Stimulating growth is hard in any industry, but the toughest part of building your brand profile is competing with the other loud brands in the market. It’s easy to say that a great business will attract customers, but it might not attract as many customers as you’d like.
You have to take your rivals into account. They know what they’re doing too. Still, whilst you might not be able to dominate the entire market, you could boost your client base if you presented your brand profile in a slightly more enticing way. The business world is all about constantly edging in front of the competition. Essentially, it’s a never-ending race.
What is a brand profile?
The term “brand profile” can be understood as a generic term that incorporates the ” brand identity “, the ” brand image ” and the ” brand positioning “. Ultimately, both strengths and weaknesses of a brand can be discussed in a brand profile, on the basis of which brands can be compared with other (competing) brands. The brand profile is therefore an important tool within strategic brand management.
The term “brand profile” itself has a wide range of meanings. In the absence of an established definition, brand profile is characterized in this article using a broader description. The basis for this is, on the one hand, the definition of the term ” brand ” according to Meffert, Burmann & Kirchgeorg. On the other hand, the meaning of the term “profile” is embedded and considered in this scientific context.
To this day, different definitions are used for the “brand” both in practice and in the scientific context. In this article, the brand is viewed as a bundle of benefits, which is in the eyes of the relevant target groupsvery clearly differentiated from other bundles of benefits through special features (e.g. that of the competition). Even though they can meet almost the same basic needs. Probably the most common use of the word in everyday life is for looking at someone from the side. In the educational context of this article, however, the definition of the profile is to be viewed as a characteristic appearance or as the totality of properties that are characteristic of someone or something.
If the meanings of the two terms are brought together, the definition of the brand profile results in the entirety of specific properties that are ascribed to a bundle of benefits and that characterize it. Both the self-image and the external image of a brand play a major role.
Brand identity and brand image as the basis of the brand profile
A brand fulfills various functions for (potential) customers. This should, for example, provide information and provide orientation in the wide range of products and services on the market, which often hardly differ significantly from one another. For this reason, a strong brand offers companies a great competitive advantage.
In order to efficiently achieve these and many other functions, the brand’s image of itself and that of others must match each other as closely as possible. The self-image stands for the brand identity and can be understood figuratively as a target state. This includes, for example, the brand promise, which is based on the needs of the relevant target groups.
The external image can be equated with the brand image and, in a figurative sense, viewed as the current state. This external effect and perception of the brand is caused, among other things, by the brand experience via the many brand touch points among (potential) customers. The brand profile and thus, among other things, the strengths and weaknesses of a brand can be deduced from these two areas.
Example of the use of brand profiles in brand positioning
These previously discussed strengths and weaknesses within the brand profile are used, for example, within brand positioning. The latter is described by Feddersen as “[…] the planning, implementation, control and further development of a position in the perception area of relevant target groups that is aligned with the ideal ideas of the customer, differentiated from the competition and can be represented by the company’s own resources and skills, and is consistent with the brand identity”.
In practice, for example, profiles of competing brands can be compared with one another. This comparison can be used to identify potential for improvement or gaps in the market that could be filled with your own brand. The type of brand communication can also be derived from this: Which attributes should be emphasized more in the future and which less? To what extent do you “actively” pursue the wishes of the customers and to what extent do you try to awaken subliminal needs “reactively”.
Good differentiation from one another is particularly important when they operate in the same market. A classic example are different car brands from a large corporation.
Here’s how to raise your brand profile in a loud marketplace.
Use social networks to market your brand profile
This isn’t exactly a revolutionary marketing tactic these days. As mentioned in the introduction, your rivals are on the ball too. They’re using social media to promote their brand profile, just as are you. But are you using social networks effectively? Simply having pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram isn’t enough. You need to engage with potential clients.
You might want to look into Facebook advertising to raise your brand profile, for instance. With its targeted marketing feature, you can put your brand profile and advertising campaign in front of Facebook users based on their purchasing habits, location, age, gender, relationship status, and so many other demographics. It makes it so easy to target a niche corner of the market. That might be the key to building your client base and creating a bigger brand reputation.
Show the market you care about important issues
Your business might be focused on making a profit, but does that appeal to potential customers? No. In the modern age, the most successful brands truly engage with their audiences. There’s nothing exciting about a money-hungry corporation, but there is something exciting about a brand profile that aims to save or lessen its impact on the environment, for example.
That’s something which really matters to people. Of course, you have to prove that you care about important issues by displaying your brand personality throughout your operations. You need to put some effort into your brand profile. It needs to have depth and authenticity.
Maybe you could seek help from a reliable waste disposal service. That way, you’d be operating in a sustainable way by lessening your impact on the environment. One of the most overused pieces of business is that “you have to spend money to make money”.
Yet, so many businesses fail to appreciate that they’d engage better with potential customers by spending a little bit of money to make a difference to the world. For example, you could donate a portion of your profits to charity. That could be the move which convinces potential buyers to choose you over the competition. They’ll be happy because their money is making a difference.
Use word-of-mouth marketing
The best way to promote your brand profile more loudly is to utilise your existing client base. More specifically, you need to get them talking about your brand. Spreading word of a business by talking to friends and family members has always been one of the most effective ways for a company to grow, and it’s no different today. Well, the main difference is that the mediums have changed.
These days, you can use the internet to really accelerate brand profile growth. Just incentivise your customers to spread the word. Maybe you could start a referral programme. Every customer that refers somebody to your business (assuming that person buys something) should get a discount or a freebie as your way of saying thank you. You’ll raise your brand profile in no time at all.
