brands Matter.
Brands Matter to Consumers.
Brands matter to your bottom line.
Imagine that you’re at the supermarket, looking to buy some salt. Do you pick Morton, or a lower-priced store brand? After all, salt is salt. Right?
Wrong. When it comes to consumer choices, brands matter.
Consumers pay a premium for Morton because, over time, the brand has created a perception of quality, consistency, and trust. Leading brands like Morton are more than just products or services—they evoke memories and emotions associated with quality.
When consumers trust a brand, it makes them loyal—and when they are loyal, they buy more.
Here are 7 Reasons Why People Buy Brands:
1. Brands provide peace of mind.
Consumers want comfort, happiness, and satisfaction in their lives, and they get it in part through the products they buy. If the brands they use consistently deliver a positive experience, consumers form an opinion that the brand is trustworthy, which gives them peace of mind when buying.
2. Brands save decision-making time.
So you are in the market for a new HDTV and decide to search Amazon. You type in “HDTV” and get 101,685 results. How do you cull the list down to a manageable number of choices? You choose a brand. Type in “Samsung HDTV,” and you reduce your choices to 1,319. Picking a brand helps reduce the clutter, making it easier to find what you are looking for.
3. Brands create difference.
Any grocery store aisle has more product options than anyone can reasonably consider purchasing. What allows us to select one peanut butter brand over another or over a generic product? Branding helps define—in an instant, with a minimum of thought—what makes your product different and more desirable than comparable products.
4. BRANDS PROVIDE SAFETY.
People, by nature, generally avoid risk and seek safety. Imagine you’re on a business trip in an unfamiliar city, and you need to pick a restaurant for dinner. You’re most likely to pick a national restaurant brand over a local one because you’re familiar with the national brand. It’s the safe and predictable choice because you know what to expect. Brands offer safety and reduce the risk of disappointment.
5. Brands add value.
Why do consumers pay higher prices for brands compared to unbranded or generic products? Is it better quality, the look, and feel, or is it the brand’s stature in society? It’s probably a combination of each. Successfully branded products make more money for their companies by commanding premium prices.
6. Brands express who we are.
What smartphone do you own? What car do you drive? What shoes do you wear? The brands we use make a statement about who we are and who we want to be. People become emotionally attached to the brands they use and view them as part of their self-image. Apple’s classic “I’m a PC / I’m a Mac” campaign shows how brands can reflect the personalities and self-perceptions of their users.
7. Brands give consumers a reason to share.
We all have opinions about the things we experience, and we like to share them with others. Whether it’s a good book, a good movie, or a great meal, we become brand advocates when we share positive brand experiences. In our increasingly social world, we have more opportunities than ever to spread the benefit of our experiences. Strong brands give consumers a reason to share their experiences.
Do You Need a Brand?
Whether you’re a large company or small business, crafting a brand-driven marketing strategy is one of the most important things you can do for your business. Creating a strong, differentiated brand is the key to turning prospects into customers.
Check out some of our latest brand work here: