Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/553583
Making 16 Cover Story T he independent aftermarket is a brand business. Premium brands. All-makes brands. Re- man brands. This industry has them all. But the products on your shelves aren't the only brands you sell. Your company is a brand as well. Through careful planning and busi- ness calculation, you can develop your brand within your market to levels of appreciation and satisfaction equal to or greater than some of your most trusted product lines. Aftermarket customers are brand loyal. It's time your entire business, not just your best products, reap the benefi ts of that loyalty. Building your Brand Creating a brand as an independent distributor requires tangible and philo- sophical strategies. You need to know how your brand will look, and what it will represent. Your brand's physical appearance is not something to take lightly. Every aspect of your business impacts your brand, and consistency matters. Homogenizing your company's public appearance is a good fi rst step in build- ing or stabilizing a brand. Every location doesn't have to be identical, but there should be obvious similarities from one location to another. Paint schemes, sig- nage, logos and employee uniforms are all areas where company-wide consis- tency can strengthen a brand. Regarding logos in particular, simplic- ity and singularity is key. Pick a clean design and stick with it. If you design a new logo to replace an old one, make sure to scrub the previous versions from all locations, documents and other public records. Including a value proposition or tag- line with a logo can be another valuable step in reinforcing a brand. A good value proposition not only helps defi ne your company, it also acknowledges your promise to your cus- tomers. It conveys to them in a concise T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | A u g u s t 2 0 1 5 By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com Branding Glossary When it comes to branding, there are several similar terms with separate meanings. Growing your company's brand requires a complete understanding of each term. Brand: A feature that distinguishes your products and services from those of others. Your brand is who you are and what you do that makes your business unique. Every part of your business -- from exterior store paint color to the font on your invoices -- works in unison to build your brand. Brand image: How customers perceive your business, i.e., what everyone else thinks of you. Like your brand, everything associated with your business is considered when others determine your brand image. Brand awareness: This refers to how recognizable your business, products and services are within your industry. High brand awareness does not implicitly lead to higher brand image, but can potentially offer more sales as more consumers are aware of what you provide. Brand line: These are subsets of your brand. For example, a towing operation or a machine shop. Brand lines can be tightly or loosely linked to brand names depending on how both are marketed, and perceived by customers. Tips for strengthening your corporate brand