Being More Memorable
Let’s say, for example, you’re running a coffee shop. If you hand your customers a blank cup, or a plain cup with a plain brown coffee sleeve wrapped around it, you’re really limiting the kind of impression you make on them or anyone else they come across. If a friend, colleague, or even a stranger were to see this cup, there is nothing about it that will make it memorable to them.
Now replace that blank cup with a custom printed double wall cup or replace the plain brown sleeve with a colorful custom coffee sleeve. If that same colleague or friend sees the customized cup or sleeve, they’ll almost certainly ask about it, particularly if they don’t recognize the company logo.
While this moment isn’t particularly remarkable, it demonstrates the subtlety of building brand awareness. One loyal customer who frequents your coffee shop may introduce your brand to dozens of new people – particularly if that customer has a social media following.
Setting Customer Expectations
Think of some of the biggest companies that you know. When you see their logos, what are the main characteristics that come to mind? These intangibles are the essence of a company’s brand, and they are essential to how customers perceive and interact with their preferred businesses.
One of the most important things that a brand can do is set expectations. This is because people often seek out companies that they perceive as being able to meet their specific needs. For example, if you’re looking for a quick and easy meal, you’re more likely to go to McDonald’s than you are to go to a sit-down style restaurant. If you’re looking for a new pair of basketball shoes, Nike will likely be one of the first brands you consider for your purchase.
Strong branding can establish these expectations for your business over time. Whether your specialty is a quick, tasty cup of coffee, your selection of hot wing sauces, or even the overall consistency of your meals across locations, your best abilities will become synonymous with your brand and make your business top of mind for more customers.
Establishing Customer Loyalty
In addition to making yourself more memorable to your customers, strong branding also helps you connect with your customers on a more meaningful level.
When you focus on developing an emotional connection with your customers, they are far more likely to continue frequenting your business and referring your products and services to others. After all, people like doing business with people and companies they believe are trustworthy and relatable. Building brand loyalty with customers is crucial in maintaining a reliable revenue stream rather than relying on people to simply visit your store every once in a while.
In addition, when your customers connect with your brand, they’re more apt to forgive your mistakes. We’ve all had an experience where we received poor service from a business we patronize, yet we typically go back if we like them as a whole. On the other hand, businesses you’re not particularly attached to may only have to mess up once for you to avoid them in the future.
Cultivating Better Employee Morale
Strong branding goes beyond connecting with only your customers. It can also help to develop a better working environment for your employees.
When you have a clear brand identity, it becomes much easier to communicate your company’s mission and values to your employees. This, in turn, makes it more likely that they will feel like they are part of something larger and have a personal stake in the success of the business. In addition, happy employees tend to lead to happier customers, which can create an even stronger connection between them.
It’s important to remember that while pretty logos and catchy slogans are great, they’re not the be-all and end-all. Branding is about developing a strong identity for your business that will allow you to connect with your customers on a deeper level and set yourself apart from the competition. When done correctly, branding works in tandem with how your business operates. As a result, when your customers see your logo, your brand identity and all of its positive qualities will automatically come to mind.
Earning More Referrals and Return Sales
All of these aforementioned benefits lead to one very important thing: referrals and repeat business.
People are much more likely to refer your business to others or return as customers if they have had a positive experience with your business, much like how your friends are quick to recommend a new TV show or movie that they’re certain you’ll enjoy. Over time, a few satisfied customers can turn into a few dozen and so on.
This referral effect can be particularly noticeable through social media. If one of your customers posts a photo of themselves either at your shop or sporting one of your products, they’re essentially referring their peers to your business, even if they don’t realize it. As a result, your logo, products, and your overall brand are being broadcast to potentially hundreds of new people.
Using Custom Printed Products To Your Advantage
If you operate any kind of local independent business – from coffee shops and creameries to restaurants and breweries – then getting your name out there at every opportunity is essential. Fortunately, branding your company successfully doesn’t require television commercials or radio advertisements.
At Your Brand Cafe, we help small businesses utilize quality custom printed products as affordable and effective tools for promoting their brands. Whether you’re looking for custom coffee sleeves, custom clear cups, or custom hot cups, we’ve got you covered!
For instance, our newest printing options for clear cup designs – which consist of three categories (Standard, Standard+, and Premium print) – are an example of how we help our customers make the best decision for their businesses. From negotiating prices with our suppliers and shipping providers to investing in new printing machinery, we have been able to reduce our costs significantly. As a result, we are now proud to pass the savings on to consumers while introducing some dazzling new branding possibilities.
Branding can be one of the most important investments you make for your small business – and it doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’re ready to start promoting your business more effectively, contact us today or request a free quote! We’ll help you take your branding to the next level and connect with more customers than ever before.