Three C's of Branding

Branding is less complicated when you pay attention to the fundamentals. Let clarity, consistency, and constancy be your guide.

A Coca-Cola is a Coca-Cola is a Coca-Cola. This applies no matter whether you are eating in Paris, Tenn., sightseeing in Paris, France, or visiting friends on Parris Island, South Carolina.

The price may vary slightly, but the Coca-Cola taste and that familiar red and white look is always the same no matter when or where you buy it.

Many companies set out to build a strong brand because of the obvious benefits. Strong brands attract customers, dispel would-be competitors, define marketplaces, and influence our buying habits.

It's impossible to replicate Coke's branding machine. However, companies can emulate some of the core themes that make a successful brand. In particular, all companies can focus on the three C's of branding: clarity, consistency, and constancy.

Clarity

Strong brands immediately tell you what they do and don't stand for. Do you associate a sports car with Volvo? What about designer fashion at Wal-Mart? No, because their brands are so clearly focused on safety and value, respectively.

HP is a good example of a clear brand right now. The company defines itself with the term "invent." This term reaches all the way back to the company's founding and reflects its current commitment to technology that "helps people in meaningful ways."

Consistency

Strong brands are like good friends who are always there for you. They offer a consistent experience from start to finish.

Amazon.com has focused on the customer from day one. The company is fanatical about making sure that customers have an outstanding experience every time they visit. The company's "one-click" checkout is just one of its inventions to speed the online shopping. The website also offers customized recommendations based on previous purchases. It's no surprise that Amazon has also received some of the highest customer-service ratings in history.

Constancy

Strong brands are constantly in front of their target audiences. Coca-Cola and Pepsi fight like cats and dogs for restaurant exclusivity and the best shelf space in convenience stores. Hospitals and banks compete to sponsor the best community events. All do so to constantly stay in front of their customers and prospects.

Great brands never rely on one great idea or one great promotional campaign to drive their success. Each action leads to the next action and so on. Apple is a great example. The company will never be as big or as powerful as Microsoft, yet Apple is the one constantly creating defining products - Mac, iPod, iTunes, PowerBook, etc. Apple never settles for the expected - the company lives for the unexpected.

Using the Three C's

Clarity is all about asking why. Some good examples include:

• Why are we in business?
• Why do customers choose our brand over our competition?
• Why is _____ a target audience?

Knowing the answer to these and other "why" questions will give all of your communications clarity.

Consistency is about vetting options completely and often saying no. What if someone inside Coca-Cola had said no to New Coke? Saying no prevents a brand from overextending itself, making crazy strategic choices, and alienating the customers who made the brand great in the first place.

Constancy is about what's next. Great brands personify the marathon-versus-a-sprint cliché. They understand that a long and winding race requires a plan and that finishing the race requires a commitment to take one step after another.