So you’ve had a great idea. Great. What do you do next? Build on it! Starting with a big idea is how you build iconic brands. You want to build credibility, authenticity and engage with your audience and it’s doing this well that can help you grow your brand. It’s about so much more than the product or service you are trying to sell. What do we mean? We’ll explain.
Heinz soup.
Yes we know they make so much more but their tomato soup is iconic. It’s not even necessarily about the soup itself, but the comfort of being curled up inside with a big bowl. Coming in from the rain and Heinz tomato soup is waiting for you. It’s the comfort and familiarity as it warms, comforts, nourishes and ultimately puts a smile on our faces.
Volvo.
They own the idea of safety. We know driving a car can sometimes be a little risky, but people believe they are safe in a Volvo. It’s a family car and this is clear in their brand image. They may have all the features of a luxury brand, but they’ll never be seen as luxury cars. Just safe cars.
Any others? Well, Google owns ‘search’, YouTube owns ‘internet videos’, Ikea owns ‘unassembled furniture’ and Rolex owns ‘luxury watches’. See where we’re going with this?
So what’s our point?
Anyone can borrow some money and start their own business, but it’s lasting and becoming recognisable that can be the hard part. The companies that do and have become iconic, almost all started with a clearly defined idea that went beyond their obvious product or service.
If you build your business without a brand, it’s vulnerable to competitors. Build it with a brand, however, and not only do you help protect from the competition but you are building a profitable long term business. Find a way you can be a ‘first’ in whatever business you want to be in. This is your idea.
Even if you think your idea has already been taken, there are always gaps in the market. There’s always a new angle to take, you just have to own it. Make your customers your heroes and you’re surely on your way to iconic status. Of course, once you’ve honed in on your idea, you’ll probably be needing our brand toolkit too!