As an operator, have you branded your micro markets? Have you given them an identity that reflects your company and your unique approach to doing business? Or are your markets just known as “the micro market?”
“Establishing your own brand for your micro market makes sense for so many reasons,” said Steve Orlando, co-founder of Fixturelite, the industry’s leading supplier of micro market retail displays, equipment and design tools. “When brand identity is missing, the operator often gets misidentified with the technology platform in place. With nearly two-thirds of the workforce in the U.S. currently looking at changing jobs, without brand identity, an employee who moves to a new company can’t refer you to their new employer.”
‘Change the perspective’
Of course, on some occasions, clients will urge you to incorporate their company logos on any available space within the market – coolers, above the snack racks or around a kiosk. They may think it makes the market look personalized or that the signage will impress the CEO. “Change the perspective” Orlando said.
Orlando points out that many operators will say ‘if the company wants their logo all over the equipment, they will get their logo all over the equipment,’ but urges operators to think about it from the perspective of the daily end user, the employee. “They already know where they work, and studies show that they do not want to be reminded of it every time they take a break or sit down for lunch. This is their time, create a space for them to keep them on-site.” he said.
Employees need disengagement
“Those same studies show that employees who can disengage from their job during lunch or breaktime, are more productive when they return to their work activity. This research can provide some talking points during a presentation that might help you dissuade a client from slapping their company logo all over a micro market,” Orlando said.
“If they feel strongly about seeing that logo, encourage them to allow you to incorporate it into the market in a more subtle way, not one that will distract from your established micro market brand,” he added.
Branding pays off
Marketing firm Hubspot identifies seven benefits of branding that translate nicely to the micro market space.
1. Branding is often the deciding factor for making purchasing decisions
“People are more likely to buy from brands that they know or already have a positive experience with.”
That goes for micro markets too. When a former contact moves to a new company, and calls you to see if you can serve their new company and asks for your micro market by brand name – you will know that your brand has arrived.
2. Branding gives your business an identity
“Branding gives your business an identity beyond just the products and services you sell. You become more than just a name, especially if you develop a brand mission separate from your products.”
For example: Is your micro market brand associated with freshness, with convenience or with good health? Your brand can help your business develop a positive personality of its own, which your customers will embrace.
3. Branding sets you apart from competitors
Your micro market brand is yours alone. Any company can install a micro market, but only you can deliver a micro market with your brand and all the positives that are part of the program.
4. Branding supports your marketing efforts and promotes consistency
“When you have consistent branding, future business efforts always have a clear path to follow. You’ll spend less time coming up with ways to present yourself and more time ensuring that you’re consistently delivering high-quality content, products, and experiences that customers desire.
Here are some stats that support the benefits of branding consistency:
» Uniformly presented brands are 3.5x more visible to customers.
» Consistent brand presentation has been seen to increase revenue by 33%.
» Consistency also helps build trust with your customers.”
5. Branding inspires customer loyalty and retention
“Branding increases trust, and trust is a pillar of customer loyalty.” When your company is facing a competitive effort to replace your micro market at an account, your client will find it much more difficult to replace a trusted and known brand name.
6. Branding encourages word-of-mouth marketing
“Having consistent branding makes customers loyal, which makes them more likely to practice word-of-mouth marketing.” Word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful business development tool for micro market operators, especially when your client sings the praises of your brand to their friends or family at other companies.
7. Branding builds internal employee morale and pride
“Branding is beneficial for outward conceptions, but it also impacts internal employee retention, morale, and hiring processes.” Micro market operators are always looking for talented employees and strong branding helps attract new hires and retain other quality team members.
Establish your brand
What is the best way to dissuade your clients from wanting to put their logo all over a micro market? “Establish your brand. Be consistent with it. Hire a design specialist to make sure your graphics are attractive. Get some feedback from clients – they will love that,” Orlando said. “You want your clients referring to your micro markets by the chosen brand name. Fixturelite helps operators accomplish that by working with them to establish a stunning and consistent look. Our collections make that easy.”
Turn to Fixturelite to establish a brand that will set your micro markets apart: fixturelite.com.
