Even the worthiest product is difficult to sell if few people know about the business or if it is perceived in a negative way. It is important to form an attractive image of the company in the minds of potential consumers – this increases customer loyalty and encourages them to cooperate. Therefore, among all marketing tools, image making stands out. More about it (with practical examples) – in the article.

What is image-making and how it works

Image-making is a set of actions aimed at forming a positive image of a brand, product or service. Proper use of this marketing tool allows to:

• attract the attention of the target audience;
• strengthen the loyalty of previous customers;
• emphasize the company’s advantages;
• emphasize its advantage over competitors.

Image-making is considered an integral component of successful development and promotion of business, and is always included in the overall strategy of the enterprise. The main tool is the positioning of the product, service or company as a whole. To form a positive image, it is important to identify the strengths of the brand and emphasize them in subsequent advertising, as well as in communication with consumers and partners. For example, the company produces exclusively eco-products, has sustainability certificates or has repeatedly become the leader of its segment at prestigious competitions.

Examples of successful image-making can also be given on “live” business. For example, Coca-Cola products with their invariable slogan “Taste the Feeling” and thematic New Year’s advertisements evoke associations with fun, holidays and happiness in general. Tesla cars are considered to be an example of innovative technologies in engineering, although many other brands have advanced in the production of electric cars. Bosch appliances are obviously perceived as very reliable, where the price is justified by high quality.

Algorithm for creating a good image

Creating a positive image is one of the main ways to attract the target audience, strengthen or increase the competitiveness of the business in the market. Competent image-making will require:

1. Identify the target audience and its needs. Any marketing starts with determining who you need to sell your product or service to. You need to identify your target audience to understand what brand or product benefits to emphasize – affordability, environmental friendliness, safety, innovation, and so on.
2. Conduct professional branding. The company should be recognized so that consumers remember the brand name and return to it repeatedly. At this stage it will be necessary to develop a personal logo, corporate slogan, as well as the overall concept of the company and its recognizable “chips”.
3. To emphasize not only on advertising, but also on quality. If behind a beautiful wrapper is hidden unpalatable candy, the buyer will not come back for it next time. Advertising alone is not enough: the image must be created and maintained, i.e., work on the improvement and constant development of the product or service.
4. Use online marketing tools. TV advertising has long ago ceded the leading position to the Internet. To promote corporate image, it is necessary to maintain personal social networks, useful blogs with informative texts, introduce convenient chatbots and feedback systems.
5. Do not save on PR. Advertising is the engine of trade, so the company should be announced as actively as possible. There are a lot of options: promotion through media, participation in charity actions and public events, cooperation with Influencers and not only that.

Often, management delegates tasks to image experts. Profile marketers use working systems to create a positive image for small, medium and large businesses. They are usually public relations experts or marketing graduates. Image-marketing specialists work in several areas:

• prepare a strategic action plan to improve brand image and oversee its implementation;
• interact with eventual advertisers, such as journalists and interviewers, bloggers, and opinion leaders;
• manage or delegate online communication under their control, from social media management to cross-posting and blog completion;
• respond promptly in crisis image-making situations, i.e., minimize the impact of negative reviews or situations on the company’s image.

Eventual challenges

A number of obstacles may arise on the way to creating a positive company image, such as:

• Lack of resources. Attracting specialists, buying advertising, participating in commercial PR events – all this costs money and requires human involvement. If the company does not have enough money or people to implement the image strategy, the case may stagnate.
• Current negative perception. It is much easier to form a promising image than to resuscitate it after negative feedback from customers or force majeure. Specialists recommend practicing all feedback, respecting intended audience opinion and demonstrating readiness to solve pressing issues.
• Excessive competition. If a business operates in an oversaturated niche, it becomes more difficult to distinguish yourself from others. It is especially difficult if the competitors already have their permanent intended audience and a positive image.
• Lack of competitive advantages. The image is built on the question of certain strengths of the business or product. If there is nothing to offer against the background of competitors, it will be difficult to stand out.
• Difficulty in evaluating success. Image is a stretchable concept, and its formation – a long process, so it is difficult to determine in a short period of time, whether the marketing tools you have implemented work or not.

The role of image-making in business development

The ultimate goal of any image making is to make a company stand out in the market and, as a result, increase its revenue. Also, the results of a competent strategic approach can be:

• attracting new customers and potential employees;
• business expansion due to third-party investments and profitable cooperation;
• the emergence of new markets in an area that has not been utilized before;
• resistance to crisis situations due to a kind of “credit of trust” from stakeholders.

An example of a successful image-making model for a small business

It is possible to create a recognizable corporate image without involving specialists, especially if it is a small or medium-sized business. As an example, let’s take a small coffee shop located in a city with a population of up to half a million people, which has a number of strong competitors. To form a positive and memorable image that will distinguish the institution among neighbors, you can:

1. Organize a creative blog with video content. You can upload to the site, for example, the process of making popular desserts that are sold in the coffee shop. You can use funny reels with employees or clips with interesting facts about soft drinks as content.
2. Hold weekend workshops. Many children and adults enjoy participating in themed events to create culinary masterpieces with their own hands. At the start of such events can be free, and in the future – even bring the coffee shop additional income.
3. Cooperate with stakeholders on mutually beneficial terms. For example, you can sell desserts from a local confectionery factory, which, in turn, will mention the coffee shop in its social networks. You can organize fairs with organic products from farmers or hand-made desserts, thus strengthening partnerships and attracting new customers.
4. Offer unique products for people with special needs. You can set aside a section in the display case for desserts made without the use of lactose, nuts and common allergens. Sweets without added sugar are relevant for children, and egg- and dairy-free products for vegans.

Image-making is an important marketing tool for strategic development of companies of any size and sphere of activity. Formation of a positive image makes you stand out among competitors, helps to win, retain and expand the target audience. Special attention is paid to image by brands that operate in the sphere of consumer goods and services. In conditions of constantly growing competition, it is very important to maintain a positive image of the company to increase profits. In addition, image-making is a reliable way to promote corporate values and strengthen the authority of the company.