Creating Brands

We’ve all heard this story a million times.

Somewhere in a small office or a garage, a 20-something prodigy develops a revolutionary product. This product captures the imagination of billions, changes the landscape of an entire industry and transforms into a powerful brand.

Everyone wishes to recreate this tale. Everyone wants to become the next Steve Jobs and create something as iconic as Apple.

But some small businesses take a different approach. They don’t create a product of their own but market other brands to create revenue.

However, even without their own products, these ventures strive to create a brand and build a loyal customer base.

So how can companies that promote other brands become a brand on their own?

To get the answer, it’s first important to differentiate products from brands.

Brands and Products: What’s the Difference?

While it’s true that products can become brands onto themselves. And sometimes the brand name can be used to refer to products–there are some fundamental differences between the two.

Brands and Products

Companies make products but it’s the consumers who make the brands. It’s the consumer perceptions, experiences, expectations with the products that give birth to brands. While Products offer function while brands offer emotions.

For instance; Starbucks’ product is a coffee. However, its brand includes everything from the epochal logo, consumer experience to that oh-so-familiar white cup. It’s the overall package that makes Starbucks a preferred choice for millions. In other words, people are pulled in by the Starbucks brand.

And that’s the reason why companies invest heavily in branding and put a lot of thought into coloring schemes, logo design, and packaging.

Most of the time, brands are built around products. However, that’s not always the case.

Brands Without Products: Lessons from Amazon

When Amazon started as an online bookstore in 1994, no one guessed it would turn into a multi-billion dollar behemoth.

Initially, Jeff Bezos’ company did not manufacture any products on its own. But that didn’t stop Amazon from creating a buzz that would take to unprecedented heights of success. Walmart has a similar story.

Brands Without Products

Plenty of retailers have been able to create a powerful brand identity without manufacturing a product.

But what about affiliate marketers? Can they achieve the same?

Becoming a Brand: A Possibility for Affiliate Marketers?

The Entrepreneur describes affiliate marketing as;

“A way for a company to sell its products by signing up individuals or companies (“affiliates”) who market the company’s products for a commission.”

Becoming a Brand

Since affiliate marketers have little physical presence, can they establish a brand on their own?

Moreover, is it REALLY NECESSARY for them to become a brand in the first place?

Michael Mercer operates EMUCoupon, a site that gathers coupons from different Australian stores. This affiliate marketing model is being copied across the internet. A site provides coupons for brands, and when shoppers buy using these coupons, the site earns a share of the profit. RetailMeNot has successfully replicated this business model.

Mercer states that it is crucial for EMUCoupon to become a brand in order to survive and grow. “Like any B2C business, we must ensure customers return. That’s why we engage them through social media and other platforms. Even though we don’t sell products, our goal is to stand out and create a lasting impression; in other words, we aim to build our brand.”

Four Ways to Create a Brand that Markets Other Brands

For a company without its own products, creating a buzz and getting people excited is not easy. And this gets more complicated if the company is working with other brands.

People are more likely to focus on the brands being offered rather than the platforms offering them. So how can retailers and affiliate businesses establish their own name and worth?

  1. Focusing On Branding, Not the Product

It’s not necessary to have your own products to build a strong brand name. Using mediums such as YouTube, blogs, and podcasts –retailers and affiliate marketers can get their message out.

Focusing On Branding, Not the Product

Doing this, these companies can build a community of interest. NamoBot is another website that delves into the coupon business while also offering naming solutions to small businesses. This website has done a great job with its dedicated blogging section, which gives out important advice to entrepreneurs. The blog generates activity and puts the company forward as a distinguished brand.

  1. Building a Brand Personality

One of the most effective approaches to branding is to think of the brand as a person. There are many personalities one can go with. A reliable helper, a responsible guardian, a fun-loving hipster, the possibilities are endless.

Building a Brand Personality

It’s important to select a personality that matches your business model. For instance, if you’re an online clothing store, you should evoke the image of someone that’s trendy, hip and basically the life of the life party.

  1. Keeping Things Consistent

Brands cannot exist without consistency. Inconsistency -such as frequent logo change or using social media to share silly memes when your brand image is supposed to be serious – could be the death of your branding efforts.

Keeping Things Consistent

Meanwhile, reinforcing a uniform image, value and personality make for well-executed branding. Of course, the brand can change over a period of time, but that should occur when your organization is reinventing its overall brand personality.

  1. Creating a Digital Product

As a retailer or an affiliate marketer, you can only do so much blogging and social media advertisements before exhausting all channels. But there’s another, more unusual option- which is creating a digital product.

Creating a Digital Product

Digital products like webinars and eBooks require little investment when compared to traditional brand development tools. However, when used effectively, they can bring in customers in droves. They are especially effective for affiliate businesses that are looking to have a tangible presence.

  1. Using Images, Coloring Schemes, and Videos

Doesn’t matter if you’re marketing brands from other companies – the logo, color scheme and messages of your company should remain prominent. It’s important for people to hear your voice, see your image and engage with your brand personality.

Using Images, Coloring Schemes and Videos

Although the business model requires you to promote a variety of products, the theme should remain consistent. Even something as trivial as the use of color can create a powerful connection between your brand and consumers. The spirit of your brand should reflect in all promotional efforts.

Conclusion

Creating your own brand while advertising products from other companies is difficult, but it’s doable. Retailers like Walmart and Amazon were able to carve out loyal customer-bases before they ever marketed a product with their own label.

In a similar fashion, affiliate businesses are establishing their own brands through social media campaigns, blog posting, and video marketing.

By building a consistent personality, giving it a powerful voice and distinctive visual appeal, any business can create an identity. An identity that will set it apart in the mind of the customers and give birth to a strong brand.