Brand Image: How to Create a Positive Brand Image

Brand image is a term that describes your company's brand perception among both potential customers and loyal customers. Successful companies work hard to build consistent brand images, but internal efforts can only go so far. Ultimately, a brand’s image comes down to how the customers view the business, not how the business views itself.

A strong brand image makes a product stand out from near-identical competitors in the same market space. For example, customers associate brand-name products with higher quality than store-brand products even when the product differentiation is minimal. In this way, well-communicated brand values can shape the customer experience almost as much as the product itself.

You can see examples of brand image in action in a variety of industries.

1. 1. Fast food: It’s common for fast food chains to spend years curating their brand positioning tactics so customers associate their restaurants with affordable, delicious food.
2. 2. Tech: In the tech space, successful brands create products that offer symbols of innovation and status in addition to their practical applications.
3. 3. Fitness: Fitness brands work to link their company name with perceptions of triumph and greatness.
4. 4. Soft drinks: Established soft drink companies encourage brand loyalty by maintaining consistent, nostalgic brand personalities.

Creating an enduring brand image starts with a smart, plugged-in brand strategy.

1. 1. Know your brand's target audience. Have a realistic sense of who your ideal customers are so you can tailor your brand messaging appropriately. Gather demographic information like age, gender, education, and geographic location.
2. 2. Identify your target audience's needs. Conduct market research to understand your target audience's pain points and why the current market offerings are not adequately serving them. The ultimate brand image you pursue should demonstrate how your product or service can address those needs.
3. 3. Determine your brand's value proposition. To perfect your brand’s value proposition, focus on the key difference that sets your company apart from all other options whether it’s affordability, quality, novelty, or another key attribute.
4. 4. Use your value proposition to shape your brand's identifying features. Explore how visual elements like the brand logo, company fonts, and packaging can draw attention to your value proposition. For instance, if you're offering cutting-edge technology, you may want a logo that implies motion and a futuristic sans serif font to imply progress.
5. 5. Plan a marketing campaign that communicates your brand values. Most new customers will come to know your brand via a marketing campaign. Whether you opt for TV ads, digital advertising, social media influencers, or referral programs, you must lead with your desired brand image in mind. For example, if your intended image is clean-cut and wholesome, dress your sales reps in collared shirts or formal outfits. If your image is centered on bargain-basement prices, consider using bright colors and bold fonts to indicate that everyone can afford your product.
6. 6. Stay consistent. The key to enduring brand recognition is committing to the image you've established. While you can always undertake a major company rebrand down the road, aim to build up familiarity with your brand first before making changes.

To measure your brand image, create a customer survey and distribute it to a wide array of people—loyal customers, new customers, and competitors’ customers; this survey will allow you to understand how your brand is perceived. Ask targeted questions and provide a mix of multi-choice answers and blank fields for open-ended feedback. The insights can help you determine whether a new product launch, customer service overhaul, or fresh brand campaign is in order.

Brand image and brand identity have similar meanings in the world of business, but there is a key distinction.

• Brand identities are crafted within a company. A company's brand identity is set by its own management and employees. The product line, pricing, logos, and marketing campaigns of a company all fall within the broader category of brand identity. This identity is then cast out into the market where potential customers will judge it.
• Brand images are based on public perception. Your brand image comes down to how the public perceives your brand. Sometimes this public perception perfectly aligns with an internally crafted brand identity. Other times, the public views a company far differently from how that company views itself.

Become a better communicator with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Spend some time with Daniel Pink, author of four New York Times bestsellers that focus on behavioral and social sciences, and learn his tips and tricks for perfecting a sales pitch, hacking your schedule for optimal productivity, and more.