The monthly meeting of the Durban Entrepreneurs Club which is held at the Durban Country Club on the last Thursday of every month, had a great turnout in September, with Entrepreneurs all eager to learn more about branding from an expert in the field, Simon Grainger, Founder of BrandBright, a Durban based brand consultancy business specialising in tailored brand coaching to businesses, non-profits and individuals.
Before Simon’s talk, Founder of the Durban Entrepreneurs Club, Grant Gavin, who is also Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Panache told guests that the club, which will celebrate its first anniversary in November, has had a significant shift in momentum. “We’re extremely proud that we’re building this club beyond expectations and without any corporate sponsorship. We’re creating our own identity, and our members are not only experiencing the journey with us, but are seeing firsthand how our marketing strategy is playing a big part in that growth.” Said Grant.
The premise of Simon’s presentation was to educate business leaders and entrepreneurs about the importance of developing their business as a brand.
His belief is that in a rapidly changing and saturated marketplace, you need a well-researched and crafted brand strategy to help your brand shine brightly. He shared his thinking about brand building and marketing and included local and international case studies of brands who have disrupted industries through a customer-centric approach.
In this vein, Simon proposed a brand impact equation for businesses to incorporate into their brand and marketing strategies to drive bottom line results. The first element shared was brand identity. Simon’s view is that brand identity should be the foundation of a business embodying one’s brand purpose, vision and personality.
Simon argues that a clearly articulated brand identity offers guardrails in terms of engaging one’s customer and how one market oneself. He is of the view that brand identity should influence every aspect of business and that a brand audit is vital to ensuring consistency across a business’ consumer facing touch points.
The second element shared looked at target market(s). This refers to the intended group of people to sell to, and build a relationship with. Simon suggests that one’s target market needs to be clearly defined and understood in order to be relevant.
Lastly, he stressed the importance of communication channels to convey the brand message. In this regard, Simon explained that brands need to ensure contextually relevant communication to engage customers. By aligning these branding elements, businesses are more likely to attract and retain customers, and the ultimately bottom line.
Ends.
Glenda Thompson.
www.get-u-noticed.co.za