This week, entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world gathered in San Francisco to discuss the future of technology and business at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference. At the conference, entrepreneur Joe Kraus had this to say about building a brand: “The hardest thing to create is a consumer habit.” The implication here is that since it is the hardest thing, it is also the most valuable thing to have. And certainly, many of the world’s biggest corporations have understood that for years; that’s why Costco makes you sign up for a card, why the only criteria for buying a media player other than an iPod is “cheaper than an iPod”, and why people is some regions refer to all carbonated beverages as “Coke”. Consumer habits, which we all have, go almost completely unnoticed all the time. They may even keep us from purchasing a better product for our needs because we prefer the brand we know. Next time you’re at the grocery store, think about why you’re buying the big-name cereal over store brand. Is it really the taste, or is it force of habit? This begs the question: what is the role that brands play in our daily lives?
With the rise of social media in the last several years, the line between ‘company’ and ‘marketing’ has continuously grown thinner and thinner. Now, more than ever before, it is mandatory for businesses to forge a distinct brand to ensure that potential customers will instantly recognize the company name and logo, the services they provide, and easily grasp (and communicate for themselves) the “essence” of what a given company is all about. In a post written by Philip Keightley from socialmediatoday, he makes a strong case for the importance of “the brand” in our current world of social media.
Online social media and search engine optimization (SEO) are so imperative that companies like Ulistic structure their entire business model off the idea of being completely dedicated to teaching businesses about social media and SEO. In Keightley’s blog, he explains how in the past only the largest companies had the resources to distribute corporate publications or magazines. But now, as the business and online world has adapted to innovative social media, everyone has access to platforms for broadcast and conversation, and we have all become “publishers” of sorts.
With this new social media paradigm, many businesses have the opportunity to create a strong voice without massive amounts of capital, something that wasn’t available 10 years ago. This change causes a lot of excitement among potential entrepreneurs and investors, as they know any good idea can find it’s way to an online audience. But, along with the potential for everyone to have a voice, social media has also created a lot of “noise”.
Too much noise.
We all experience this “noise” when we’re online, a seemingly never-ending onslaught of information, logos, and sales pitches. Yet, how do we muddle through it? We go with what we know and what has worked in the past. Consider this quote by the 19th-century psychologist and philosopher William James: “Ninety-nine hundredths or, possibly, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousandths of our activity is purely automatic and habitual, from our rising in the morning to our lying down each night.”
This is where branding becomes extremely pertinent to anyone trying to reach potential clients online. Consider this blog by Sandy Miller about custom branded communities. Even if your company is new, by forming and maintaining a professional looking brand, you’ve created something that can easily become associated with brands that potential clients already do “know”. Think about which advertisement you’d be more likely to click on: one that has been designed by a seasoned graphic artist or a flashing square that says you’ve won a million dollars. The reason why the former advertisement is more appealing is because the professional look and feel communicates a strong brand, and instantly seems more reliable. 
Here at Varvid, we are firm believers that the number one way to create a strong brand is the use of video as central part of any marketing plan. Consider our culture’s fascination with television and movies, and how there’s a sense that someone you see on film seems more legitimate than some random joe you meet on the street. Internet delivered video is a direct, concise, and simple way to combine your company’s logo, brand, and message into an appealing and interactive medium that potential clients and customers are familiar with and know they can trust. In an online world filled with “noise” and mediocre brands, video is the ultimate way to forge a distinct company brand and optimize your online presence.
(Top image taken from: http://sierrafriend.com/)
