by Grace Butland

Branding Your Business

If the word “branding” makes you think of cowboys and cattle drives, you’re only half right. Branding is also a key concept in retail marketing. Done well, it can help you differentiate your gallery from competitors, build customer loyalty and grow your business.

Exactly what is a “brand” and how does it relate to retail marketing? Angel Lewis, head of Master Werks in Philadelphia, gives this definition: “A brand is the lowest common denominator of what your business is, does, and plans to be. A brand is more than just the name of a product line or a company’s name. It is the promise, the image, the persona of the company.” In other words, your brand is how people think about your business.

For example, think of companies such as Nordstrom and Rolls Royce. When you hear these names or see their company logos, you not only recognize the products they sell, you also get a mental image of the intangible benefits they promise. Nordstrom suggests exemplary customer service and Rolls Royce connotes luxury. The same principles that help these companies achieve successful branding can work for your gallery.

But don’t confuse a brand with a tag line. Tag lines change; brands are more permanent. For example, Coca-Cola’s brand, says Lewis, is “their promise that you will enjoy a great soft drink each and every time.” Over the years, however, the company has used a variety of tag lines, from “Things go better with Coke,” to “The real thing,” to express that concept.

The logo at West SouthWest in Denver, Colo., captures the essence of the gallery’s feel of the Southwest, and establishes a strong brand identity.

Know thy company’s mission

John Torella is senior partner and senior consultant in the area of branding, retail marketing and communications with the J.C. Williams Group in Toronto and Chicago. The author of “Stop Talking, Start Doing Retail Branding” and co-author of “A Guide to Retail Success,” he speaks frequently to retail groups. “The first step in branding,” says Torella, “is to ‘know thyself.’” You can’t go to an outside consultant to define your brand, he explains. Consultants can help you communicate your brand, but they can’t define it for you. That’s something you have to do yourself.

Lewis recommends starting with your mission or vision statement. This statement should tell you who your company is and what it’s in business to do, she says. Your branding statement is then developed “based on your mission/vision that captures the essence of your company, differentiates it from its competitors, and has a long lifecycle.” Your branding statement may focus on what your brand is (i.e., Xerox — “The document company”) or what it does for your customers (i.e., Revlon — “Be Unforgettable”).

Creating your logo

Ask yourself, “If my store were a person, how would I describe it?” suggests Torella. Answering that question will help you define your brand. Once you have done that, you can move on to create your brand identity. Your logo will be a critical element because it is the visual expression of your business identity. It must not only express the feeling you want to convey — your branding statement — but it must also be able to work in a variety of situations.

“I wish I had understood earlier in our business the need to develop a logo that works in many applications,” says Dudley Smith, co-owner with wife, Rhonda, of West SouthWest gallery in Denver. “[The logo] has to work in color and black-and-white; as a 1-inch sticker and a 10-foot awning; horizontally and vertically in ads, etc.” West SouthWest’s logo captures the essence of the gallery (work that expresses the feel of the Southwest) and establishes a strong brand identity.

“Every avenue of communication should carry your logo and a short version of your branding statement,” says Lewis. This “tag line” should be a few catchy words that express what your brand is all about (i.e., Talbot’s — “It’s a classic”). Put it in your storefront window and on your bags, Lewis advises. If possible, have your logo on your sales tags. If you use sales pads, have your logo and statement printed on them. And, of course, use it in your advertisements.

At Carlyn Galerie in Dallas, Texas, the branding identity is reflected in teal and hot pink, colorful inventory, and stickers and gift-wrap.

Use your company’s unique signature to further your brand

While a strong visual statement is critical, it takes much more to create a brand. “Think about every time you touch a customer as a way to either build the brand or negate the brand,” says Torella. “Your goal is not to simply develop a high-quality branding program, but a whole branding program that exemplifies your pursuit of excellence and success in every aspect of your entire operation.”

Make a list of every contact a customer has with your gallery. Include such things as advertisements, signs, brochures, telephone contacts, sales personnel, sales tags, sales slips, gift-wrap, shipping boxes, displays, background music, store design, Web site, displays, point-of-sale systems, sidewalks, parking areas, etc. Ask yourself how each of these builds or negates your brand.

Robin Hoffenberg, owner of Conversation Pieces in Wilton, Conn., uses the purple and silver of her logo throughout the gallery to help build her brand. “We have a huge oval purple and silver sign on the street and another smaller one in the window,” she says. “We use purple and silver labels on packages, and silver gift-wrap with purple ribbon. And we always have a big container of purple flowers out front. And our print ads have a consistent layout and feature the gallery logo prominently.”

Carlyn Galerie in Dallas, Texas, owned by Cynthia Ray and Wendy Edelman, is known for brilliant colors. Their “color and excitement” branding identity is reflected in their teal and hot pink logo, their colorful inventory, and their stickers and gift-wrap.

Make changes to those aspects that are not consistent with your brand. For example, if your branding statement is “the best service, the best selection and the best quality in the best shopping environment,” you may need to provide additional training for your sales personnel, implement a dress code or redesign your Web site to strengthen your brand. You may need to enlist help from other business owners in the area to improve aspects beyond your immediate control, such as parking areas and exterior characteristics.

Your brand is an intangible asset of your business, and it has a direct bearing on your bottom line. A strong brand builds customer loyalty and translates to increased financial returns.

Don’t get discouraged as you attempt to build your brand identity. “Branding is a journey, not a destination,” says Torella. “Take the first step. Brands are something you need to invest in. If you do invest, they will pay back like money in the bank.”