The industrial sector is unique in so many ways, and one of them is branding. It’s always been difficult for manufacturers, distributors and logistics companies to communicate what they do through their name and branding. That’s why we chose to focus the latest episode of the Industrial Marketer podcast around the idea of industrial branding.
This impact of industrial branding was minimized for many years, especially for long-established companies, because of the relatively limited circles of buyers and sellers. The company name was enough; it was well-established and it meant something in the narrow target market. There was a time not that long ago, for instance, when it was common to hear a veteran manufacturing executive dismiss the need for marketing because “everyone who might buy from us knows who we are.” At one time, they were right about that.
But as behaviors changed, and workers moved on, that is no longer the case. As many have learned, it can be a challenge to find new customers through digital channels. In this brave new world, it is imperative that industrial companies take industrial branding seriously, making the effort to develop and deploy a brand message that resonates with prospects who don’t know who you are.
Nevertheless, many industrial companies today still don’t even have a tagline or mature logo mark.
Start Your Industrial Branding Cleanup With Logo Colors and Unified Messaging
So, how do you begin your industrial branding journey?
If you haven’t done a branding refresh in a few years, you might put that on your to-do list. Given the changing nature of manufacturing and distribution, a rebranding may even be in order. But rebranding, if done right, is a significant effort, so we’re going to leave that for another podcast episode. So we chose to focus this episode on a couple of action items that even a small job shop can take to get their industrial branding on track and use it to engage your employees and customers.
The first action item is eliminating the mishmash of logos and colors that have popped up over the years. Make it a priority to clean that up. It’s about precision and consistency. If those are values you abide by on the shop floor, shouldn’t they carry over to your industrial branding?
The second action item is unifying how you talk about the company and the value you bring to your customers. Does everyone use the same meaningful language? Are you on the same page?
While these two steps may not seem like difference makers, they will have a positive impact on how your company presents itself to the world. They also will have you and the team moving forward together, aligned around a common understanding of what your brand — and your company — stands for.
Listen to the Podcast to Learn More About Industrial Branding
Listen to the podcast to hear the thought-provoking discussion about industrial branding — and what you can do to improve your company’s chances with customers by taking it seriously.
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