There’s no such thing as a business with no brand. Your brand is your reputation — how people perceive you and your products or services. You can leave that to chance, or you can take steps to deliberately build a strong, positive brand. You want your retail store to be a huge success, so learning how to brand a business is crucial. 

What’s the big deal about branding? Study after study shows that shoppers make buying decisions based primarily on emotional factors. So when you hear the expression “perception is everything,” believe it.

These 6 tips will help you understand how to brand a business.

1. Be your real self. Every retail business has a distinctive range of merchandise and pricing, an overall “tone” and type of clientele. Branding that consistently reflects who you are will make sense to potential customers and draw them to you.
   
   
2. Know your target market. Create marketing personas based on your main types of customers. Delve deeply into each of their wants and needs. And study their shopping habits. The more you know about them as people, the more you can provide exactly the merchandise and customer service that truly resonate with them. Successful brands are, above all, easily relatable as well as easily recognizable.
   
3. Show off your personality. No matter how functional your products, today’s customers consider their entire experience when they mentally rate your brand. So what does it feel like to shop with you? Your retail business may be fun and upbeat, serene, sophisticated, or something else. Your “personality” could shine through in your comprehensive commitment to convenience, a speedy in-and-out for shoppers, or the lowest prices anywhere.
   
   
4. If you’re the owner of a small, local retail business, people won’t differentiate between your business brand and your personal brand. That’s both a challenge and an opportunity. Consistency is more important than ever. Otherwise, your target audience will be confused about what your brand really stands for. Engaging in activities such as online and in-person networking build your brand and build your business at the same time.
   
   
5. Presentation is critical. You need a first-rate, professionally designed logo, because it will be the visual representation of your brand. It should become instantly recognizable to prospects and customers, conjuring up a visceral response about your business. That’s why knowing what you stand for is so important. Make your logo a priority investment, and use it everywhere, from your business cards and website to creating the thematic environment of your store.
   
   
6. If you have a food business or a similar retail operation that uses custom packaging, be sure your package design puts your brand front-and-center so you can visually stand out from the crowd.

Naturally you want to attract as many customers as possible to your store. But realistically, you will never be the “right choice” for every potential shopper. Knowing how to brand a business will help you stay true to your target clientele, and that will encourage them to stay true to you.

Palmer Retail Solutions strives to offer our clients the absolute best combination of innovation, quality, service, and value for our diversified custom store fixtures and merchandising displays. For more information about our designs, retail fixtures, cash wraps, kiosks, or point of purchase displays, visit our website at: http://www.palmerretailsolutions.com.