Tips for building a B2B brand
Brand building requires time and dedication. Unwavering loyalty to a consistent message that conveys a valuable differentiator will pay big dividends and make your brand the most valuable asset you own.
From the buyer’s perspective, the brand is an insurance policy. A mark on the side of a bag of chips tells the shopper exactly what those chips will taste like, every time. But in B2B sales, buyers often don’t know what they need, what’s available, or how it works. So a strong B2B brand communicates this message: You can count on us to help you figure out exactly what you need, provide you with a product that will meet or exceed that need, and show you how to use it. A reputable B2B brand, from the buyer’s perspective, insures the buyer against risks before and after the purchase.
From the perspective of the B2B seller, the basic purpose of a brand is to educate the potential buyer and reduce the impact of price on the purchase decision. Research shows that people will pay more for products and services if they come from a well-known company. Consider the following.
The 4 benefits of well-rated B2B companies
Customers give well-branded companies more leeway and opportunities than their lesser-known peers. Clients allow these companies to have:
1. Access: Anyone who has ever tried to see a C-suite executive knows that half the challenge is just getting in the door. Executives have rules that their employees use to screen vendors, such as Have I ever heard of this company?
2. Permission to undertake larger projects: Clients place more trust in well-branded companies and allow them to extend beyond their own stated capabilities and track record. That extra amount of trust gives brand name companies permission to take on bigger projects than more seasoned competitors.
3. Confidence in the potential: Often, companies will invest in emerging technologies and services simply because they come from a company with the potential to set a standard.
4. The chance to recover: Customers want to pay for a tried and true experience. The difference between a lesser-known company failing and a well-branded company failing is that the well-branded company will have an opportunity to restore trust.
basic brand building
Brand building is a science and it is not complex. It requires strict adherence to simple guidelines and, above all, diligent tracking and monitoring. Brand building is basically about laying a smart foundation and paying attention to detail. Here are the eight steps.
1. Start with a quality product
A quality product/service that offers superior performance is the foundation of a strong brand. High quality is a prerequisite to get in, but not enough to set your brand apart from the competition. Make sure that every product and service you offer is the best it can be.
2. Identify the differentiator of your brand
Once you’re sure you have a high-quality product, decide which unique distinction for your product is most important to your target market. Think hard about choosing this differentiator because you want everything you do to reinforce that unique distinction in the marketplace. If your brand is not first in your category, consider creating a new category where your brand can be first.
3. Create a brand name
Avoid anything that sounds generic or fake. Generic words include domestic, American, American, advanced, precision, technical, reliable, general, standard, etc. Within every industry, there are one or two generic words that seem to creep into company names and brands. These are words that companies think resonate with prospects, but usually don’t. For example, frozen food brands often include some derivative of the words fresh and flavor in an effort to combat the notion that frozen foods are neither fresh nor tasty. The problem is that these words are used so often that they have lost their meaning.
Also, avoid words that are not authentic. For example, the word fresh when applied to frozen foods is obviously not authentic.
The brand name does not have to include the company name. In fact, you want the brand to be the focus, not the company. Consider an abbreviation, an acronym, your differentiator, the founder’s name, an alternate spelling, etc.
Finally, before you start using your new name and start investing in signage and printed materials, make sure the name is legally available wherever you do business in the next 10 years.
4. Create a logo and tagline
Now that you have a high-quality product with a compelling differentiator and great branding, create a memorable logo and catchy tagline. Your brand logo and tagline should make an immediate and lasting impression. Therefore, brevity and simplicity are important.
When defining your message, try to own a single word or short phrase. You want that word or phrase to stick firmly in the mind of your target market: You want the market to associate that word or phrase with your brand.
The logo should be simple and include the brand name in a legible font. For maximum visual impact, the basic shape of the logo should be rectangular, approximately 2-1/4 units wide to one unit tall. Make sure your signature color is very different from the colors of your closest competitors.
Other logo considerations include:
• Does it relate to your brand?
• Is it distinctive?
• Will it easily transform for brand extensions?
• Does it reproduce well in black and white?
• Does it reproduce well on scanned documents?
• Is it scalable?
• Will you print or embroider well on merchandise?
Consider creating a brand style sheet that explains exactly where, when, and how the logo and tagline should be used.
5. Protect your logo and slogan
As long as no one else uses a logo and/or tagline that is identical or very similar to yours, you can consider your logo and tagline copyrighted as soon as you finalize it. Copyright law, which covers text and graphics, among other things, conveys ownership from the moment the materials are fixed in tangible form.
While this is true, smart companies have their logos and slogans registered as trademarks, using the  symbol during the trademark process and the  symbol once it is approved. This prevents other companies from using your logo and/or slogan and registering it as their own.
This is how the law works, if you have not officially registered your logo and/or slogan, it is your property. If others try to use it, you can legally prohibit them from doing so UNLESS they apply for trademark protection. This means that if you don’t register your logo and/or slogan, someone else can do it and YOU will have to stop using it.
You can search for logos and slogans at the US Patent and Trademark Office: http://www.USPTO.gov. However, this is an area where you definitely need legal services.
6. Develop a consistent message
Develop a coherent message by solidifying:
• Your target audience
• What does your brand represent?
• Your differentiator
• Your logo and slogan
• Your business objectives
The brand attributes in your message must be authentic and verifiable. Your brand should easily tap into the needs of your target market and evoke a visceral response.
Once you know what you want to convey, create a message guide and distribute it to all employees.
7. Market the brand
Achieving and building on name recognition is the key to brand success. Deliver your brand message consistently and continuously through public relations, advertising and networking. Take advantage of every positive opportunity and be careful not to associate the brand with anything potentially negative.
Your branding effort must permeate your entire organization and communicate across all marketing channels with one voice, in the same tone, and in the same style. In other words, your brand image must be consistent and consistent across all communication channels, including:
• Print, online and broadcast advertising
• Print, online and broadcast media
• Internal publications
• Indoor and outdoor signage
• Website and web marketing
• Print guarantee
• Packaging
• Commercialization
• Point of purchase
• Telephone system
• Uniforms
• Delivery vehicles
• Fairs
• Events
• Promotional items
• Relations with employees, industry, shareholders, community and government
• Sponsorships
8. Live the message
Whatever your brand image and differentiator, you have made promises to your market that you must keep. Remember, your brand is neither more nor less than these promises. If you took the time to complete the first step, making sure all your products and services are of the highest quality, delivering on your brand promises shouldn’t be a problem. Go a step further and consider offering an unconditional guarantee on all or one aspect of your differentiator.
B2B branding is especially important for sales. Clients get their first sense of the company in the sales call and proposal. That’s why you need a proactive plan in place. By selling the brand, you create a self-perpetuating cycle. The brand will help make the sale and each sale will strengthen the brand, truly making it your most valuable asset.