Branding and your business

what is branding?

Branding is the use of a name, term, symbol or design to give a product or service a unique identity. the goal is to get people to associate a group of products or services with your brand.

the catch term "Ketchup" is a perfect example. it is not a product in an of its self. it is a company name for a product called "catsup" most people call it ketchup now due to a great branding campaign.

branding is not hard to establish if you have a niche market, but a lot harder if your in a main line type of business. this is why I always break down my main market into smaller niche markets.

as an example...

im not a face painter im a "party painter" so all my adds, media, cards, fliers, and other marketing material will be branded with "the party painter" my goal is to take that name and make it synonymous with face painting at parties. they will not want a face painter they want "the party painter".
When people book me they do not book a magician, they book "ME" they are looking specifically for "ME" i am my own brand.

if I can not break down my specific market then ill brand it with a look instead of a name or catch phrase. i could be ( that magician in the neon yellow tux) the look is so outlandish that people will remember it way longer then the guy in the normal suit. they have a visual of what they want now.

so how are you branding your self?
how are you setting your self apart from those around you?

http://www.facepaintforum.com/t9285-creating-a-brand-for-your-business
You can see that the first comment on my thread was Shannon Fennell, who had a thread very much like mine, lol.

nice! its good to see strong business plans in action