Chapter 4

Marketing and Sales

 Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating,
delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and
society at large.
 Sales refers to the exchange of a product, commodity, service or delivery for money. This
expression refers to the price quotation for a specific product. It states the price for the product
as a specified delivery location, sets the time of shipment and specifies payment terms.

Differences Between Sales and Marketing

 The sales process takes an individualistic, customer-centric, one-to-one approach, while
marketing is media-driven and targets the entire segment
 Sales fulfil the demand, while marketing creates a new demand or fits a product into an
existing demand.
 Sales fulfil the demand, while marketing creates a new demand or fits a product into an
existing demand.
 Marketing focuses on moving the product from the company to the market (through
product launches and awareness campaigns), while sales focuses on moving the product
from the market to the customer.
 Sales focuses on the needs of the company, while marketing focuses on the needs of the
market.
 Sales begin where marketing ends.
 Sales is relationship-driven, whereas marketing is image-driven.
 Sales requires convincing and conversational skills, while marketing requires analytical
skills.
 Sales aims at maximizing profits, while marketing aims at increasing market share and
customer satisfaction.
 Marketing attracts the customers towards the product, while sales pushes the product to
the customers.

Target market

A target market is a specific group of potential customers who a business aims to reach with its
products or services.

This group may share common characteristics such as age, gender, income level, education,
interests, or geographic location that make them more likely to be interested in and purchase
from a business.

Defining a target market is an important part of developing a marketing strategy because it helps
businesses focus their efforts on people who are likely to buy their products or services.
Understanding the needs and preferences of a target market helps businesses tailor their
messaging, products, and pricing strategies to appeal to those customers and ultimately increase
sales and profitability.

For example, a retailer selling women’s clothing would want to target women based on ages,
income levels, and geographic locations that are most likely to make a purchase. Once they
understand who they are serving, they can present the clothing options that align with their target
audience’s purchasing habits.

Steps to define your target market

Now that you have a better understanding of target markets, let’s take a look at how businesses
should go about determining who their target audience is.

 Research your market. The first step is understanding as much as you can about who
you are serving. When you have a better understanding of your audience and what they
care about, you can adjust your marketing and product offering to resonate with them.
 Segment your market. Once you understand who your potential customers are, you
should break them into smaller segments that you can focus on. This allows you to target
customers with more specific messages they actually care about.
 Set your target customers. Now that you know who your business is serving, you can
select which segments you will focus on most — and who you will target.

Target markets identification

The purpose of identifying a target market is simple: to have a clear understanding of the possible
customers that might purchase a product or service in order to direct marketing efforts.

Knowing their target market helps businesses craft marketing campaigns that reach and appeal to
their customer base. There are many ways to define a target market, including demographics,
psychographics, firmographics, and customer behavior.

Research suggests that thoroughly preparing a market strategy, which includes identifying a target
market, could lead to marketing success. For example, one study conducted by found that
marketers who documented their strategy were 414 percent more likely to report success than those
who didn’t. A comprehensive understanding of a target market could help businesses meet their
overall marketing objectives.
 Target market examples

Businesses define their target market to know who they are selling to and how to reach those
customers through their marketing efforts. In effect, every product or service on the market today
can be said to be directed toward a specific target market.

A target market can be defined by various factors, such as shared demographic characteristics or
traits. Some examples of target markets—and products that might be marketed within them—
include the following:
 An action figure targeted to boys aged 9-14
 A pair of vegan running shoes created from recycled materials targeted at eco-conscious athletes
aged 24-45
 A high-end, direct-to-door meal kit company that targets busy professionals with disposable
income ages 30-45

Target market vs Target audience

Occasionally, people interchangeably use “target market” and “target audience.” But, despite
their similarities, the terms refer to different groups of people.
A target market is the overall group of people a business is trying to reach through its
marketing efforts. Meanwhile, a target audience is a specific subset of the target market that a
company attempts to reach through targeted marketing efforts.
For example, imagine a tech company has developed a smartwatch capable of taking phone calls,
answering text messages, opening apps, and keeping track of the wearer’s blood pressure and
step count.
Although the watch likely appeals to many people (the target market), the company might craft a
specific advertising campaign emphasizing the watch’s health features to attract an older
audience of health-conscious consumers. This group of older health-conscious people is an
example of a target audience.

Market segmentation

Market segmentation is the process of dividing a market into smaller groups of people,
or segments, to identify areas for possible market growth. Through segmentation, marketers can
identify the key characteristics that define their target market and direct marketing efforts to their
unique needs, interests, and personalities.

To help you define your target audience, the section below contains descriptions of four of the
most common types of market segmentation. Though each segmentation is distinct and offers its
 own view of a target market, it is also common for marketers to use many of them together to paint
a more complex and telling portrait of their potential customers.

Demographic segmentation

Demographic segmentation classifies consumers based on specific attributes, such as age or

income level. Demographic segmentation offers a glimpse of consumers as actual people in the
real world using common data collection methods. Typically, this segmentation is best used for
business-to-customer (B2C) marketing efforts.

Typical attributes that to consider during demographic segmentation include:

 Age
 Gender identity
 Ethnicity
 Sexual orientation
 Income level
 Household size
 Education level
 Geographical location

Psychographic segmentation

Psychographic segmentation classifies consumers based on their psychological and personal traits,
such as values and attitudes. Unlike demographic segmentation, which describes who consumers
are, psychographic segmentation offers a glimpse into the motives behind why they buy
something. Typically, this segmentation is as helpful for B2C and business-to-business (B2B)
marketing efforts.

Common psychological characteristics and traits to consider during demographic segmentation

include:
 Personal values
 Religious beliefs
 Opinions
 Attitudes
 Aspirations
 Political leanings
 Lifestyle
Firmographic segmentation

Firmographic segmentation classifies companies and businesses into a set of shared attributes, such
as their industry and number of employees. In effect, firmographics is akin to demographics,
except that it focuses on the characteristics of businesses rather than people. As a result, it is used
exclusively for B2B marketing.
 Common attributes to consider for firmographic segmentation include:
 Industry
 Location
 Size
 Status or Structure
 Performance

Behavioral segmentation

Behavioral segmentation classifies consumers based on their behaviors surrounding products or

services, such as when they decide to purchase them and how they use them. By focusing on
consumer behavior, behavioral segmentation provides a look into how consumers interact with
businesses, which allows marketers to improve the effectiveness of their efforts. Typically, this
segmentation is as useful for B2C as B2B marketing efforts.

Common areas of consideration for behavioral segmentation include:

 Occasion
 Brand loyalty
 Benefits needed

The four Ps of marketing

The four Ps form a dynamic relationship with one another. Rather than one taking priority over the
other, each is considered equally important in crafting a strategic marketing plan.

1. Product

The product is the good or service being marketed to the target audience.

Generally, successful products fill a need not currently being met in the marketplace or provide a
novel customer experience that creates demand. For example, the original iPhone filled a need in
the market for a simplified device that paired a phone with an iPod, and the chia pet provided a
humorous experience for consumers that was utterly unique.

As you are working on your product, it is essential to consider potential customers in your target
audience and their unique needs. Some questions to consider when working on a product include:
 What is your product?
 What does your product do? Does the product meet an unfilled need or provide a novel
experience?
 Who is your product’s target audience?
 How is your product different from what others offer?
 2. Price

Price is the cost of a product or service.

When marketing a product or service, it is important to pick a price that is simultaneously

accessible to the target market and meets business goals. Different pricing models can have a
significant impact on the overall success of a product. For example, if you price your product too
high for your targeted audience, then very few of them will likely purchase it. Similarly, if you
price your product too low, then some might pass it up simply because they are concerned it might
be of inferior quality and cut into your potential profit margins.

To identify a successful price, you will want to thoroughly understand your target audience and
their willingness to pay for your product. Some questions you might ask yourself as you are
considering your product’s price include:
 What is the price range of your product’s competitors?
 What is the price range of your target audience?
 What price is too high for your audience? What price is too low?
 What price best fits your target market?

3. Place

Place is where you sell your product and the distribution channels you use to get it to your
customer.

Like price, finding the right place to market and sell your product is key to reaching your target
audience. If you put your product in a place that your target customer doesn’t visit—whether on or
offline— then you will likely not meet your sales target. The right place can help you connect with
your target audience and set you up for success.

For example, imagine you are selling an athletic shoe you designed. Your target market is athletes
in their early twenties to late thirties, so you decide to market your product in sports publications
and sell it at specialty athletics stores. By focusing on sports stores over shoe stores in general, you
target your efforts to a specific place that best fits your marketing mix.

To decide the best place to market and sell your product, you should consider researching the
physical places or digital channels where your target audience shops and consumes information.
Some questions to consider include:
 Where will you sell your product?
 Where does your target audience shop?
 What distribution channels are best to reach your target market?
 4. Promotion

Promotion is how you advertise your product or service. Through promotional activities, you will
get the word out about your product with an effective marketing campaign that resonates with your
target audience.

There are many different ways to promote your product. Some traditional methods include word of
mouth, print advertisements, and television commercials. In the digital age, you can create online
marketing campaigns to promote your product using content marketing, email marketing, display
ads, and social media marketing.

Some questions to consider as you are working on your product promotion include:
 What is the best time to reach your target audience?
 What marketing channels are most effective for your target audience?
 What marketing messages would most resonate with your target audience?
 What advertising approaches are most persuasive to your target audience?

Other marketing mixes

The four Ps aren’t the only marketing mix used today. Some other modern marketing mixes
include the five Ps, the seven Ps, and the 5 Cs. Although each reflects certain aspects of the four
Ps, they also possess some unique elements that alter their emphasis on the marketing process.
The five Ps

The five Ps are product, price, place, promotion, and people.

Today, many marketers use the five Ps over the four Ps because they center the experiences of
customers and staff in the marketing process. Typical considerations include how a customer
behaves, their product experience, and overall satisfaction with the business.
The seven Ps

The seven Ps are product, price, place, promotion, people, processes, and physical evidence.

The seven Ps are a further elaboration of the five Ps, adding considerations of the processes that
define the customer experience and the physical evidence that the target market needs to see to
become customers. While processes might involve the specific customer service processes that
define a product, physical evidence can be websites or store displays that help the target market
imagine themselves using the product.
Marketing strategy

A marketing strategy as, ‘a business’s overall game plan for reaching prospective consumers and
turning them into customers of the products or services the business provides.
Whether you’re a small business owner or part of a larger marketing team, getting your products
and/or services in front of customers can be an exciting challenge. It takes a wide variety of skills
and knowledge to know how to appeal to your target market, and understanding how to create a
marketing strategy can play a central role.
So, it’s about strategic planning on how you’re going to get your company in front of the people
who are going to buy from it. As we’ll see, there are many facets to this process, with a lot of
analysis, preparation, and research.
Why do I need one?

There are several reasons why your business needs a marketing strategy. Ultimately, without
taking the time to create a marketing strategy, you’re reducing how effective your promotional
and sales activity will be. There are several reasons for this, many of which are crucial to
growing your business:

It helps you reach your target audience

One of the main reasons to create a marketing strategy is to help you connect with the right
people. As we explored in our series on how to start a business, understanding your target
audience is vital to success. With a marketing strategy in place, you not only identify who your
customers are and what they want from your company, but also gain insight on ways you can
reach them.

It helps you spend your money in the right places

There are various marketing channels you can choose from when you’re trying to connect with
your customers. As well as traditional methods such as print and TV advertising, there are
also digital marketing options such as social media, content and email marketing. When you
create a marketing strategy, you can better understand where to invest your marketing spend for
maximum return.

It keeps your marketing consistent

When you’re trying to build your brand and reach new customers, consistency is key. Your
brand messaging and visuals across each channel should be in line with the overall identity of
your company. A marketing strategy helps to provide this alignment, making sure the message
you deliver is clear and consistent.
It gives you a measurable outcome
Creating a strategy for your marketing also helps you set goals. Once these are in place, you can
start measuring how effective your efforts are. Whether for metrics such as ROI, engagement, or
conversion rate, having this insight can help you refine and improve your marketing.

It serves as a guide
When you have a marketing strategy in place, you have a clear outline for how you can engage
with customers. You understand their buyer personas and pain points, as well as how to reach
them effectively. This is useful for every team or individual at your company who wants to
market your product or services, guiding them through the process.

How to develop a marketing strategy

To help you get started, we’ve outlined some of the steps you can take when developing
marketing strategies and plans. Although the exact steps often vary depending on the
organisation, these can serve as a basis for when you’re working on your own.

1. Start with a goal

Your marketing strategy goals should align with your overall business goals. For example, if
your main aim is to reach a particular level of revenue, your marketing strategy goal could be to
increase website visitors and conversions by a certain amount.

You could also start by defining a mission statement. This is essentially a ‘what and how’ of
your business – a description of what you want to achieve and how you’re going to get there.
Although less measurable from an internal perspective, it can help you develop a central message
for your marketing efforts.

2. Do your marketing analysis

Before you can start making a marketing plan, you need to understand the market that you’re
going to operate in. Marketing analytics are central to every step of this process. However,
initially, you want to get a feeling for the current conditions both internally and externally.

Focus on your strengths and weaknesses as a business, as well as how the market has been
performing recently. Look for emerging and established trends and consider how you could take
advantage of these. Similarly, try and highlight any challenges that you and your competitors
have faced and could potentially face.

3. Know your customers

Your customers should be at the heart of everything you do when you’re in the planning stages.
When you create a marketing strategy, you need to anticipate what their needs are and how you
can meet them more effectively than your competitors.
At this stage, you want to identify some of your target markets and take into account your
customer personas. Whether you’re starting a new business or part of an established one, these
are two of the main ways you can get to know and understand your customers.

By knowing the finer details of who you’re trying to appeal to, you can then start to think
about how you can go about doing so. It helps to make your marketing more targeted and
relevant, increasing its chances of success.

4. Know your product and resources

Whether you have an established product/service or you’re in the development stage, you need to
have an understanding of what you’ll be offering your customers. Your goal here is to
understand your position in the market/industry.

There is a fairly well-established technique you can use at this stage, known as the ‘4 Ps of the
marketing mix’. These four points are:

 Product. Here, you want to examine what it is that you provide to customers and what
makes it unique. Take into account how it meets the needs of your clients and whether
there are any features you can add.
 Price. As you might expect, this refers to how much you charge for the product and how
this compares to competitors. Also think about how you can increase your market share
through promotions etc.
 Promotion. Where can you promote your product and what will appeal most to your
audience? These are questions you’ll need to consider, alongside how such promotions
tie into your brand identity.
 Place. Finally, you need to consider where your product/service will be sold. Is it online
only? Or do you have physical stores to think about? How easy is it for customers to
navigate these? And who will distribute your product?

The 4 Ps can give you a firmer understanding of the products and resources you have available
when it comes to marketing.

5. Further define your objectives

You should already have some overall goals for your business, as outlined in step one. To
achieve this goal, you’re going to have to get strategic. You need to think about some of the
objectives you can achieve along the way to reaching your overall aim.

As with many of the points listed here, the exact objectives will depend a great deal on your
specific business. However, examples include:

 Gaining new customers

 Increasing sales or conversion rates
  Increasing brand awareness and engagement
 Growing your emailing list

You’ll want to put measurable goals besides these. For example, one objective could be ‘adding
2,000 new subscribers to the email list by the end of the year’. Remember, these should be
SMART goals – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely.

6. Outline techniques
Once you’ve outlined and defined your objectives, you’ll want to think about some of the
marketing techniques and channels available that can help achieve them. Again, these will
largely depend on your specific business and objectives, and there are a whole host of different
methods and tools available that you can choose from.

Let’s take the email subscription goal above as an example. You might want to think about
techniques such as increasing website traffic through social media marketing. Similarly, you
might want to develop your content strategy to have more subscription calls to action. You can
then use marketing analytics to highlight what’s currently driving your subscription rate.

7. Set a budget
It’s debatable whether this point should appear in your marketing strategy or marketing plan.
However, wherever you include it, it’s an essential part of the process. You need to make sure
that you have allocated enough money to achieve your goals, without being wasteful. Similarly,
you want to ensure that you’re getting a sufficient return on your investment for the marketing
activity to be worthwhile.

We’ve covered elements of budgeting in one of our articles on how to start a business. Here, we
highlighted the importance of accurately costing your expenses and forecasting your return. The
same points apply in this situation.

8. Analyse performance
As with just about every element of running a business, having a detailed way of measuring
performance is essential. When you’re developing marketing strategies, you need to take into
account how you’re going to assess the success of your campaigns.

As well as things like web analytics, you can also gain insight into a variety of other factors
related to your marketing. Ultimately, you’ll need to use this data to assess and improve your
marketing strategy.

Types of Marketing Strategies

 These four strategies also identify four basic types of marketing plans and the types of
investments and activities associated with each. The strategies are defined by whether the focus
is on new or existing products and new or existing markets.
1. Market Penetration Strategy
When a firm focus on selling its current products to existing customers, it is pursuing a market
penetration strategy. The marketing activities that will dominate in this type of marketing plan
are those that emphasize increasing the loyalty of existing customers so that they are not
vulnerable to loss to competitors, attracting competitors’ customers, increasing the frequency of
product use, and converting nonusers into users.

Increasing awareness through marketing communications and increasing availability through

expanded distribution are common marketing activities in this type of plan. Identifying new use
occasions and new uses for a product may increase usage frequency or convert current nonusers
into users. For example, the advertising campaign for orange juice that has the tagline “It’s not
just for breakfast anymore” was an effort to expand usage. Price promotions might be used to
encourage competitors’ customers to try the firm’s product if there is reason to believe that such
a trial will result in repeat purchases. Loyalty programs can be very effective in retaining existing
customers. This strategy reduces risk by relying on what the firm already knows well—its
existing products and existing customers. It is also a strategy where investments in marketing
should pay back more quickly because the firm is building on an existing foundation of customer
relationships and product knowledge.
2. Market Development Strategy
The efforts to expand sales by selling current products in new markets are referred to as a market
development strategy. Such efforts may involve entering new geographic markets, such as
international markets. Creating product awareness and developing distribution channels are key
marketing activities. Some product modification may be required to better match the needs of the
local market. For example, as fast food restaurants have moved into international markets, they
have often changed their menus to better match the food preferences of customers in local
markets. Expanding into a new market with an existing product carries some risk because the
new market is not well known to the firm and the firm and its products are not well known in the
market. The return on marketing investments in such a strategy is likely to be longer than for a
market penetration strategy because of the time required to build awareness, distribution, and
product trial.

3. Product Development Strategy

Creating new products to sell to existing customers, a product development strategy, is a
common marketing strategy among firms that can leverage their relationships with existing
customers. For example, American Express has been able to leverage its relationships with its
credit card customers to also sell travel-related services. Similarly, cable television companies
have expanded their offerings into Internet and telephone services. Research and development
activities play a dominant role in this strategy. The time required to develop and test new
products may be long, but once a product is developed, creating awareness, interest, and
availability should be relatively rapid because the firm already has a relationship with
customers. A product development strategy is also riskier than a market penetration strategy
because the necessary product may not be possible to develop, at least at a cost acceptable to
customers, or the product developed does not match the needs of customers.

4. Diversification Strategy
A diversification strategy involves taking new products into new markets. This is really the
creation of a completely new business. This is the riskiest of strategies and the strategy likely to
require the most patience in waiting for a return on investment.

Branding
In order to understand the concept of branding, first we need to know what products and brands
are.

Product definition
“Broadly, a product is anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy a want or need, including
physical goods, services, experiences, events, persons, places, properties, organizations, information,
and ideas

This means that a product can be anything from a hotel stay, a flight, a language course, to clothes,
food, a toothbrush etc.

To illustrate the definition of a product and the role it occupies in defining branding, we will use the
example of water:

Water is a freely available resource that is essential for every human being to live and survive. Yet it
became a product the day humans and companies started to commercialize it, for example by selling
mineral water in glass and plastic bottles.

This means that a product can be anything from a hotel stay, a flight, a language course, to
clothes, food, a toothbrush etc.

To illustrate the definition of a product and the role it occupies in defining branding, we will use
the example of water:

Water is a freely available resource that is essential for every human being to live and survive.
Yet it became a product the day humans and companies started to commercialize it, for example
by selling mineral water in glass and plastic bottles.

But water always looks the same, isn’t it? It is always in a liquid state, and transparent. So, how
can different companies sell the same product but still convince people to purchase their bottled
water instead of the one from the competition?

The answer is: by creating a brand.

Brand definition

“A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or
service as distinct from those of other sellers”

You can consider a brand as the idea or image people have in mind when thinking about specific
products, services, and activities of a company, both in a practical (e.g. “the shoe is light-
weight”) and emotional way (e.g. “the shoe makes me feel powerful”). It is therefore not just the
physical features that create a brand but also the feelings that consumers develop towards the
company or its product. This combination of physical and emotional cues is triggered when
exposed to the name, the logo, the visual identity, or even the message communicated.

A product can be easily copied by other players in a market, but a brand will always be unique.
For example, Pepsi and Coca-Cola taste very similar, however for some reason, some people feel
more connected to Coca-Cola, others to Pepsi.

Let’s illustrate this again with our water example. The product sold is water, but in order to
convince people to purchase a particular water, companies developed different water brands,
such as Evian, Perrier, Fiji or Volvic. And each one of these brands provides a different meaning
to the product water:
– Evian makes you feel young
– Perrier is refreshing, bubbling and sexy
– Fiji Water is pure, healthy and natural
…and so on.

In the end, a brand is a person’s gut feeling about a specific product or company. Each person
creates his or her own version of it, and some brands increase or decrease in popularity because
of how consumers feel about them.

Branding

“Branding is endowing products and services with the power of a brand”

Branding is the process of giving a meaning to specific organization, company, products or
services by creating and shaping a brand in consumers’ minds. It is a strategy designed by
organizations to help people to quickly identify and experience their brand, and give them a
reason to choose their products over the competition’s, by clarifying what this particular brand is
and is not.

The objective is to attract and retain loyal customers and other stakeholders by delivering a
product that is always aligned with what the brand promises.

Who does it affect?

1. Consumers: As discussed above, a brand provides consumers with a decision-making-

shortcut when feeling indecisive about the same product from different companies.
2. Employees/shareholders/third-parties: Besides helping consumers to distinguish similar
products, successful branding strategies are also adding to a company’s reputation. This
asset can affect a range of people, from consumers to employees, investors, shareholders,
providers, and distributors. As an example, if you don’t like or don’t feel connected to a
brand, you would probably not want to work for it. However, if you feel like the brand
understands you and offers products that inspire you, you would probably desire to work
for it and be part of its world.

How to build a brand

If you are part of a marketing team tasked with building your company’s brand, you can follow
these four steps

Determine your target audience

Position your product and business

Define your company’s personality

Define your company’s personality

Choose a logo and slogan

1. Determine your target audience

The first step in building a brand is determining your target audience. To create your preferred
client base

Determine who is most likely to buy the product: Consider several factors like age, gender,
location and income to create a demographic. If, for example, you are planning to sell expensive
and fashionable eyewear, your target audience could be middle- to high-income earners under
the age of 40. However, if your product is a new sports drink, your audience will most likely be
athletes.

Consult available sales statistics and data: This information will be helpful in providing you
with valuable information concerning the shopping habits of consumers. Statistics could also
help you decide whether your company’s product will appeal to a certain demographic. For
instance, statistics could show that millennials tend to be very price-conscious and prefer buying
products online. If needed, you can also gather your own statistical data by means of surveys, or
contact a marketing firm to gather data on your behalf.

Study similar companies: You can learn from established companies that offer similar products
or services. Try to gather more information about how they create marketing campaigns targeted
toward certain groups that buy their products the most. Compare different companies’ data to
develop a thorough understanding of their brands.

Talk to your target market: Consider engaging with people who fit your company’s ideal
client profile to determine what their likes and needs are, as well as what brands appeal to them
and why. You can create a more detailed outline of exactly what your customers want.

Consider engaging with people who fit your company’s ideal client profile to determine what
their likes and needs are, as well as what brands appeal to them and why. You can create a more
detailed outline of exactly what your customers want

2. Position your product and business

Positioning a business involves deciding how to distinguish its products or services from other
similar offerings in the marketplace. To do so, you first need to gather as much information as
you can about your company’s direct competition, such as details about their products, prices and
markets, as well as their marketing strategies. Try to determine possible shortcomings in their
products, services or areas in the market that they are not satisfying, and use this information to
your advantage
After you have investigated your competition, you should develop a unique selling proposition.
A USP is a concise statement that tells clients what the company is offering. Your USP should
highlight the features of your product that make it unique and add value for clients.
 3. Define your company’s personality
To a large extent, a brand conveys the business’ identity. An important step in building a brand,
then, involves determining the company’s personality. Apart from a company’s products and
services, its target audience will also help establish its personality. If your target audience is
cycling enthusiasts, you would most likely want an active persona.
Deciding on your company’s personality will require creative brainstorming with other members
of the branding team. You can start the process by thinking of the company as a person. For
instance, if the company is a backpacker, you could describe what this person looks like and how
they act. The use of descriptive words such as “traveler,” “independent,” “revolutionary” or
“fun” will help you and the branding team to verbalize your abstract thoughts.
You could also try to associate your product or company with any image or idea you think of.
For example, if the company produces running shoes, you may think of a gazelle and use this
image to generate more ideas.
These kinds of creative thought processes will allow you and your team to provide your
company with a distinctive voice.
4. Choose a logo and slogan
An effective logo can make your brand visually appealing, while a successful slogan can help
customers remember your product.
Logo: A logo conveys the image and personality of a brand. You may want to consult with a
professional designer or brand agency during this process to ensure that your logo is tasteful,
effective and well-crafted. A professional designer will advise you on things like font, color,
logo size, iconography and general design. They will also help you to design a logo that reflects
or complements your brand name.
Slogan: A slogan is a short, catchy phrase that you can employ during marketing campaigns to
give your brand an extra edge. It’s not a permanent feature of your brand, so you can adjust and
change it for new marketing campaigns. For example, if you sell snorkeling gear, your slogan
could be, “Get the best view under the seas.”