This document discusses how to develop a brand idea for a small business. It explains that a brand is the perception customers have in their minds based on their interactions with a company. To build a strong brand, businesses need to go beyond just functional benefits and form emotional connections with customers. The document provides steps to find the right brand idea, including understanding customer needs and wants, competitors' weaknesses, and one's own strengths. It stresses identifying a unique combination of benefits that positions the brand distinctly in the target market. Examples are given to illustrate how to define a brand positioning statement and link it to a memorable tagline.

1. Brand-Building for
Small Business
Part 1: Simple Steps to
a Winning Brand Idea
1

2. 2
WHAT IS A BRAND?

3. Is it a logo, a label or a
television commercial?

4. A brand is a perception
that lives in the minds of
consumers…
It’s their concept of – and
opinion about – a particular
product or service, which
determines whether they’re
going to buy it or not.

5. And every interaction between a brand and
its customers builds this perception.
Sales person
TV ad
Word-of-mouth
Showroom
Website
Invoice
Billboard
Facebook post
Product
Packaging
Tweets

6. Your brand is your
Image and
reputation

7. • You are instantly recognisable and familiar
• You have loyal customers who keep coming back.
• You have free advertising, when satisfied customers
tell their friends about you.
• You can charge more if your brand is more well
known, liked and trusted
A strong brand drives sales and profit
7

8. Building a brand is about building
emotional connections with your
customers.
There must be something beyond
the expected functional benefits of
your product

9. Being a nice guy doesn’t
cut it though. There are
plenty of nice guys.
Your reputation needs to
stand out and be different.
You need a
simple and
memorable
brand idea

11. Functional
Benefit
Emotional
Connection
‘PLAYING WITH FIRE’

12. How do you find the right
idea for your brand?

13. Finding the sweet spot
13
What your
customers
need and
want?
What your
competitors
lack?
What you are
really good
at and love?

14. What do my
customers want?
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15. 15
KFC: tapping into real, local consumer insight and eco-systems

16. Who needs
your
service?
How much
do they
earn?
What type
of people
are they?
What are
their
lifestyles
like?
How to define your target market
16

17. You may have distinct types of target customers
Garden service example
17
Families
- Want to spend
more time on the
weekend doing stuff
together
- Very busy during
the week as both
parents are working
and kids are at
school
Young
professionals
- Very busy working
during the week –
often late
- Have hectic social
lives
- Want to socialise on
the weekend and
sleep in late
- Use the internet for
EVERYTHING
Retired couples
- Time rich and want
to spend time with
family and friends
- Often socialise at
home
- May garden
themselves but need
help with heavy lifting
- Not up on
technology

18. • Questions to ask
– What do they need from you?
– Is there anything about your services and your
competitors’ services that frustrates them?
– What is important to them?
– What are appropriate times and channels to
engage/serve them?
Getting insight from customers
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19. – Start with your existing customers – they’re
more likely to talk to you
– Use questionnaires
– Often having a conversation reveals better
insight as it allows you to explore interesting
ideas that come up.
Cost-effective methods of discovery
19

20. Love technology
• Book / change booking online
• Pay online
Love to socialise and sleep in late!
• No early morning appointments
• Get the job done quickly so they can
get on with their lives
• key drop service
Love trends, design & brands
• Offer design component – trendy
plants, arrangements etc.
• Help them derive status from garden
Practical Things to Do with the Insight you Find
The garden service example
20
Young
professionals

21. What am I
really good at?
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22. Ask Yourself: What do I offer?
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Features?
Services?
Products?
Specifications?

23. Remember
23
Customers ultimately buy benefits, not
products, services, features or specifications.
Before parting with their hard-earned cash,
they always want to know: “What does it do
for me”

24. Example of product vs. benefit
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PRODUCT:
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING
SYSTEM
BENEFIT:
KEEPING CONTROL
WHEN BRAKING ON A
SLIPPERY SURFACE

25. Example of functional benefit and linked emotional benefit
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PRODUCT:
ANTI-LOCK
BRAKING
SYSTEM
FUNCTIONAL
BENEFIT:
KEEPING CONTROL
WHEN BRAKING ON A
SLIPPERY SURFACE
EMOTIONAL
BENEFIT:
FEELING LIKE A
GOOD PARENT

26. “In the factory we make lipstick;
in the store we sell hope.”
Charles Revson, creator of Revlon

27. What don’t my
competitors do?
Footer Text

28. How are you different?
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What does
everyone offer?
What unique
benefit do I offer?

29. What is your Brand Idea?

30. Brand Positioning
Brand positioning is the unique combination of
functional benefits and emotional associations that
makes a brand relevant, distinctive and compelling to
its target market.
It is a concise definition of how you want the brand
to be perceived by its target market – and why they
should be motivated to choose it ahead of its rivals.

31. The unifying idea…
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What my
customers
want…
…that my
competitors
lack
…that we
love and do
well

32. What one idea makes you different?
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33. 33
THE JOY
OF DRIVING
WINNING
PERFORMANCE
BEING THE
CUSTOMER
CHAMPION
A few examples
Sheer driving pleasure Just do it How can we help you?
BrandPositioning
(Strategy)
Tagline
(CreativeExecution)
Is about Is about Is about

34. 34
PART TWO:
USING YOUR BRAND IDEA
TO DRIVE BUSINESS
GROWTH

35. Thank You
Get in touch:
info@ywood.co.za
www.ywood.co.za
JHB: 011 268 5211
CT: 021 425 0344
@askYellowwood
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