----------------------- First steps for creating a brand Successful branding is about promoting your strengths. Start by thinking about what you're good at and what you believe in as a business. For example: • particular skills - such as excellence in design • high-quality customer service • providing the best value for money in your marketplace You need to be sure that you can always deliver your strengths, sometimes referred to as "brand values". What customers want You also need to match these brand values to your customers' requirements. What drives your customers? What makes them buy? In most cases, it's not only about price or performance. Ask existing customers what they like about doing business with you. And asking potential customers what they look for in their buying decisions can also give you useful information to help develop your business - and your brand. If your brand values are in line with what existing and potential customers look for when they're buying, you've got the beginnings of a useful brand and you're ready to start building it. But if they're not, you'll probably need to reconsider either the benefits you offer to your present customers or whether you're targeting the right people. For example, a clothes shop that has high fashion as a brand value can capitalise on it if its customers and potential customers want to buy the trendiest gear. But if its customer base is made up of pensioners, it's unlikely those brand values will be in line with its customers' buying needs. ----------------------