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Transparency is a very important trend in branding today, especially since customers have so many options from which to choose. Transparency is defined as “being free from pretense or deceit;” or in business as “visibility or accessibility of information, especially concerning business practices.” Simply put, transparency is about being honest with customers about what the brand does, the price someone will pay, and what benefit they will receive from using your product or service.

While it might be easy to confuse this quality with authenticity, I would argue that transparency is about much more than that: authenticity means that not only is a brand relevant, delivering meaningful value to the customer, but the brand also must do what it says it will. Authentic brands follow through with actions that benefit the customer and deliver results.

Transparency often strikes a deeper chord with consumers, particularly in terms of their pocketbooks. When customers buy a product or service, they are putting their faith and trust in your brand; it is up to you to not only deliver what they expect, but within the terms and pricing that have been established.

1. Don’t over-promise and then under-deliver.

This is something that most products or services struggle with. Often, while in pursuit of more sales, higher revenue growth, or increased profitability, companies will sometimes do or say anything to earn business. Once received, they might leave customers wondering where their product or service is. Worse yet, the product or service delivered might be of inferior quality to what was promised. Have you ever ordered a product from one of those television infomercials, waited “4–6 weeks” for its delivery, and then had it break within the first few hours of its use? Or the product was not quite what was pictured on the commercial?

2. Don’t have hidden costs that will surprise the customer.

Being upfront and honest about pricing is essential to transparency, and to establishing trust with customers. Ensure that there are no hidden costs associated with buying the product or service. On a recent family trip to the Atlantis Resort and waterpark in the Bahamas, I discovered how important transparency in branding is. After months of anticipation for all of the fun that had been promised, my delight and excitement quickly turned to frustration and then anger at all of the hidden charges that were assessed during our stay: additional charges for daily room service; expensive drinks and food; and charges for certain conveniences such as Internet access. Even with a “gratuity included meal plan” and reasonable room rates, the trip still cost hundreds of dollars more than expected. You might be able to fool customers once, but if you do, don’t be surprised if they never buy your product or service again.

3. Always communicate with customers, even when there is bad news.

There is an old adage that “no news is good news.” Nothing can be further from the truth, especially when it comes to your brand. Customers want, and need, to hear from the providers of their products and services, even if it is a simple email or phone call. A little reassurance, along with honest communication about pricing when issues arise, will go a long way to establishing a relationship built on trust and transparency.

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal of brand and creative strategy, Indicia

Brand messages are positioning and marketing statements about your offering that tell customers why they should use your product or service, why they should care, and what it means to them. They must not only be different from competitors, they must be relevant, authentic, and accessible to your target market. In other words, it’s not just what you say that matters, it is where and how that message is communicated, and to whom.

The first step in making your brand messaging work is to say the right things that connect emotionally with the audience. While luck and intuition might play a role in developing your brand message, some simple objective research techniques will yield better results:

Field Research

This is something that anyone can do, not just a market research firm. “Field” simply implies that you should get out and get to know your customers, your competitors, and you industry better. Interviews and surveys are a good start (see “Your Brand is Not What You Think It Is…”), but they sometimes don’t dive deep enough into the psyche of the customer. Instead, go to the places where they shop, where they relax, or the setting in which they use the product or service. Find out how they interact with the brand. Observing other retailers in the vicinity to see what messages they are communicating can also offer insight into appropriate brand messages. Have you ever noticed how there always seems to be a Taco Bell within a few blocks of a US Bank; or a Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse near a Walmart? There is a reason that certain stores cluster together: they are targeting the same type of customer.

Literature Research

If getting out of the office is too difficult or not an option, then another great way to discover how to develop the right brand message is to simply check out your local bookstore. There are literally thousands of magazines to choose from, many tailored to very specific niche markets. Odds are you will find a few magazines that appeal to your target market–simply flipping through them will give you a good idea of trends within the industry, language that is used, and imagery and colors that are appropriate. These literary sources already do a great amount of research into your target market, so why not use that to your advantage?

Once the brand messaging has been developed, the context in which it appears is equally important. If your message says all the right things, but no one from your target market sees or hears it, then it will be ineffective. Likewise, if messaging is placed within marketing vehicles that seem to contradict it, or if people can’t immediate comprehend what you are saying, the perception of the brand is affected. I call this the “Billboard” test: if you were in a car travelling at a high rate of speed, with only a fraction of second to read a marketing or brand message, would you get it?

Vanity license plates are a great and fun way to demonstrate the importance of context in communicating the right message. The following are real license plates, and great examples of why the type of automobile on which they appear make all the difference as to how the message may be interpreted. For example, if you quickly glanced a license plate that read “4MYHORS,” you would hope to see a trailer attached to a truck or SUV (in this case, there was none). In another example, a Corvette had a license plate that read “THERAPE.” While I am sure that the individual driving this car was probably a psychologist (“Therapy”), the message could just as easily be interpreted as something more sinister.

In conclusion, two of the most important factors to consider with regard to your brand message are what you should say (the content), and where and how you say it (the context). By performing simple research, it is possible to tailor a highly relevant message to your target audience. Once created, however, it is important to find the best way to communicate the message so that it is crystal clear. The perceptions of your brand message will ultimately affect your bottom line.

Ryan Hembree, principal of brand and creative strategy, Indicia

As a brand identity firm, Indicia helps companies of all sizes develop and enhance their brand image. Many times we work with startup companies who have a great product or concept they need designed so it can “go to market.” Other times we work with more established companies trying to launch a new product or service. Regardless of the creative challenge, one of the most important considerations (and questions that we are often asked) is: how much is this going to cost?

For startups trying to bring a new product or concept to market, knowing the cost to design, develop and manufacture the brand is critical (the “brand” could be the product itself, or the packaging, logo, etc.). Budgets are often tight (if not non-existent), so factoring in startup costs (plus desired profit margins) into the expected retail price is important to determining whether or not the initiative is feasible. Typically, a 4X factor is desirable, meaning that startup costs multiplied by 4 will determine the final retail price; if a product cannot be sold for that amount, then the entrepreneur should consider a larger initial production run (read: greater investment), eliminate any “middleman” distribution, or try to reduce some of their marketing costs.

By reducing marketing costs, we do not suggest “do it yourself” or going to an online or low-cost provider for the design of logos, packaging, or web sites: the old adage “you get what you pay for” is often proved true in these cases, and you might end up paying twice for something that could have been done right in the first place. We suggest you speak with at least two or three marketing and design firms prior to making a decision; even though you will pay more than an online “solution” or freelance designer, the results should far exceed the cost in terms of increased brand perception and sales.

For companies trying to launch a product or service, consider how the brand will be marketed. A “starter” brand kit usually consists of a logo, paper system (business cards, letterhead, etc.), a simple brochure and/or a website. If relationship-based selling with face-to-face interaction is key to the success of the brand, then perhaps a leave-behind sales kit is appropriate—consisting of a custom designed presentation folder, a small informational brochure, as well as product or service-specific insert sheets. If simple brand awareness is desired, then a revamped web site or interactive animation or video will help generate excitement and generate traffic to your web site. Depending upon the industry, product or service, and the brand components required, initial start-up or launch costs can range from $10,000 to $15,000 (based on industry averages—actual costs may vary depending on scope and complexity of projects).

Even though the initial costs of branding can exceed $10,000 or more, it is important to remember that these are typically one-time fees spread over the development of all designed components (which could last several months). They can be amortized over the brand’s production and life cycle costs, or considered customer acquisition. Brand startup costs are “profit and revenue generators,” not “costs,” because a well-designed brand has been proven to sell more units, be more profitable, and add value to the company’s bottom line.

By: Ryan Hembree

Some of the most beloved brands have a reputation in terms of the characteristics associated with them. This “personality” is what enables them to connect emotionally with customers. Like personal relationships, there are some brands that people love; some that they love to hate; or some they may feel indifferent toward. The most important quality that a brand possesses is its authenticity.

To be authentic, brands must say what they do, and then do what they say.

A brand is a promise to deliver value that is meaningful for the consumer. Pricing, product quality, and how it is promoted are all core values that must be consistent with customer perception. In order to be authentic, a brand must remain true to itself and to the promises it makes with customers.

Brands that promise exclusivity and limited availability (and thus a premium price) cannot be sold at a mass-market, volume discount retailer for a lower price. Likewise, product quality must be consistent with its pricing—shoddy materials or service will destroy the perceived value of the brand. With so many choices, customers very rarely give products a second chance, so make sure that your brand is of superior quality.

Promoting your brand is very important to delivering an authentic experience for customers. Employees are often the first touch-point that customers will have with a product or service. As brand ambassadors, their actions (good or bad) can impact a brand’s perception. If they don’t believe in and act out the values of the brand, the brand loses relevance. For example, if an employee’s personality is such that they seem arrogant or ignorant, that attitude will turn away customers who feel the product or service no longer cares about their needs.

Dave Ramsey, the founder of Financial Peace Plaza, is a great example of an authentic brand. His organization is driven to help people pay off their consumer debt, save money and work toward achieving wealth. He offers a common-sense approach and lives the brand: everything from his casual wardrobe to his mannerisms and likability makes him very approachable and “real.” At a recent live event, however, I began to question his authenticity because of the incessant sales pitches to buy more “products” on how to manage money (thus going against his own teachings of “saving more and spending less”). Further complicating these mixed emotions was the fact that his 22-year-old daughter (who represents the brand to the youth market) was there, dressed in fancy clothes and flashing an expensive gold watch and huge diamond ring.

In summary, the best way to build an authentic brand is to do what you say and say what you mean. Avoid contradictions in terms of pricing, product quality and/or service, and how it is promoted. Remember what makes your brand relevant to customers, and then deliver on that promise. Nothing will destroy your brand quicker than losing its authenticity.

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal of Brand and Creative Strategy, Indicia

Many companies go through great time and expense hiring marketing firms to help connect with, engage and spur customers to buy their products or services. These firms often conduct competitive research within the brand’s industry and by polling key stakeholders and employees. While this information is insightful, the simple (and more cost effective) solution to find out why customers do or do not use your product or service is to simply ask them–after all, a brand is not what you or your employees think it is, it is what your customers say it is.

By “asking” customers about your brand, we don’t recommend holding formal roundtable discussions or focus groups. Instead, a scripted five- to ten-minute phone call with fewer than ten current and former customers will allow you to obtain a much better, and more honest sampling of customer insights.

Even though most people will agree to an interview, their time is valuable so you should treat it as such; ask no more than 5-6 questions, and be sure to record each conversation for transcription purposes. Ask open-ended questions about theirexperience with your brand. This will not only provide insight into their true thoughts, feelings, and motivations, it will help spur further discussion.

Some questions that might be asked of your most loyal customers include the following:

“What is the first thing that you think of when you think of Brand XYZ?”
“What are the reasons why you use, or chose to use, Brand XYZ?”
“If you could change one thing about Brand XYZ, what would it be and why?”
“If Brand XYZ ceased to exist, what would you miss most?”

Some questions that might be asked of former customers might include the following.

Remember, having an impartial interviewer asking these questions will provide more honest responses:

“How did your perceptions of Brand XYZ change over time?”
“Why did you choose to stop using Brand XYZ?”
“What does Brand XYZ’s closest competitor do better?”
“Was there anything that could have prevented you from leaving Brand XYZ?”

Interviews may be conducted by either an employee or an outside consultant–just be mindful that you might not get the “whole truth” if customers know they are speaking with a company insider. And although this approach might not be considered a quantitative or scientific method for research, it is not supposed to be. Instead, is meant to be anecdotal, insightful, and most of all, honest. A brand that is not authentic to its customers simply cannot be successful.

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal of Creative and Brand Strategy, Indicia