Brand building for dummies

By
Tomi Grönfors
Published: October 25, 2009Posted in: THE GROENFORS METHODTags: , , ,
Brand building for dummies

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Brand building for dummies

While you might be the best of the best in your core business, how are you coping with your brand building? Are you considering to sponsor the local AD agency to boost your brand equity? If you are already shocked by the prices, read a bit further. I have nothing against AD agencies (I use to own one), but for small entrepreneurs there is a more practical approach:

DIY brand building

Brand is something that develops in our minds. It’s a story that starts to live a life of its own. An interesting life, I may suggest.

When we started with VEEN Waters we didn’t have any money for marketing what so ever. We decided to invite media from local newspapers to customer magazines with even the slightest and vaguest connection to our brand to our launch and possibly write about us. We did have a chat with a PR agency who let us know that this “water product” would possibly be of interest to up to four people and a dog. We had a feeling we’d try it ourselves.

Sending a press invitation might not have created the biggest pull, so I chose to write a small book about the upcoming event. We binded it ourselves, sealed it with a kiss and made sure it was received by the right people. We ended up hosting close to 120 people and a good range of very attractive media, who spread the gospel about our new baby. This baby would slowly build up into a real brand.

The approach may not have been any more original than that of the PR agency’s next door, however we did possess something extraordirary: we were ridiculously passionate about our brand and water. And we still are. This should be the first principle in brand building. Passion is something you will never be able to outsource. If passion could be measured like volume, you’d always need to play it one louder. Ours was up at 11.

We focused all our excitement in describing the meaning behind our brand. This is crucial, since the next most important thing after passion is creating meaning behind your brand. You might have the best product in the world, but if you are the first one who fails to understand its meaning, you will never be able to call it a brand.

People talk about brand building as if it were the best kept secret in the field of marketing only accessible in return for big investments. Not true. Everything you do or don’t do, is building your brand. Just start doing it and believe in your own style. Remember to be passionate, consistent and to create meaning to your product and you will have a brand at your hand.

So, if you’re thinking about accepting the offer of your local AD agency, ask yourself: Is their volume up at 11 and do they have the best content money can buy?

About the Author

Tomi Grönfors is an entrepreneuer and self-made-marketing-man. He started his first business when he was 23 years. He has been working in sales, owned an AD agency, a marketing consulting company and is now an owner and CEO in VEEN Waters.