Why is branding important?

I keep hearing a lot of talk among other business owners about branding. Why is branding important for my business?

Branding is definitely an important element of building a business. If you're like me, the term "branding" probably brings up images in your mind of ranchers jabbing cattle with searing hot metal stamps. Well, that image actually isn't that far off—only we're looking to sear impressions of your company in the minds of your consumers.

Let me tell you a little story that illustrates brand loyalty at its finest.

I have a younger brother who insists that Hunt’s Ketchup is better than Heinz. He would whine and whine when he was forced to eat Heinz Ketchup on his hot dog or hamburger, so several years ago, my mom and I decided to test out whether he actually knew the difference between the two brands.One night at the dinner table, we performed a little taste test. I squeezed out a dollop of Heinz and a dollop of Hunt’s Ketchup onto a paper plate, and wrote their respective names on the underside of the plate. We had him give both brands a try. I’m sure you know what is coming next—he chose the wrong one. That’s right, he thought the Heinz tasted better than the Hunt’s brand. He insisted we cheated, and we insisted he never knew what he was talking about.The fact is the kid had an unshakable partiality to the Hunt’s brand. Such a partiality that he couldn’t even fess up to actually liking the other brand better.This is how consumers minds work. They acquire a strong affinity (or possibly, a disgust) toward a specific brand of product or service. And once that opinion is formed, it is pretty tough to change their minds no matter how many facts or features you offer them.This is why it is important for your brand to come out of the gates strong and work hard to maintain its consistently. Even the smallest companies can do this. It starts with solidly defining what you stand for and sticking to it. From there, you build the look and feel of the brand (designers will call this your “brand identity”) so that it reinforces your mission.As my brother’s story demonstrates, an impression of your company may never be able to be reversed. This is why it’s absolutely vital to make the investment to make sure your company makes a positive, professional impact from the start.