Why Do I Need Branding if I Just Want to Sell?

At this point, everyone knows that the quality of an answer depends on the quality of the question.

Otherwise, the number 42 would make way more sense to us all, wouldn’t it? ;)

With that in mind, I’d like to write about something I want to study with you: branding. So, let’s start with a simple question:

How do consumers engage with brands?

Last week I was discussing branding with a good friend of mine. Later that day, he sent me this article, which made a lot of sense regarding the above question.

The thing is: in the digital age, buyers have more options and access to products like yours than they can count. E.g., If I am craving noodle soup and say it out loud to my dog, a couple of minutes later I’ll see tons of options popping up on my Instagram feed — and they all seem equally savory, delicious, and irresistible. So which one will I choose?

Which one will provide me with the experience I am looking for?

The word experience seems to be more en vogue with each passing day — customer experience, candidate experience, user experience — experiences are everywhere.

In the digital age, anyone and anything can be an awesome promoter of your brand or a disappointed public complainer.

Fortunately, most brands already realize that providing their customers with an unforgettable experience is the right path to take. Way to go!

However, when you go down this path you may face an ‘expectation vs reality’ situation, which can be kind of disappointing. Getting it right can be difficult, so be careful.

Hearing about other people’s positive experiences makes you more willing to trust the brand you’re buying from. It makes it easier to consider, buy, and even promote a brand’s products.

Great experience = selling + promoting 🎉

Easy. Now, let’s move on to branding, shall we?

Not so fast. As I said before, getting it right can be difficult.

Let’s back it up and ask ourselves again: why do I need branding if I just want to sell?

Answer: the experience formula. But it only works for strong brand identities.

Get to know your DNA!

People who want to sell to anyone, in any way possible, usually end up like lost Alice.

What do you sell? What does it represent to you?

You need to know the reason you want to share your product with the world.

“My grandma brought this noodle soup recipe all the way from Macau. I want people to know how great my roots are and how delicious and diverse Macanese food is.”

It seems like a simple and naive answer, but it answers the question concisely.

What do you value?

The chances of finding clients with the same values as you are huge!

Besides, discovering what you value as a brand is halfway to your purpose:

Get to know who you want to be in this world and stick to it.

🍜 “I sell disposable plastic-free noodle soup to go.”

🍜 “I donate one hot bowl of noodle soup for every ten I sell.”

🍜 “I make delicious vegan noodle soup.”

🍜 “I keep my ancestors’ legacy alive through my noodle soup recipe.”

Your branding can say a lot about what you want to represent in the world.

What does your product deliver to your client?

The benefits are great selling points.

🍜 “This noodle soup always has high quality meat.”

🍜 “I always get this noodle soup because it is gluten-free and full of flavors.”

Remember that legacy is pretty important here.

Even for a simple noodle soup entrepreneur, there are thousands of branding possibilities.

Selling your product can be trickier and deeper than you imagine. So be careful when it comes time to present it to your audience.

“Ok, which part of ‘I just want to sell’ are you missing here?”

First of all, keep in mind that at the end of the day you’re dealing with real people, not just numbers. A good ROI on a social media ad is like a sugar rush: it feels great when it kicks in, but a moral hangover is all you get the day after.

In the long run, a healthy body is built on your beliefs and daily habits, not huge candy bars.

Believe me, if you just want to sell, branding is still cheaper, gives better returns, and is more aligned with the future of marketing than any other strategy you may come across.

Just check your own feed and you’ll know what I mean.

I think we had enough for today, am I right?

Now it’s your turn to find your way to make your brand clear to the world.

Now, I gotta go grab a bowl of noodle soup. I’ll check in with you later to see how it’s going.

See ya! 🍜