Killing the Mongrel: Discover the Power of Branding

Do You Have a Strong Identity or Are You Generic?

What is a mongrel? What is generic? In this context, we’re talking about business identities. Which category does yours fall into?

In a landscape teeming with startups and fierce competition, businesses often resort to undercutting competitors to claim a market share or attract more clients. This rush to start quickly, without a clear identity, results in businesses that are generic or mongrel entities. This lack of identity—this "mongrel" status—leads to confusion, inefficiency, and ultimately, failure to thrive.

For instance a small business in the home renovation industry. This business lacks distinct branding, consistent messaging, and a unique selling proposition. It’s generic, blending in with countless other companies offering similar services. When potential customers search for home renovation services, this business fails to stand out. Its marketing materials are bland, its website looks like a template or it doesn’t work, and its social media presence is sporadic at best. This approach leaves customers uninspired and uncertain, leading them to choose competitors who have established clear, compelling identities.

A strong business identity is not merely an aesthetic choice; it is a foundational element that influences every aspect of your operations. From the way you present yourself to how you communicate with clients, a well-defined brand identity fosters trust, loyalty, and differentiation in the marketplace. Businesses that fail to cultivate this identity are left floundering in a sea of competitors, struggling to be heard, and perpetually fighting for scraps.

To truly succeed, you must transform your business from a "mongrel state" into a purebred brand with a distinct voice and clear value proposition. This transformation involves understanding who you are as a company, what you stand for, and how you can consistently deliver that message to your target audience. Without this clarity, your business will remain a faceless entity, easily overlooked and forgotten.

This article will delve into the importance of establishing a strong business identity, the pitfalls of remaining generic, and actionable steps to define and strengthen your brand. By the end, you will understand why "killing the mongrel" is essential for your business's growth and long-term success.

Key Elements to Building a Strong Brand Identity

Building a strong brand identity is crucial for transforming a business from average to a market leader. Modern consumers want more than just a product — they want to connect with the entire voice, message, and aesthetic of the company’s brand. Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitors'. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.

Are you the innovative maverick in your industry? Or the experienced, reliable one? Is your product the high-cost, high-quality option, or the low-cost, high-value option? You can't be both, and you can't be all things to all people. Who you are should be based to some extent on who your target customers want and need you to be.

The foundation of your brand is your logo. Your website, packaging and promotional materials-all of which should integrate your logo-communicate your brand. 

Building a brand is a journey, not a single task. Here’s how to do it effectively:

1. Center Your Brand In Your Story

 Identify what sets your services apart from competitors. This could be exceptional customer service, guaranteed quality, or innovative solutions. Savvy customers look for ways to connect with the products or services they buy, and your business origin story should share the catalyst for building your business in such a way that your ideal customers can relate to it and feel loyal to you.

2. Develop a Professional Brand Image

 Invest in professional branding, including a logo, uniforms, and branded vehicles. Place your logo everywhere. Ensure all customer touchpoints reflect this image. Consider how the brand promise is reflected in the actual customer experience delivered. For example, if the brand promise is centered on trust, how is that value reflected in the touchpoints a customer has? Ensure Customer Experience Reflects Brand Promise.

3. Consistency

Maintain consistency in service delivery, communication, and customer interactions to build trust and recognition. Organizational leaders often miss the fact that their employees are their biggest brand advocates. Treating employees with respect, leaving them feeling valued and appreciated for their work, and empowering them to innovate will strengthen your brand significantly.

4. Start With Great Self-Awareness

Building a tremendously effective brand strategy is almost impossible if you don't know how you are perceived by those you are trying to target. Having an understanding of your unique business value is imperative. This is why major brands invest heavily in focus groups.

5. Identify The Emotion Your Brand Evokes

Successful businesses comprehend that consumers are driven by emotion. Avoid focusing solely on your product’s latest feature or distinguished benefits; instead, direct your marketing toward the "feelings" your product evokes from your potential or existing customer base. Behavioral economics tells us that consumers construct their identity through the brands they purchase.

6. Differentiate From The Competition

The brands that stand out in the marketplace are those that respond to an unmet need. Capture and articulate this need to your audience in a bold, authentic way. However, many brand managers fear stepping into the unknown and doing something different. Being similar to the competition is detrimental; the market craves novelty — be it, and they will buy.

7. Poll Your Customers

Your brand is what your customers say it is, not what you tell them it is. So have your customers tell you what they think is authentic about your brand. Choose those characteristics you want to invest in and build on that existing success by turning up the volume. Reward your employees for living those brand attributes every day, entrenching it into your culture.

8. Be Of Service

Regardless of the communication medium, the best way to promote your brand is to be of service to your audience. Address their pains, answer their questions, assuage their fears, and inspire them. If you make yourself a resource of information for your area of expertise, your brand will naturally attract the right audience and flourish for the right reasons.

10. Your Four P’s & Marketing

Knowing your "four P’s" of marketing (product or service characteristics, price structure, placement strategy, and promotional strategy) can assist with improving your branding strategy. When you have identified your four P’s, you can clearly identify your unique selling proposition (USP), which allows you to stand out from competitors.

11. Conduct Periodic Brand Audits

Branding is dynamic, much like culture. Every action of every employee seems to affect it. Periodically sharing the brand and getting feedback on whether the company is living up to its brand attributes provides valuable data on the brand's authenticity. Periodic audits through surveys can measure the brand's strength and integrity.

12. Embody Your Brand Values

Your brand is as strong as the engagement you and your team have with clients, customers, and collaborators. If your team cannot embody your values, it might be time to take a hard look at what you are aspiring to be. Ensure your team realizes that they are your brand.

13. Pick A Lane And Stay The Course

Offering too much to too many can confuse the market and drive revenue down. Instead, focus on a core set of products/services and customers that align with what you stand for. Remaining focused ensures you become memorable and referable to those who seek what you offer, while staying true to what is and aligns with your brand. Now that you have established the foundation for building a successful brand, the next critical focus is your marketing strategy. Regardless of how exceptional your product or service may be, without effective marketing, your business is unlikely to succeed. Therefore, in the next blog we will concentrate on developing and executing a robust marketing plan.

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