We all know that a brand is a front runner in the game, along with its products trying to earn that name in the industry that solidifies its place. But who’s behind the curtain? Who’s there to monitor the insights? Not being orthodox but fame and money don’t come at the same time. But when they do they come with a lot of responsibility. A branding agency is the one who is behind the curtain playing its bit to create that visibility laced with sales that the brand demands. Teams on both sides curate the strategies that are effective and meticulous about that ‘visibility factor’. It doesn’t work on a short-term basis but instead with a long-term plan. Because it’s easy to get the top spot but it’s hard to maintain it.
What exact Modus Operandi is that a brand promotion agency is following? How do they achieve what is demanded?
RESEARCH: It’s always on the forefronts – No matter what. Conducted in the most detailed manner to get deep insights by an agency that can be either independent or in-house. It’s like planning the finishing ribbon of the race, prior to everything. It involves up-gradation of the brand’s existing strategy through mapping out the voids and leakages. Divided into two majors –
- Market (Research And Planning): The brand is set up, subject to the conditions of the niche market. However, the market is a volatile beast. One thing that worked splendidly at the beginning might be obsolete a year later. Taking heavy investment and not producing the required results, such unpredictability requires a dedicated effort. The role of the agency is to conduct thorough market research and bring to light the shortcoming of the initial strategy.
The research maybe is through casting a wider net or through targeted sections of the market depending upon the brand and the product. The ultimate purpose of the research is to recognize the shift in the need and interaction styles of the customer base so the strategy can be updated accordingly.
- Competition Research; With time, almost all sectors are becoming saturated as every brand is gunning to maximize their share of the audience. In light of this, competition research is becoming increasingly important as market research. The research is heavily dependent upon the type of company it is. In the case of large companies, the research may be conducted to expose areas of micro improvement coupled with careful implementation to gain the edge.
While in the case of brands of smaller scale. The research is done to increase the effectiveness of the marketing strategy by comparing it to the competitors and getting maximum engagement. Essentially, playing the marketing game better than everyone else through constant experimentation.
DEVISED STRATEGIES: Planning and modifying strategies to increase and solidify brand-customer engagement is the agency’s shouldered responsibilty. The strategies are dependent upon the kind of brand and targeted audience but backed by extensive itconnect the brand’s vision to the customer’s needs.The strategies focus on attention, engagement, and finally connection when the potential customer gets converted to a loyal customer. It’s the promotion agency’s responsibility to establish and strengthen the trust between the potential customer and the brand.The three main strategies that are used are as follows:
- Above-The-Line Marketing:It uses all the classic methods of reaching the audience. This included Television advertising, radio, and billboards. The hallmark of above-the-line marketing is the large scope and no targeted approach. Once the ad is prepared and launch it can reach a wide variety of audiences that may or may not associate with the niche of the brand or align themselves to the company’s vision. Therefore, these are mostly run by large brands with big budgets and a broader niche.
- Below The Line Marketing:Opposite to the aforementioned. Below-the-line marketing requires a more hands-on approach and extensive research into the customer’s behavior. In the era of online interaction, it is becoming more and more prevalent by being highly targeted. Make sure that the ads reach that audience with the maximum possibility of connection with the brand.
- Through The Line Marketing:Both ATL and BTL marketing possesses reach and engagement factors in their own best ways. Therefore, most agencies opt for through-the-line marketing:the combo deal. With the increasing integration of social media into the daily lives of people,brands are opting it on all fronts.For example, a far-reaching online ad campaign coupled with offline promotional elements such as billboards or fliers. The brand gets integrated into their customer’s life. Another one, a new restaurant chain with billboards along with a cooking YouTube channel.
Research and strategies are not a one-time step. After implementation of the generated strategy, it is equally important to monitor the reaction of the masses in response to the changes. The response may not always be positive. Therefore, the agency is ready to pivot the plan as needed and maintain a positive public perception of the brand.
RUNNING CAMPAIGNS: After the research is done and strategies are created. The plan for the most effective route is established. It’s not just handed over to the brand for implementation. The promotion agency works side by side with the brand to iron out any issues and keep the intricacies in check.The heavy lifting for the marketing of the brand begins after the initial implementation. A long-formed contract with the brand to keep the marketing strategies fresh and working smoothly. Keep an eye out for any rising trends to catch the full benefits of the wave. While also keeping things flexible enough to power through any unforeseen developments.
Here Is The List Of Responsibilities Of Branding That Might Befall In Conjunction To Brand Promotion-
- Setting Up An Online Presence –
This can range from setting blogs or YouTube channels depending upon the research done on the customer base.
- Promotional Events –
These can be informational or experience-centered to keep the brand vision up to date with the present.
- Optimizing Existing Strategies Of Engagement –
The brand is far more than the logo or slogan. The bridged gap between the public perception and the brand needs to be updated and maintained exciting about the latest developments.
Brand promotion is strategy implemented for an attainable period to maintain the market interest in the brand. Nowadays, the attention of the customer is one of the most important commodities that a brand has. Having an impeccable business model is a different thing but it should include an impeecable branding model too.
All the problems that the product will solve or how much the product is better or revolutionary than any other in the market. All the advertising is for nothing if the public is not aware of it. Therefore, as the brand grows and the customer base increases, the need for better strategies along with the responsibilities of the brand promotion agency increases exponentially.