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Definition of Brand Communication
Brand Communication is an important part and tool of brand management by which the companies inform, persuade, enlighten, teach, remind, and enrich the knowledge of their stakeholders about the brand, its strengths, values, fundamentals, and its offerings of products and services.
Understanding Brand Communication in simple terms :
Brand communication influenes the stakeholders of the company. The stakeholders include employees, customers, investors, and sponsors as they are attached to the brand in the most integrated manner and it is the prime duty of the management to have a communication with them on regular basis about the happenings and important matters of the brand. It works as the voice of the brand that strengthens the relationship with the stakeholders on the long-term basis.
Brand Communication is one of the core activities of the brand management and strategy and it is imperative to have a purposeful and healthy conversation with the stakeholders. It is one of the promotional tools and tactics opted by the brand to influence the customers about the brand, the company as a whole, and its offerings of products and services.
It is an act of communicating and delivering the meaningful and focused messages pertaining to the brand to the stakeholders. It encompasses the mixed use of traditional media channels such as newspapers and television with the strategic amalgamation of contemporary media such as social media platforms, content marketing, blogs, and digital marketing that works as an integrated approach to enlighten the customers and other stakeholders about the latest developments about the brand.
There is a big and important role of the PR department of the brand along with the hired PR agency in designing and planning the Brand Communication strategy so that the message provided is clear, authentic, and relevant in nature.
Before any sort of Brand Communication going outside the closed doors of the company, it is very crucial to carefully understand every nuance of it so that any element of the communication does not harm the brand image and standing of the company in the market and in the minds of the customers. Hence, it needs to be backed by the meticulous planning and expert advice.
It is one of the significant strategies of the business to build the unique and finest image of the brand in the targeted market and the overall industry to attain the aims and objectives of the company.
Advantages of good Brand Communication
1) Creates an Impact
Good brand communication will always have an excellent impact on the customers and will make the customers feel more connected to the brand. An example of this is any social campaign that you see in the market – which if executed properly, makes a huge impact on the customers. The brand and their creative agency is the reason behind this positive impact. You can read this article on social ads with a strong message
2) Makes you an authority
Bosch and Siemens are two brands which we respect because they always talk about their superior engineering. The products are superior and much better then many of the competition. However, if the brand does not communicate these values, then it will not make the brand an authority on the subject. Monster.com is an authority when it comes to job seekers. Rolex is an authority when it comes to watch making. This authority has been built not only with product design but also with brand communications.
3) Differentiates
A brand which connects with the customers differentiates itself from the competition. This is a huge competitive advantage to the brand because when brand comparisons are made, the loyalty and following that a brand has differentiates the brands from its competitors. There are many brands of Smartphones or Air conditioner or even televisions. But people will always go for a Daikin in air conditioners or a Samsung / Apple in smartphones. These are brands which have differentiated themselves through their market offerings and also throught brand communication
4) Improves loyalty
One of the crucial advantages of positive brand communication is that it builds loyalty in the minds of the customers. If the customer has had a positive experience with the brand, then repeated brand communications to the customer via advertising or promotion will make the customer a brand advocate. This single customer can bring other customers to the brand via word of mouth. For this repeat exposure to the customer, brand communications are required.
5) Develops the market
A brand which communicates with its customers, slowly and steadily builds a positive market for itself. HUL and P&G are companies which understand this perfectly. These companies are handling many different brands and products at the same time. And one of the first strategy these companies use to make a product acceptable is to increase brand communications in the market.
How to Improve Brand Communication?
Here are the 7 ways to improve brand communication.
1) Decide on the spokesperson
The first and foremost step to improve Brand Communication with the stakeholders involves deciding on who will be the spokesperson of the brand that means who will be the face of the brand and will be communicating the important messages and brand perspectives using his or her sharp business acumen, knowledge, and expertise.
Usually, the main promoter or the key member of the management is the spokesperson as being a promoter he or she knows and understand the brand in the most intricate manner plus has been an integral part of the growth journey of the brand right from the day one. There are many cases in the corporate world where the management hires the head of the branding or marketing department as the spokesperson who communicates on the certain facets of the business with regards the products and services.
2) Have proper media channels
No matter how strong the messages of Brand Communication are, if the media channels selected are not up to the mark, it can affect the entire communication strategy.
Hence, it is vital to plan and choose the proper media channels having a potent mix of traditional mediums such as newspapers, business magazines, and periodicals along with the combination of the latest digital and social media platforms such as content marketing and blogging amongst others. Having press conferences and stakeholders meets are still one of the best and most effective channels to improve Brand Communication.
3) Be authentic
It is always better to have the communication that is authentic and genuine in nature to build the customer loyalty and develop long-lasting relationships with the investors, sponsors, and other stakeholders of the company. The communication should not be forced or have an ulterior motive or intention that it is just for the sake of fulfilling the responsibility.
4) Have a dialogue
Irrespective of where and how the Brand Communication is conducted like having a press conference or through other media channels such as print and digital platforms; it shouldn’t be a monologue but has to be in a dialogue format so that the stakeholders are able to provide their feedback, inputs, and suggestions for the betterment of the brand and express their grievances, if any. It is vital for the management and the spokesperson to understand their expectations of the brand and gauge their perspectives as well.
5) Showcase the brand’s personality
One of the essential steps to improve Brand Communication is to showcase the personality of the brand during the entire process adding the factor of humanization to the brand so that an emotional connection is created with the customers and stakeholders. Brand tone and voice should be developed and cultivated in such as manner that it delights them and instills the factors of trust and faith in their minds.
6) Be helpful
Along with harping upon the achievements, goals, objectives, and other facets of the brand, it is crucial for the spokesperson to ask for the problems that the stakeholders are facing and understand their grievances and be helpful by providing feasible and practical solutions to them. As mentioned earlier, the process of Brand Communication has to be a dialogue and not a long monologue talking about the features and merits of the brand only.
7) Be open and transparent
The factor of transparency is a must from the management’s side so that there is a consistent level of trust and loyalty maintained in the minds of stakeholders. The communication should not only be clear, open, and transparent but it, as to be true, relevant to the business and interest of stakeholders plus, should convey the current and latest details and developments about the brand and its products and services offered along with the future plans in the pipeline.
