One of the major advantages of small business has always been the relationships that staff and owners can develop with customers. Customers usually have direct access to the business owner and staff turnover, particularly if staff is family, tends to be low so customers get to know staff as staff get to know customers. In the best cases, customers become friends and strong advocates for the business resulting in high loyalty and strong repeat business. Traditionally for larger businesses developing these strong relationships has been almost impossible. Many businesses come across to customers as mechanical, uncaring and inflexible adhering to strict opening and closing times, policies and procedures. Staff turnover is high so there is little chance for relationships to form. Until now……

Has the onset of social media specifically product forum pages and company blogs, enabling heads of companies to communciate directly with customers and build relationships, taken this traditional advantage from small business?

Last week a workshop participant at a seminar I was presenting in Melbourne asked the question “What’s the best and cheapest way for small business to promote their brand”? Such a great question and yet such a complex issue. A brand is so much more than a slogan, point of difference or consistent image, it is the whole personality of your business. It requires more than external promotion. A brand is like a person. For customers to experience and understand your brand they look for three things.

• SAY: What your business says about your brand e.g. value propositions, slogans, positioning statements
• DO: The actions that your business takes
• BE: Whether or not the business seems to believe or live what they say.

If businesses are authentic and “are” their brand then at every contact the customer has with the business the branding will be reinforced. If a brand was a person then the clothes, actions and beliefs of that person help tell the story. If they don’t match up, who that person is and what they stand for, can be difficult to work out. In business terms if a business says that it is friendly and yet the staff don’t smile and say hello or don’t believe in helping people, then no amount of promotion is going to communicate this brand as it doesn’t ring true.

So choose think about what is authentic for you as a business and make sure your statements, actions and beliefs line up and everyday as part of the way you do business you will be communicating your brand. Make sure you SAY, DO, BE.

So there you have it. Ailsa’s Romper Room Branding Theory. What are your experiences?

A couple of weeks ago I was part of a panel speaking to businesses in the City of Stonnington about marketing in tough times. It was a delight that all three panel members choose to be optimistic rather than pessimistic. The podcast is now available and has handy hints for marketing when things are tough.