A business owner ’ s role has so many tentacles , from product improvement , finding market for the product or service , raising and maintaining a customer base and safeguarding the bottom-line . While brand building is a significant part of the business owner ’ s role , it can only be kept relevant when a business owner is focused on building a brand and leaving a legacy .
SME CONVERSATIONS
Legacy Business : Be A Brand , Stand For Something
By Monica Kabui
It ' s a cold Saturday afternoon , the perfect weather for coffee and conversation . So my three entrepreneur friends and I engage in the usual banter . The conversation leads us to a debate on why each of us is running a business , we all enter into a two second self reflection there that even I didn ' t know where the time went !
The conversation turned into a debate about what matters most between building a legacy business or aggressively working on a business that will make you , the business owner , a lot of money and eventually fizzle out and exit the scene . The views on both ends made sense so that with both , there ' s no right or wrong because you can only achieve that which you set out to do .
A business owner ’ s role has so many tentacles , from product improvement , finding market for the product or service , raising and maintaining a customer base and safeguarding the bottom-line . While brand building is a significant part of the business owner ’ s role , it can only be kept relevant when a business owner is focused on building a brand and leaving a legacy . Coca Cola is a household name , a beverage company that once sold soda but its brand transformation over the centuries saw it move from selling liquid refreshments to an experience that connects people and gives them a reason to ‘ share happiness ’ as in one of their popular Ad campaigns . This goes for Apple , a computer company that positioned itself as a brand that is both premium and luxury and over the years created a loyal tribe for all their products or services that they have reduced their selling effort by a significant amount .
That said , building a legacy business calls for the custodians to invest in building a brand , this will push everyone in the company to be intentional with their brand . Too much to do in too little time is the reality of every business owner , however , investing in marketing and brand building has to be top in the priority list . Take time to create a solid marketing strategy that will guide you in understanding key business areas such as the environment you ' re operating in , the customer ' s evolving needs and preferences and continuous research to enable you to consistently innovate your products and services . This will help you do the most basic thing … rise above the noise .
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A business owner ’ s role has so many tentacles , from product improvement , finding market for the product or service , raising and maintaining a customer base and safeguarding the bottom-line . While brand building is a significant part of the business owner ’ s role , it can only be kept relevant when a business owner is focused on building a brand and leaving a legacy .
SME ’ s need to see brand building as a necessity , the key business driver . There is a valid reason why big corporations and multinationals such as mentioned in the examples above invest billions in their brands , they understand that it is an integral part of business growth . Building your brand does not have to be as costly , we are in the age of new media where you don ’ t have to be on radio , billboard or TV for you to be seen or heard . The options are unlimited when you start with a solid marketing strategy , you can put a comfortable budget for every level you are at until you achieve your brand ’ s goal . Tactics such as personal branding are only as expensive or affordable as you choose to make them .
As the SME owner , have an understanding of your brand and be the champion for your brand beliefs to employees and customers alike . When people interact with your brand , feel relevant and considered , it becomes a catalyst for customer acquisition and long-term scaling for your business . It is key to pick on brand relevant ways to bring these issues to reality .
As for the hussle , let ’ s just leave it as an open discussion and you can share your views .
In the words of famous marketing and leadership expert Seth Godin " A brand is the set of expectations , memories , stories , and relationships that , taken together , account for a consumer ' s decision to choose one product or service over another ."
Monica Kabui is a marketing specialist and MD of TreeAgama , a brand , strategy and design marketing agency focused on using marketing as a tool to solve business challenges . You can reach her on mail at : Monica @ treeagama . co . ke .
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