In our ever more complicated and fragmented world, we increasingly use brands as compass points to help guide us through our busy lives.

Think about it for a moment: you’ve got a well-deserved Saturday night off and a partner or friend suggests the following options – Hoyts, Hogs Breath, Penfolds Grange or The Wallabies.

Now I don’t know whether any of these four options meets with your individual idea of a good night’s entertainment, but I do know that everybody reading this piece will have a clear understanding of exactly what to expect from each of them.

This is because Hoyts, Hogs Breath, Penfolds Grange and The Wallabies are all top range Australian brands and as a result we know what they stand for, what they represent and crucially, what they promise us as consumers.

All brands, large or small, are built around a number of fundamental principles and, while I can’t promise to make your business another ‘Grange’ overnight, you can build measurable equity around your café brand if you focus on the following five key elements of branding success:

Make your brand relevant – you’d be amazed at how many businesses fail because they are not offering a service that fits the needs of their customers. Think hard about what you can do to closer align your brand to what your customers want. A couple of years back, a private company launched a new service up against the Manly Ferry on Sydney Harbour. They called their business the ‘Manly Fast Ferry’ and offered reduced journey times, along with extra comfort and staff that were focused on friendly customer service. The business flourished, because it offered something new AND relevant to Manly-based business people crossing the harbour to and from work every day.

Maintain your brand image – develop a strong name and logo, and then use it every chance you get. Brand your building, brand your staff, brand your ads, brand your cups, brand your packaging … even brand your customers. Be clever; be innovative; be fun. But above all; be consistent. There is simply no place for misused logos and bad design standards if you want to build a strong brand image.

Develop a brand story – great brands tell us something about themselves: where they come from, who they are, why they exist, how they got to be where they are today. Think of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream – started by two old friends who wanted to make the “nicest possible ice cream in the nicest possible way”. What’s your story?

Be consistent – the world’s biggest brands try their utmost to ensure that customers receive the same brand ‘experience’ whenever they use their products. Simply put, your customers like to know what they are going to get when they visit your café. Do your level best to make sure every aspect of your offering, from coffee, to food, to service, is as good as it possibly can be every day.If your café is having a ‘bad day’, then so is your brand.

Be a brand ambassador – in all small businesses, staff make the difference between success and failure. If you shine, so does your brand.

For more information on Arterial Marketing contact them on

t. (02) 8001 1900

f. (02) 8001 1901

e. alexi@arterial.com

STORY BY VINAY JEGESSAR