Branding
After 92 years in business, Vancouver-based small printing firm the Letter Shop, found itself at a crossroads.
The company had built a decades-long reputation as the go-to place for business printing. Reports and SEDAR (system for electronic document analysis and retrieval) filings for public companies were a mainstay for the Letter Shop, as was educational printing for institutions such as the University of British Columbia (UBC).
That traditional stream of business, however, has changed. UBC has moved its printing in-house, and a tough market for many public companies in Vancouver, in particular mining firms, has meant that consistent revenue stream has dried up. The Letter Shop needed to rebrand itself.
Graphically, the company changed its logo to a sleek new design with a prominent "LS" in the centre. But the branding exercise has gone much further than a new look for a logo. The Letter Shop has opted for a more personal touch in its rebrand.
"We're reinventing ourselves and getting new customers," said Lorne Havisto, business development manager at the Letter Shop, in charge of attracting new clients to the firm. "So, we've changed logos. But branding is about getting out there and doing tons of networking. The power of branding is visibility."
Visibility isn't a substitute for quality, added Havisto. A company has to be good at what it does.
But for a small business with a small advertising budget – the Letter Shop has just seven employees – actively participating in networking events and earning the trust of potential customers is another way to show people that the company you represent offers a quality product or service.
"That personal branding is a huge influence. You have to be on your game," said Havisto.
"Consistently and confidently representing what you do is an effective way of telling others your organization is really good at what you do. It's emotional. How are you perceived? One of the things I always keep in mind is a basic rule of sales – people buy from people they trust."
Shawn Bearman, chief executive officer at Vancouver-based business consultancy Radical Ideas Coaching, agrees with Havisto. Bearman told Business in Vancouver that customers don't choose a small business when they're shopping. Nor do they choose a specific product. Shoppers choose the person behind the business.
Unfortunately, many small businesses forget this critical branding lesson because they are bombarded by large-scale national brands that don't need to forge a connection with the owner, said Bearman.
Too much exposure to that kind of advertising – advertising that specifically focuses on products and not the person behind the product – can influence a small business to do the same. But that's not how to develop and brand a small business.
"You can't think you are Nike or Lululemon," said Bearman. "Small-business owners are the brand. And to develop their brand, they have to continually develop themselves."
To effectively develop themselves and, subsequently, their small businesses, it is also worthwhile to understand how one is perceived, added Bearman. Small-business owners should have a thorough understanding of what is being said and written about them.
Knowing where one's business stands with the public will highlight both development possibilities and avenues for growth, as well as where a small business needs to improve or fix something that's wrong.
"Very few people know what their reputation is, but you should have that evaluation done," said Bearman. (See story on reputation management in this section.)
"Then, you can have a brainstorm session and talk through issues. In some circumstances you may have to help your relationship with your customers, but doing so will earn you respect. And, it will keep your brand in tact."
The electronic component
Just as networking and visibility are important to the establishment and growth of the brand of a small business, so is its electronic presence, said Brenda Cadman, owner of Vancouver-based web development firm Bon Accord Creative.
Most importantly, a website must be functional, added Cadman. Users must be able to easily navigate a website and locate options such as the "contact us" or the "search" fields.
But websites that aren't intuitive and don't offer users an easy experience will affect a company's brand, said Cadman. It shows the investment one is willing to make in their business.
"Functionality says something about you. It gives users an impression of who you are," said Cadman.
"Branding is everything. It is in every touch point. A website is one of the most important pieces you're going to invest in. For small business, you have to make sure what you do is the best job possible. You may not get a second chance." •
