If you, or your company, is wondering how to develop a brand, it pays to do some research. Reading about how to build a brand online is only part of the battle. If you are new to the marketing game, you will likely spend more money over the long haul through time investment and opportunity cost trying to properly build a brand for your business.
If you’re in the market for hiring the best branding expert ruben alvarez, you probably fall into one of two categories: 1) You’re preparing for the launch of a new business or product, or 2) You’ve been in business for decades and are competing to retain your relevancy. In any case, you’ve made it to a level where you realize proper branding is essential to the success of your company.
It sounds a little cheesy, looking for the right firm. What does that mean? Esoteric though it may be, you need to partner with a firm who understands every aspect of your company – leaders and stakeholders, processes, visions and goals, methods and philosophy – in order to help you develop and define your company’s brand. Remember: A brand isn’t what you think, it’s what they (consumers) think.
Before you set about hiring a brand expert specializing in brands, make sure you spend some time understanding your company, and being able to articulate those thoughts and emotions. Even seasoned brand expert will appreciate your commitment to clearly communicate why it is your company exists – apart from profits, of course.
This is, from my experience, the most common misstep in companies hiring brand consultants that end up not working out. Would you go to a podiatrist for a face lift? Would you trust your real estate broker handling the rest of your portfolio? Probably not.
If your company is a start-up with minimal funding, you need a branding expert who knows how to build a brand from scratch, who knows what challenges lie ahead for somebody in your position, who knows your target audience and how to speak directly and effectively to them. So, you found somebody you can trust, who knows where you stand and what you’re looking to achieve. Now comes the part where the interview often takes a turn for the worse.
Still in the hiring process, you invite the expert to deliver a presentation to you and other decision makers. The expert seems enthusiastic, charming and secure. Then the presentation is delivered, and the room is silent. The presentation was thoughtful, direct, and completely perfect…for another company.
Not to say that it wasn’t a great presentation, and not to say that the firm was without the proper experience, but sometimes what is presented isn’t what you had expected, and not the course you believe you should take. If the firm you’re working with is savvy enough (and it most certainly should be), you can expect educated responses to your concerns. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Oftentimes, if an initial presentation doesn’t fit your expectations, you can work through the problem and be happy with the revised results. But always remember to not concede in pursuing your goals and vision. If you’re preparing for growth (and we hope you are), you have an idea of where you’d like to be in three, five or 10 years. You may not know exactly how you’re going to get there just yet but a proper branding and marketing strategy will certainly guide your course.