By Ritah Mukasa
Barbara Kaboha Basemera, a proprietor of QiPads Ltd says branding is vital for any startup or established business.
This is because clients can only identify your product based on the way you brand it.
For example, there are lots of similar products in a supermarket but one will identify what they are looking for by the way it looks.
How to brand
According to Basemera, branding entails the right blend of logos, packaging, colour themes and other distinguishable features.
These go a long way in enabling the market to recognize your name and understand what you exactly deliver. In the process, it wins you, customers.
Lucy Mary Athieno, the proprietor of Ecopads Ltd opts for a simple but classy brand.
“Use few words and ensure to balance the colours,” she adds.
Most importantly, a good brand should be able to bring out your identity and what you stand for.
“Focus on your niche and what you promise to deliver. Also, position yourself as a winner and perform excellently,” she adds.
Also, know the clientele you intend to attract.
Rosemary Zawedde of Rosemary spices suggests that If you are targeting corporates, ensure your product looks corporate lest you fail to sell.
Make research before branding
Basemera says building a brand sometimes takes time, effort and resources.
However, because people usually trust a branded product, it is necessary to invest in a brand strategy.
“Make research and see what your competitors use. This will help you come up with something unique and better,” she says.
Also, maximize creativity and technology to help you come up with an outstanding brand.
Why you need a good brand
With a good brand, Zawedde says, advertising becomes easier.
“I recently sold to a friend and she posted the pack of rosemary powder on her Whatsapp status. In a few minutes, she was asking me where in town they can find it,” she narrates.
Zawedde urges that if a brand is captivating, clients will quickly buy without tasting it because they are convinced that what is inside is also good enough.
On the other hand, Basemera says, the package designs, logos and UNBS trademark help her to mitigate forgery and masqueraders.
Zawedde weighs in saying, one can also maintain the quality of the product.
“Counterfeiting affects almost all entrepreneurs. Branding helps you to package the product well and mitigate loopholes of people taking advantage of your product,” she says.
Elsewhere, clients can also easily distinguish one’s products from the many on the market if the colours are good with an easy name to memorize.
Closely related to the above, Athieno says, branding speaks for the product.
Usually, brand content is related to the outlook. In other words, one might have a good product but if it’s not well packaged, they will likely miss out on a certain clientele.
But also, good branding will guarantee client loyalty, repeat business and public trust.
Basemera advises investing consistently in branding.
“Once clients love the brand, they will always come back and refer others as well,” she assures.
