Promoting your business is always a challenge, but there are some essential things that ambitious business people should take care of right from the start. Brand image is one of them. You might be a successful Entrepreneur, indie artist, or even eco-activist. Ultimately, every activity that brings success must have a public image. That image works for you, selling your products/services/ideas to everyone interested in them. A successful brand image can even prompt your customers to pay more for the goods others offer at a lower price. So, what is a brand image, and how to maintain it? Let's figure it out.

What's a Brand Image?

Brand image is an added value. The US market consists of dozens of large soda brands with different approaches and product ranges for any taste. However, most of the time, we prefer brands like Coca-Cola. Why is it so? Because the brand is recognizable. The consumer has a special attitude toward the brand and is more inclined to trust brands they know. This is what a brand image is about.

A brand image consists of emotions that arise in consumers' minds. Your image is negative if your brand triggers a negative response from your potential clients. If your services or products evoke joyful, cheerful, and warm associations, and your clients don't nitpick everything you do - the image is positive.

Why Does Your Brand Image Matter?

All brands, without exception, need an image in order to sell well. It's not always about money, but it's always about sales. Even charities are selling. Not goods, but faith and public opinion. A brand image is always about getting more profits from your ideas and spending less time on solving business problems.

However, a brand image can't always be black or white. Sometimes brands deliberately create scandals that work to their advantage - mainly to create hype around them and become the talk of the town. If you get a client with a notorious image, your competitors and government agencies will try to avoid interacting with you in any way. Otherwise, they risk getting into a scandal. Some brands create this hype consciously: it's a fail-proof method against attacks from competitors because bringing it up will make them look petty. If a scandalous image helps solve your business problems, why not use it? After all, nobody gets hurt because of it.

How to Maintain Your Image

• Always make your presence felt in the media space. The success of your brand depends on constant work. You should maintain the image you created at the beginning of your path and constantly prove your excellence over competitors.
• Create a certain association in your customers' heads with a few words and direct your actions to confirm it. A good example is Red Bull. The "Red Bull Gives You Wings" association is clearly recognizable even for those who don't like the drink. The brand maintains this slogan in advertising, events, and communication with the audience.
• Maintaining a brand image is impossible without a clear, understandable, relevant communication strategy. While developing a communication strategy, you should study global trends, design a strategy with features and positioning, and write a detailed action plan for the year.
• Be flexible. If your brand can't adapt quickly to world realities, more flexible competitors will surpass you.