The art of creating brands that promote other brands
Before the internet transformed the world, branding was all about tangible things like packaging, logos and store designs.
But the digital age evolutionized and expanded this term. Now, some of the tops brands in the world–Facebook, Microsoft, and Snapchat–don’t have physical products, but they are brands recognized by millions- if not billions.
Think about it. Despite everything Facebook has been guilty of, most of us cannot simply quit the social network. Its pull is that strong –nay, its brand is that strong.
Plenty of service-oriented companies have demonstrated that you don’t need something that can be put in a box to become a brand.
However, many of these ventures have the advantage of offering a unique solution. And more importantly, they have the freedom to keep all the attention focused on themselves.
What about brands that market other brands?
Walmart is the number one company in the world by revenue. It employs 2,200,000 workers and has revenue that exceeds $514,405 million.
Being a retailer, the majority of Walmart’s revenue comes from marketing and selling brands by other companies. Amazon has a similar business model even though it’s more focused on the digital realm.
Since both Amazon and Walmart sell brands by other manufacturers, one would assume designing a powerful brand of their own would be difficult- if not impossible. After all, costumers focus more on the brand in their hand rather than the outlet selling it.
But it just so happens that branding is much more than logos, coloring schemes, and packaging.
Customer experience is a big part of the branding process. And this where both these companies have been able to change the game. Walmart with its affordability and Amazon with its convenience have managed to create powerful identities.
When you order headphones from Amazon and they’re delivered within two days –that’s the brand of Jeff Bezos’ retail giant.
But retailers aren’t the only ones faced with the challenge of crafting a brand while promoting other brands.
Enter the affiliate marketers
An affiliate’s job is to send traffic to another brand’s website. It promotes the advertiser’s offer using a blend of different tools. When users click on the said offer, the affiliate earns a commission.
Now, in order to send traffic elsewhere, the affiliate marketers first need clicks on their own website. And for that to happen, it needs to create a unique identity- It needs to create a brand.
One business working on the above model is EMUCoupon. As the name suggests, it’s a website that gives out coupon for a great variety of products and earns a cut whenever they’re used for purchase.
In order to create some buzz and reach out to an audience, EMUCoupon uses blogging as its weapon of choice. It crafts articles about money-saving, smart shopping and a slew of other topics to get visitors and promotes itself as a brand.
However, there are other ways to play the branding game for businesses like these.
Art of creating brands without products
If you’re someone set to create a product-less brand. Here’s how you can improve your chances of success.
- Focus on your brand personality
It doesn’t matter that you’re selling other brands from other parties. Your marketing efforts should reflect your brand personality. If you have a product review website, the image you should put forward should be one of a reliable person who’s a well-experienced shopper. Similarly, if you’re an online privacy blog, the entire outlook of your website should be something similar to the character of Elliot Alderson from Mr.Robot. This means your brand personality will be that of a smart and vigilant techie.
Although you’ll have no control over the personality of products being marketed, it’s important not to lose focus on the branding of your own business.
Authentic personalities can build a sustainable connection between consumers and businesses. If you remain focused on your mission, values, and culture, creating an authentic personality shouldn’t be an issue.
- Market yourself, not just the products
Once you’ve created a personality, the next logical step is to market it on all possible channels. Create YouTube videos, write blog posts, engage with the public on social media, start a podcast or two. Do everything in your power to increase the company’s digital footprint.
It’s all about getting your message out there.
People should see your business separately from the products being marketed. Branding is not just about what you do–but who you are.
- Consistency is the key
Brands cannot afford to have mood swings. If you’ve crafted a personality and are marketing it on all possible forums –keep at it. Inconsistency such as regular logo changes and sharing super-serious content while your image is that of a fun-loving personality goes against the spirit of branding.
Consistent imagery and messaging that aligns with your company’s value makes is good for business. Even if there’s a change in the business model, it should be imposed gently over a period of time on your marketing endeavors. Otherwise, the confusion will cause customers to turn away.
Conclusion
Companies with their own products approach branding differently than non-product ventures. Some might say creating brands for the former is much easier than the latter. However, in any case, the fundamentals of branding remain the same.
By designing a personality, marketing it fervently and maintaining consistency, even business that market other products can create a powerful brand. It’s all about placing yourself in the customer’s mind and building a powerful bond. Get this right and success will follow.
Self-motivated, having team player qualities with excellent communication and marketing skills and Alex Bill has been self-employed for the past few years. He has vast experience in the field of marketing & blogging.
