Lindsay Guion Discusses the Importance of Proper Branding and Representation
If you’ve ever chosen a familiar brand at a grocery store or a familiar restaurant in a foreign city, you understand the power of branding. Whether you’re an Instagram influencer, musician, or small business, building a brand instills trust in your target demographic, resulting in rapid growth and increased revenue. As the Founder, CEO, Chairman of GUION PARTNERS — and with over 20 years of experience in the music industry, Lindsay Guion understands the importance of building a memorable brand. Working with everyone from D’Angelo to Ginuwine and Mya, Lindsay Guion explains the importance of building a brand in order to remain competitive in a highly saturated market.
The Power of Good Branding
What exactly is a brand? Lindsay Guion describes a brand as a name, term, design, symbol, value, or any other personal feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from another. Building a brand takes time, patience, persistence, and consistency. More than just a logo or color palette, he explains that a brand creates a memorable experience for an audience — a brand is an idea that manifests as a persona, aesthetic, and style. A well-rounded brand tells you what you can expect from them, never deviating too far from these core principles; it is steady and consistent across all platforms. For example, Nike, as a brand, is rooted in ethics, ‘doing what is right’, and dedicating yourself to hard work. Nike’s campaign with Colin Kaepernick did not focus on selling shoes or clothing, it aimed to project the values that the brand was built on.
So what exactly are the specific benefits of building a memorable brand? Lindsay Guion states that building a brand can improve recognition — and as a result, your overall revenue. As a general rule, it takes someone being exposed to a product or service roughly 7 to 10 times before they can commit it to memory. This underscores the importance of ensuring that your brand is represented consistently across every ad, campaign, and platform. Lindsay Guion explains that in a crowded online landscape, every impression counts. When someone sees an ad or a product on a shelf, these cognitive biases all come into play when deciding which one to purchase.
Brand Recognition
Brand recognition builds trust with consumers and plays a major role in a consumer buying decisions. Will your product/service do what it says? Is it reliable? Is it better than your competitor? Building a professional website is one of the building blocks of building a brand — think of it as your digital business card. If you found a product on Facebook but were unable to find a website, a listing on Google, or a store on Etsy (or another third-party platform), you’re far less likely to trust the company behind the brand. Having customer reviews and testimonials is a great way to build trust as a small business or creator. You can share articles, blogs, or other reviews from more credible sources to begin to build trust.
Appeal to Your Target Demographic
Building a brand is a great way to narrow down your target demographic. Lindsay Guion claims that outdated marketing tactics used to tell brands to cast a wide net — the broader your approach, the more customers you can reach. However, a broad approach doesn’t appeal enough to any one customer to make them loyal to your brand. Lindsay Guion explains that a targeted brand approach allows you to attract a group of dedicated people who resonate so deeply with your brand and values that they tell their friends, family, and loved ones about it. If you can’t differentiate yourself from your competition, you don’t have a brand.
