businesses.
In this blog, I will give you tips and tricks on how to maintain a strong brand image while turning to an online presence.
Your brand image is how you want to be seen as a business to your customers, this includes – how you choose your business name, the design of your logo, the graphics and colours you use, your tone of voice and how you react with your customer!
Why Is It Important To My Business?
You may be just a small local business, so you feel your brand image doesn’t need to be top tier. However, you are wrong, especially during this time where we’ve all had to turn to online. Even just a little bit of social media and interacting with your customers will go a long way.
Customers are patiently waiting for everything to reopen, so why not try and give them what they want without actually opening.
Such as if you have a shop which sells handbags, why not offer online services – where you can send your products to customers, even if that’s just locally.
How Can I Interact With Customers?
The best way to interact with customers is social media. Instagram, Twitter & Facebook!
Even sharing what you’re up to while your store is closed, is still interacting with the customer.
Coronavirus Communications
Keep up to date with coronavirus communications about your brand, making sure you have current signage and social media posts which relate to your brand and covid19.
For example, if your store has had to close, make sure you create a post about this. If you are allowed to open again – then make sure to make a really nice post about this.
Make it clear to your customer about your opening hours, if you have had to change.
Associate your brand with good
People will remember brands for their acts of good in this time of crisis, in particular if they have helped with true heart and generosity. This can be an action of donating to the food banks, continuing to pay employees which is quite a strong point, as there have been a lot of big brands which have not done so – as they feel they can get away with it!
For example, five years from now, we will not remember a beauty brand telling us we’re all in this together while promoting their latest lipstick. We will remember Pret’s free drinks and half priced food for NHS workers. This was a very generous offering which helped NHS workers feel appreciated.
Here are some examples of brands having good marketing during this time:
Mcdonald’s
Mcdonalds directly addressed their consumers concerns around protecting their health. Mcdonald’s Philippines outlined their new precautions. Such as required temperature checks for employees before and after their shifts. This is a great way to spread the message for the customers to feel safe.
Ikea
Ikea Spain created a youtube video to remind people of the stable worlds they had already created – playing with kids, dancing, making music or just relaxing with loved ones. While the world around them moves.
As Laura Durán, marketing director at IKEA Spain, explained, “#YoMeQuedoEnCasa (#I’mStayingHome) is a movement that was born in people’s homes, and it is to those homes that we wanted to pay this small tribute. We invite everyone to view their home from a different perspective and make it a place where, during this time, we can all live new experiences together.”
These are both great ways of marketing and still interacting with their customers.
The best thing to do during this time, is to remain positive and carry on with what you would usually do (as best as you can) while implementing a few key steps too: Creating social media and keeping active with posts. Replying to your customer on social media if they have any questions, this makes them aware you are active with them. I hope these tips will help you realise why it’s important to have a strong brand during this horrible time. Please remember this time is only temporary and will not last forever!
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