Whether you’re new to the game that is business or a veteran it’s not difficult to see how marketing and branding are strikingly similar. A vision of cattle come to mind when I think of branding, a way to identify and yet separate oneself from other brands in the same industry.

Apple has…and Microsoft has… . Both brands are synonymous with the computer industry and both have a loyal following. As I talk with you now I am typing this entry using MS Word using Windows 7. Growing up my grandmother was probably the only woman in our building to own two computers both of which were Apple computers.

Marketing is letting people know you exist and can serve them, branding is giving them a visual way to remember you. It’s important to brand your business and sometimes rebrand, look at Dominos. They used to be Dominos Pizza but changed that because they want to focus on more than just the Pizza Industry. In your spare time check out their website and you’ll see they sell subs, pastas, chicken, breads, and desserts.

When starting a business you may soon realize there are others in your field who do what you do. This is not always the case if your goal is to be a business like Cirque du Solell who implemented a blue ocean strategy. (Blue Ocean Strategy) There are a variety of attributes that can separate you from your competition, cost of product/services, customer service, and location are a broad few.

As the owner or decision maker you have to pinpoint this and build your entire campaign around your strongest attributes. If you are an owner think about this, you are probably competing against businesses who have people in place to solely handle marketing. If this is the case and you have the extra funds please invest in bringing someone aboard to help you with your marketing. I’ve been there and I’ve learned in order to grow you have to bring others on and trust them.

If you don’t have a marketing strategy it’s time to put one in place. If you do have one and it hasn’t produced what you thought it would its back to the drawing board. If that is the case and you want some help ping us. For some branding can take off a lot quicker than the most seasoned of veterans. Why? Being at the right place at the right time.

In closing: Running a business is similar to going to college, it takes discipline, hard work, and not giving up. Don’t give up

-Steward