Maybe your local business was born of an innovative idea, or stands to fill a need in your community. To start your business, you probably came up with a business name and logo, and then started selling your goods or services. But, have you given much thought to your brand – the feeling that your product or business evokes?
In simple terms, your brand is your customers’ perception of your business. It’s more than just a tagline, name, or design – it’s your company’s mission, vision, and values. It’s something that you can and should define, be consistent with in messaging to customers and most importantly, to build customer loyalty.
We sat down with veteran marketer and small business owner Arturo Nunez to learn about his perspective on how small businesses can establish a strong brand identity. Arturo has extensive marketing knowledge from his time leading marketing for iconic brands like Apple in Latin America and Nike Basketball. He now runs his own small business, AIE Creative, a company created to provide immersive experiences to a highly curated selection of brands looking for unique ways to connect with diverse customers.
Q: What does “branding” mean for a small local business?
Arturo: Branding for all businesses is a promise – it’s the way a business differentiates itself from others to its customer base.
Your brand is the signature way you create an emotional connection with your customers. It presents itself in every touchpoint along the customer’s journey, from advertising, to customer experience (in-store and online), to unboxing your product, or having your in-store experience. The brand is the certification of your promise.
When you see a Volvo logo, you think of safety.
When you see a Ferrari, you think of speed.
When you see the Nike Swoosh...inspiration.
When you see a Red Cross...aid.
When you see the Four Seasons...quality, luxury, and service.
Those connections are the power of branding and they can be harnessed by any brand or small business.
Q: How should a small local business improve their brand?
A: Small businesses need to make a decision about what they want to stand for. What do you want to do to exceed your customers’ expectations? What do you want to be known for? It can’t be everything. You need to boil your offering down to the thing you want to leave as an impression for your customer.
Some examples of brands and what they are best known for:
Hillstones: Service and food consistency
Apple: Innovation and technology
Tesla: Technology
Red Bull: Adventure
Rolex: Quality and luxury
Q: As someone who has worked for major brands like Apple and Nike, and also as a small business owner, what does it mean to be inclusive?
A: To be inclusive is to think about your entire potential customer base. How can you make your offering as welcoming as possible to all your potential customers? Is your product offering reflective of your customer base? Are your employees reflective of your customer base? Each of your employees can be a window into understanding your customers. Inclusivity is about the way you communicate with your customers – the ways you address them and promote products to them, all the way down to the check out experience and delivery.
Q: What is your favorite brand and why? What can small businesses learn from them?
A: I have two favorites. One is Warby Parker because they offer exceptional customer service. They have real people answering their phones to provide customer service. And, they provide quick delivery and quality products.
The key learning from Warby Parker is to personalize your service to the customer.
My other favorite is Nike, who is full of inspirational stories of athletic achievement. Nike’s mission is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. The genius of this mission is that Nike puts an asterisk on the word athlete*. Then they tell you that if you have a body, you are an athlete. This means that Nike is trying to inspire and innovate for the athlete in everyone. It’s genius. It doesn’t matter if you walk or do triathlons; Nike is for you.
Nike’s consistency and ability to inspire while including everyone is a great lesson in branding and establishing what you want your brand to stand for.
Q: For a small business with limited resources, what are the first steps one should take for marketing today?
A: Here are three things businesses can do today:
1. Know your customer.
2. Find out what your customer wants (use polls or Survey Monkey) and use that knowledge to exceed their expectations.
3. Fine tune the intangibles of your offer (Customer Service, the look and feel of your store, product placements, cleanliness and orderliness, etc.).
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