"At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

While Maya Angelou may not have been referring to the image of a sign or branding of a company, what she said about the impression of a feeling on someone sure does.

When it comes to any successful company, we as consumers immediately can picture their logos. I say Nike and you instantly think of a swoosh appearing in your mind. When I say Audi you think of four circles bound together creating a chain link. Now think about a Nike commercial: The swoosh isn't the main message; however, it is what they stand for and that is athleticism. When I ask about Audi commercials, you don't say it's four circles linked together; instead it's a luxury yet thrilling automobile usually drive on a closed motor course.

These feelings that you get when you think of different companies is the company's brand. So what is a brand? A brand is an intangible idea, something that has credibility and an idea that people can trust. A brand has a clear focus and is consistently sticking to this focus. It's a belief system around a topic to which consumers can relate. Consumers get a sense of quality, desire and belonging. A brand means what you as a consumer says it means.

Why is this important? A brand is important because it creates the market to which your business operates. In order for any company to obtain success, it has to project a brand of success. It is a clear message that resonates with people. It makes them feel a certain way, to which they have memories and stories attached to their experiences with your company. Because of these memories, they choose to give you their money rather than someone else.  A strong brand allows you as a company to be taken seriously and to succeed against your competition.

In a recent study, it has been shown that customers stick with brands that share their beliefs and aspirations. In this study, it has been concluded that 60 percent of your potential customers prefer to buy new products from familiar brands than switch to a new company. As all business owners know, with no sales that means no money, and no money means no more business.

Yet there's no need to panic: There is still time to remedy the situation.

If you are a business owner or want to change your own personal image, I challenge you to ask yourself the following questions:

* What is my current brand?

* What does my brand stand for?

* What are some adjectives that describe my brand?

* Who is my target customer?

* What is the core message for my brand?

* Do all of my products and services fall under this core message?

If the answers to these questions don't meet your personal or business standards, then maybe its time to think of rebranding. So how does one build a strong and successful brand?

In order to build a strong brand in today's new world of consumerism, you simply have to be real. Show the real life of the company rather than what you think the consumer wants to hear. You gain trust through transparency; the more transparent you are about your company's brand, the more consumers you are likely to have and gain each year.  

For example, let's look at one of the major airlines, known as Southwest, and their "transFAREncy"” campaign. Southwest Airlines is using this campaign to show that there are no hidden costs associated when flying their airline. They even go as far as having side-by-side comparisons with other airlines revealing the hidden fees. As a consumer being able to see the transparency of one company but also the opacity of others, one begins to have a sense of trust and a common bond, so the next time they need to purchase an airline ticket, they more likely will choose Southwest. Southwest even goes as far as in their commercials asking you to address thinking how you feel when you fly and if you have been treated fair. They attach an emotion to their campaign, which creates their brand: flying at a reasonable price and being treated fairly when flying.  Then every time you hear the word "transfarency" in their campaign, these feelings of being treated fair are brought up, questioning your previous experiences.

This is something you can do to! Ask yourself: How do I want others to feel when they hear my company's name? Now take those emotions and build your core message around them. Need a new color palate to refresh the look of your company's image? Use an emotional characteristic of color chart to see which colors best fit with the emotions you are trying to portray and pick a two- to three-color palette to utilize. Picking too many colors begins to cause a distraction to your image. Do you have more than one product or service? Make sure your core message stays consistent throughout; otherwise, you may lose potential customers. Many companies dilute themselves, and we call this "the brand killer." Putting out messages and products not related to your brand weakening your core message. It makes customers begin to question what are you about.

There is still more that can be done! While keeping your message consistent across your product, you have fixed the internal image of your company; don't forget to also fix the external image. An external sign for your company is a 24/7 salesman. Potential customers drive by after your hours of operation, yet if they see your sign and the branding behind it, they will be sure to stop in when you are open. The average lifespan of a sign is seven to 10 years before it needs to be rebranded to fit with new consumer trends, but the return of investment is far greater than that of the cost. Customers will soon begin to mention your brand and your company more and more driving up your number of clients. They in return will bring in their friends once again increasing the number of your clients.

This is successful branding, and Meg Whitman said, "When people use your brand as a verb, that is remarkable!"

Article provided by Graphic Impact Signs, 575 Dalton Ave., Pittsfield, MA. Graphic Impact Signs can be reached at 800-458-2376 or by email at info@gisigns.com.

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