Christina Helm
I had the pleasure of talking with branding expert Christina Helm. Her insights would be helpful for any small business owner. Enjoy!
by Barbara Hall
Marketing & Branding Consultant
Christina Helm owns a marketing business in Rockwell, N.C. and specializes in branding. I spoke with her about what branding is and its importance to a small business. I also gained insights on how businesses should go about the branding process. Christina’s comments will help any new or existing business.
You have an expertise in branding. How did that come about for you?
I used to freelance doing logos. A business owner would come to me for a logo design. But I realized that they weren’t thinking about their business, so I found myself naturally doing consultation about their business. Anyone can design a logo but for it to be effective the business needs a brand identity. So branding is what resonates with me.
We grow up with stereotypes. We’re taught stereotypes and people get their identity that way. We brand ourselves based on what we want to portray, who we want to be. I found businesses do the same. They have an idea of what they want to portray or who they want to be. But they don’t think about what others think about them. Branding isn’t just who you want to be—it’s also who your customers want you to be. It’s your promise to them.
How do you define branding?
Many people interchange brand and logo, but a logo is just one part of your brand. Branding is the process involved in creating the unique name, symbol, design and image that identifies, establishes and differentiates your presence in the marketplace and attracts and retains customers. And it’s not just something tangible. It’s in the mind. If we are something, we have to make people believe we are that and that they need it. We have to create that in their mind for them. Branding is what creates that belief in the minds of your target customers.
Why is branding important for a small business owner?
Many small business owners don’t think of branding as significant or they think a logo is it, but again, a logo is a way to communicate the brand. In the U.S. 99.7 percent of businesses have 500 or fewer employees and 89.8 percent have less than 20 workers. That means most of the businesses in the country are small. Small businesses dominate. So branding is more important for them because with all the shops, storefronts and restaurants, branding differentiates you from your competition. It establishes in the mind of the consumer your value verses the value of another business.
Also, branding can be a significant investment. If you’re going to stand out, you have to spend. You’re investing in the value of the company.
I know we’ve talked about the term “Brandentity.” Please describe it.
“Brandentity” is the metric for perfect branding success. Entity is the “being” of something, the distinct, independent and self-contained something that has a real existence. “Brandentity” is when the brand becomes the being of the business, that distinct, independent identity. “Brandentity” is what takes you from the idea of what you want the business to be to the image of its real existence; the potential to actual; from abstract to concrete. It’s the image within the consumer’s minds.
What are steps small business owners need to take when starting their business and wanting to develop a brand?
- Know who you are and who you want to be as an individual and a business
- Define your mission
- Determine the benefits and features you want to provide
- Define your audience and consumers. Define their needs and think like the customers would think
- You can create a physical brand, but be sure to view it from the client’s perspective. For example, I use the name Rose Ellise Design for my graphic arts business, for doing scripture prints for home interior clients. It’s not for my general business because when customers see the name will they see me as soft, or for female clients and not for them? So you have to think about your brand from the view of the customer, not just what you like or want.
- Consult with an expert and my advice is to do this before you even name your business so you can create a name that resonates with customers, that creates an emotion in them. Test the waters with family and friends before you name the business.
- Remember that branding is a process and you need to spend time on it. The perception of the consumer determines how successful you are financially.
How does a company successfully communicate its brand?
Delivery. How the company behaves. You have to be who you claim to be. Be consistent. Saturate with your name and logo. Make sure all the employees are aware of the brand attributes, the colors and fonts. Customer service should relate to your brand, so you have to train employees and integrate the brand in answering the phone, in what they wear on sales calls, in email signatures, their voice.
You recently had an experience that was a real honor. Tell me about it?
I took a marketing classand we participated in theX-Culture project a global collaboration with students from 40 countries around the world. It started with 3500 students participating. We worked virtually in teams and each team was given a marketing challenge from a participating corporate partner. My team had individuals from Italy, Spain, Cuba, Oman, and Malesia. Our project for the company was entry of a product into another country.
When we submitted papers at the end, 300 of us were invited to the Academy of International Business Convention in Miami in 2014. In conjunction with the convention, 50 of us were selected to participate in a 4-day symposium put on by the Louis Vuitton Company and I was one of the 50. We had to immerse ourselves in a project which was to see how the customer experience in North American can be improved and how to develop it for Latin America. Each team worked in separate rooms. It was an awesome experience. What was interesting is how protective Louis Vuitton is of their brand. If there’s a flaw in a product, they shred it, rather than sell it at a discount. They don’t want anything to ruin their brand. It’s their very being, who they are.
Businesses need to realize the importance of protecting their brand.
