WILMINGTON, Mass., Dec. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- With the economy
still sluggish following the 2008-09 recession, marketing
professionals recommend that businesses "buff up" their brands to
help energize sales.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131204/NE27484 )
Among other things, a brand includes your business's logo, color
schemes, and how they're visually expressed in all communications —
from ads and marketing materials, to signage and fleet vehicles, to
even the way company employees are dressed. When strategically
designed and maintained, your brand can project an image of
professionalism, help differentiate you from your competitors,
attract new customers, and better position your company for bottom
line success.
Two examples of continually buffed up and well communicated
brands are Nike and its "speedy" swoosh logo, and Mercedes Benz and its silver, three-pointed
star. When the Nike swoosh is seen in ads or on footwear, thoughts
of performance enhancing athletic apparel are reinforced in a
customer's mind—ready to surface when it's time to purchase such
products. Likewise, when the Mercedes silver star appears in
marketing materials or as hood ornaments, immediate thoughts of
luxurious automobiles with technical superiority enter a customer's
mind.
Denise Lee Yohn
(http://deniseleeyohn.com/), a brand-building expert who has served
as a consultant to such companies as Sony, Dell, and Covad
communications, says relevant and compelling brands can help
counteract "the downward pull of a tough market by (allowing
businesses) to sustain price premiums and higher margins… because
its offerings are perceived to be differentiated and of higher
value." Such brands, she adds, "must be more than a vision" and
must help effectively communicate what a business does in order to
have a positive impact.
Effective brands inevitably capture customer attention and
project a desired business message, says Adam Soreff, Director of Marketing at UniFirst
Corp. (www.unifirst.com), a provider of customized uniform and
workwear programs to businesses throughout the U.S. and
Canada. "In today's post-recession
era, buyers are intent on receiving maximum value for every dollar
spent. They're also looking for clear differentiation for products
and services when determining who they make their purchases
from. And that's where good branding comes in. It helps create a
more positive business image that leads to a higher degree of
buying confidence and customer loyalty."
All branding should be consistent and be promoted wherever any
aspect of a business' operations come in direct contact with
customers. "But not all customer 'touch points' are created equal,"
Soreff says. "Some play a more significant role in branding than
others. For example, studies have shown that customers interacting
with employees in branded uniforms perceive the business to be of a
higher caliber and, as a result, they become more likely to buy
from those particular businesses. Additionally, another recent
study showed that staff clothed in custom branded uniforms can
actually have a greater advertising impact on customers than even
traditional roadside billboards."
Soreff says one widely recognized example of how custom branded
uniforms can help attract and keep customers was provided not that
long ago by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) when
it changed the standardized work shirts worn by its 48,000 airport
screeners.
At a time when travelers were still experiencing reservations
about the safety of air travel (post 9-11), the screeners, who had
been wearing plain white shirts with embroidered cloth badges, were
routinely receiving little respect or cooperation, and lots of
complaints, from the air-flying public, according to Soreff. "But
once the TSA issued new authoritative-looking royal blue shirt
uniforms for all its screeners—ones that were personalized with
custom metal badges and wearer name and rank emblems—traveler
attitudes became more positive and behaviors changed."
News reports following the TSA's brand buffing and uniform
changes showed airport screeners were given greater respect from
travelers because they looked more "police like." As a result, the
airport screening process became easier and more efficient.
"Air travelers became confident that flying was again safe and a
viable option," Soreff says. "And that was good news not only for
airline ticket sales, but for the thousands of businesses that rely
on air travel."
About UniFirst
UniFirst (NYSE: UNF), a North American leader in the supply and
servicing of uniforms, workwear, and protective clothing, outfits
more than 1.5 million workers each business day. The company's most
popular brands include UniWeave®, SofTwill®, UniWear®, and Armorex
FR® UniFirst also offers Facility Service programs including floor
mats, mops, and restroom products. For more information, contact
UniFirst at 800-455-7654 or visit www.unifirst.com.
SOURCE UniFirst