Branding - more than just a logo!! Part 2

Branding – what is a brand and why you MUST develop one for your martial art school

Continued from part one, please read this article before this one.  The link is https://www.kickfitconsult.com/blog/branding-more-than-just-a-logo

How do you build a successful Martial Arts brand?

Well the first thing you do is to look at your brand objectively, from the outside in. What your brand promises and stands for is all about how it is perceived by your audience, not what you want it to be. So put yourself in their shoes and look at things from their perspective. As we’ve already discussed, your brand is the source of a promise to your customers and demonstrates the complete philosophy of your business and what benefits you provide.

First of all, who are THEY? You need to clearly define your target audience as your brand position lives more in their hearts and minds than it does in yours. Constantly ask yourself searching questions such as:

1. What do my clients want?
2. What do they need?
3. What do they expect?
4. What special benefits can I offer?
5. What experience do I want them to have?
6. What is their perception of the value I give?
7. What ‘added value’ can I offer?
8. Who are my competitors?
9. How can I do things better?
10. How can I improve my customers’ experience with my brand?

Unique Customer Benefits

• So, why should a client decide to come to your business and not your competitors?
• What can you offer your clients?

The market is not defined by what you do but what your customer wants. So, instead of thinking about USPs, look at your UCBs – Unique Customer Benefits. What will a client get from using your product(s) and/or service(s), rather than just a list of features? This will help you make an emotional connection.

Brand consistency

The market for anything these days is crowded and therefore customers’ attention needs to be grabbed and held. One key element in making you seen, heard and believed is brand consistency. This applies to everything you do from how staff answers the telephone through to what your premises look like to all of your marketing communications materials, social media feeds and website.

That’s why it is so important to do the groundwork and get your brand proposition and target audience absolutely right so that your brand can be portrayed consistently and in the best possible light.

Your marketing communications must be a true reflection of your brand as this is how new prospects will judge your abilities to service their requirements. It is how they will be persuaded to make an enquiry and not just bypass you and move onto the next competitor.  It also reaffirms to existing clients that they have made the right choice.

The quality of the marketing material is perceived by prospects and clients to match the quality of the products and/or service they will get from your business and what they are willing to pay.  So, if you want to charge top-end prices, your website and marketing material need to be top-end too.

 

 

 

 

Are you ‘on brand’ in all that do?

So, do you think your business has the right brand image? Are you consistently getting the right message across to your target market? Take time out to cast a critical eye over the following:

Your visual identity and marketing communications including website and social media

You and your entire team – don’t underestimate the importance of good personnel. You need everyone to be informed about the proposition so that they can be a brand ambassador

The prospect/client journey. Literally ensure that every touch point of your business is ‘on brand’.  This is the brand experience.

You can get your unique brand personality across through bespoke photography and video and the use of real testimonials and real people. Make sure you’re standing out from the crowd and giving your customers something they’re proud to be associated with. By building and strengthening your brand you’re looking to achieve awareness, recognition, interaction and engagement and, ultimately, loyalty.

So the next time you purchase your favourite product or experience your chosen brand’s particular service, think to yourself, what makes them special and why have I chosen to buy from them? Can you learn anything for your own brand?

Kickfit Consulting is run by genuine school owners who are dedicated to “raising the standards of martial arts” in our communities.  We care about your success, but we only want to work with school owners who want to make a real change in their community and are prepared to work hard to achieve it.  To find out more about us please see www.kickfitconsult.com