Manufacturing Branding: Why it Matters and How to Do it Right [2023]
Manufacturing
6 min
Manufacturing and Inventory Management Software
In today's ever-evolving business landscape, manufacturing branding has become an essential component of success, especially for scaling manufacturers looking to grow their businesses. With the rise of direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales, manufacturers must prioritize their branding efforts to build a strong brand identity and stand out from competitors.
Traditionally, manufacturers relied on retailers and resellers to distribute their products, but D2C businesses have disrupted this model, enabling anyone to set up an e-commerce platform and sell their products directly to consumers within weeks. While this has opened up new opportunities, it has also made manufacturing branding more critical than ever before.
Manufacturing branding is the process of projecting an image to customers of what your company stands for and why it makes the products it does. It's about letting your customers know how passionate you are about making the finest quality products in your market and telling your story in a way that resonates with them.
With a solid manufacturing brand in place, your business may stay caught up, as expectations are at an all-time high for consumers. It's an explicit part of the current trends and predictions for manufacturers.
To help you understand the importance of manufacturing branding and how to achieve it, we'll explore the reasons why it's essential for your success and provide some tips on how to do it right. But first, let's start with the basics.
Most people associate manufacturing brands with large corporations like Ford, Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Apple. However, the reality is that smaller brands can also significantly impact consumers. In fact, over 53% of new innovations contribute to the growth of smaller manufacturers, as opposed to a meager 5% of large manufacturers. E-commerce has leveled the playing field, allowing scaling manufacturers to innovate and reach a wider audience.
As a result, consumers are turning towards manufacturing brands that provide more innovative products and a closer connection to customers. For example, Sfoglini and Kalamazoo Candles are smaller manufacturers with successful branding strategies. In the past, these manufacturers would have delegated most of the marketing and sales responsibilities to their resellers, retailers, and wholesalers. However, today's manufacturers have the power to take control of how their brand is perceived and directly work with their customers to provide them with what they want.
There are several reasons why manufacturing branding is important:
A strong brand in a crowded marketplace can help a manufacturing company stand out from its competitors. When customers have many options, a strong brand can make it easier for them to recognize and choose a specific manufacturer's products over others. This can help a manufacturing company maintain a competitive edge and grow its market share.
A well-established brand can give customers confidence in a manufacturing company's products and services. When a manufacturer has a strong brand, it can be seen as a reliable and trustworthy source for quality products. This can be especially important in the manufacturing industry, where customers may be investing significantly in equipment or products. A strong brand can help ease concerns or doubts about a company's ability to deliver high-quality products.
A strong brand can help build customer loyalty over time. When customers have a positive experience with a company's products and services, they are more likely to choose those products again in the future. In the manufacturing industry, where customer relationships can be long-term and complex, building customer loyalty can be essential for maintaining and growing business over time.
A strong manufacturing brand can also shape the perception of the company and its products in the minds of customers. A well-established brand can be associated with positive attributes such as quality, reliability, innovation, and customer service. This can help a manufacturer create a positive reputation and perception in the market, which can have a ripple effect on other aspects of the business, such as employee recruitment, partnerships, and investor interest.
A strong manufacturing brand can help you sell your products at higher prices, allowing you to raise profits. Customers are more likely to pay a premium price for products from a brand they trust and believe in. However, to truly set yourself apart, you'll need to outperform private brands in terms of your branding efforts.
Private brands are the home brands of retailers and big resellers, who typically sell lower-quality versions of your products at lower prices. To win the manufacturing brand vs. private brand battle, you need to establish a strong connection with your customers, so the price difference won't sway them. By building a solid manufacturing brand, you can differentiate your products and offer a value proposition that private brands can't match, leading to increased profits and long-term success.
Another advantage of building a strong manufacturing brand is the opportunity to increase the number of channels through which you can sell your products. By becoming a recognizable brand, you can attract potential distributors who might be less inclined to take on lesser-known products.
A strong manufacturing brand can help you set up quality deals with resellers and representatives, as they are more likely to recognize the value of your brand and require less marketing on their end. This creates a domino effect, leading to greater exposure for your brand and more sales.
However, it's essential to maintain a balance to ensure you don't lose your personal connection with customers by relying on middlemen. Providing quality customer support can help compensate for the distancing effects of working with distributors, ensuring your customers remain satisfied with your brand.
The widely held belief that B2C purchases are driven primarily by impulse and emotion, while B2B transactions adhere to a more logical and considered path, is a simplification of these complex and nuanced processes.
Regardless of whether your business model is B2B or B2C, it is important to acknowledge that the ultimate decision makers are individuals. These individuals, influenced fundamentally by their emotions, must often justify their decisions to other stakeholders within their organization in a B2B setting. Therefore, emotion, while still a powerful factor, is tempered by logical constraints and considerations to ensure adherence to the strategic path.
Typically, B2B transactions tend to be more protracted than their B2C counterparts. This difference primarily stems from the higher cost and extended lifecycle of the products involved in B2B transactions.
While B2B marketing often places a greater emphasis on logic and reason, the influence of a compelling narrative or exceptional customer service should not be discounted. These aspects can evoke emotional responses that can significantly sway decision-making processes.
"Engage your clients' emotions, foster personal relationships, and create loyalty. This strategy can lead them to choose your product or service, even when it may not be the most cost-effective option."
In both business models, delivering a product that meets or outperforms the promises made is a critical success factor. However, the key to standing out may lie in engaging your clients' emotions, nurturing personal relationships, and fostering loyalty. This strategy can persuade them to choose your product or service, even when other options may appear more cost-effective on the surface.
Building a strong manufacturing brand takes time and effort, but the following tips can help manufacturers get started:
Define the Brand: The first step in building a strong manufacturing brand is to define what the brand stands for. This includes the company's values, mission, and vision. It's important to consider what sets the company apart from competitors and what value it provides customers.
Develop a Visual Identity: Once the brand is defined, the next step is to develop a visual identity that communicates that brand to customers. This includes creating a logo, choosing a color scheme, and designing marketing materials that are consistent with the brand's messaging.
Brands with a strong identity are 20% more successful than those without.
Communicate the Brand: A strong manufacturing brand should be communicated consistently across all marketing channels. This includes the company website, social media, email marketing, and other forms of advertising. The messaging should be consistent and aligned with the brand's values and mission.
Deliver on the Brand Promise: Finally, it's crucial to deliver on the brand promise. This means providing high-quality products and services that are consistent with the brand's messaging. Customer satisfaction should be a top priority, as positive word-of-mouth can be one of the most effective ways to build a strong manufacturing brand over time.
Having successfully established a robust manufacturing brand, you now hold the strategic advantage of engaging with your audience in a more sophisticated and impactful way. However, the question arises - where can you most effectively intersect with your target demographic? Traditional marketing mediums, such as television, print, or radio, often present significant cost challenges for small businesses, rendering them unsustainable for regular use. Yet, the axiom holds that consistent marketing is key to imprinting your brand on the minds of your audience.
Let's explore the most effective marketing channels that are both budget-friendly and potent for small businesses with limited marketing resources.
Leveraging Social Media
The dynamic landscape of social media provides a compelling avenue for manufacturers to strategically showcase their brand identity to their desired consumer base. Establishing a business-centric social media presence allows you to disseminate essential information about your products and services.
Adhering to the following cardinal principles of business engagement on social media can optimize your brand's visibility:
Often, companies inundate their social media platforms with an excessive amount of posts, inadvertently leading to competition for attention among their own content. This approach typically results in a majority of the posts being overlooked by:
a) their followers, and
b) the social media platform’s algorithm.
Conversely, an irregular posting schedule with sparse updates does little to keep the brand relevant in the minds of consumers.
Expanding your social media presence beyond Facebook and Instagram by incorporating platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, or even TikTok can drive further brand awareness and engagement.
Most social media channels offer paid advertising options, such as post “boosting” to reach specific demographic segments. Utilizing these advertising modules provides access to advanced targeting features, enabling an enhanced precision in reaching your desired audience.
Company blogs are an effective tool for sharing information about your products and industry. They can attract relevant traffic to your website and direct them to your products.
Blogs can also boost your SEO strategy. SEO involves optimizing your website to rank higher in search engines for specific keywords. For instance, a custom furniture maker would want to rank for keywords like "custom furniture", "living room furniture", etc. Hence, their website should contain these topics on separate pages.
Company blogs can cover various topics related to their products. For instance, a furniture company could discuss interior design tips or wood types used in making furniture. This can attract potential customers interested in home decoration or furniture materials, introducing them to the company's brand and products.
Avoid stuffing keywords into your pages. Search engines can detect such tricks and may penalize your site. SEO requires skill and patience, so consider hiring an SEO expert to enhance your website and conduct keyword analysis. Some free tools can also help with basic tasks.
Like social media, search engines offer paid advertising that can yield quicker results, albeit at a cost.
Email marketing serves as an effective tool for maintaining a consistent brand presence. Numerous organizations distribute weekly newsletters to their online subscribers, utilizing these communications to highlight new product launches, exclusive deals, or to direct recipients towards other brand content, such as blog posts.
With the advent of stringent privacy laws, obtaining explicit consent for email marketing has become paramount. In various jurisdictions, unauthorized use of private data, including email addresses, has been deemed unlawful. Consequently, many corporate websites offer subscription options for newsletters in exchange for enticing incentives such as complimentary templates, discount coupons, or exclusive access to fresh information about upcoming products and promotions.
Similar to social media content, emails must be brief, precise, and compelling. The subject line should encapsulate the email's content in an enticing manner, while the body of the email should be succinct, user-friendly, and include a link to your website accompanied by a persuasive call-to-action.
A myriad of service providers today extend email marketing automation solutions, empowering you to schedule your entire month's email content, establish triggers for sending specific emails to customers based on their actions (such as making a purchase or abandoning a cart), and segment your contact list for tailored email distribution based on user profiles
In conclusion, manufacturing branding is essential for any company looking to stand out in a crowded marketplace. By defining the brand, developing a visual identity, communicating the brand, and delivering on the brand promise, manufacturers can create a strong and recognizable brand that resonates with customers and builds loyalty over time.
Brahmin Solutions cloud manufacturing and inventory system is specifically designed to help scaling manufacturers streamline their operations and focus on elements like manufacturing branding to help grow their business. With our software, you can easily manage your business and save time, so you can focus on building your brand.
The importance of manufacturing branding cannot be overstated in today's age, where your story matters as much as your product. However, it's equally essential to deliver on your promises and meet customers' high expectations in terms of product quality, on-time deliveries, and customer support.
At Brahmin Solutions, we believe in providing our customers with the right tools to help run their manufacturing business efficiently and effectively. Our software allows you to manage your raw materials automatically and ensures that you always have the right amount of stock to fulfill your orders.
Our software eliminates the need for inefficient excel spreadsheets and provides an automated and easy-to-use layout to scale your business. Some of the key benefits of using Brahmin Solutions cloud manufacturing and inventory software include on-demand access to your manufacturing costs, seamless integration with your QuickBooks, efficient material purchasing plans, manufacturing inventory management and material inventory, production scheduling software functionality, floor-level control for manufacturing, integration with e-commerce channels like Shopify and Woocommerce, and a single dashboard to manage your entire business workflow.
With our software, you can manage your manufacturing business efficiently, spend less time on menial tasks, and focus your energy on building your brand, improving customer support, and product development to grow your business. Book a demo and see if it's the right fit for you!