A brand is a powerful influencing tool and its true value exists in the mind of the consumer. A brand is therefore very valuable, but alas incredibly fragile.
A brand is a promise; a promise that you will deliver the same important benefits the same way, consistently, time after time, and that you will deliver high perceived value to your target audience every time they buy or use the brand.
A brand’s goal is to add value and visibility to a business. The American Marketing Association defines a brand as “A name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” This association that a person makes with a company, product or service encourages loyalty and consumer retention and helps a business stand out from its competitors.
If properly nurtured and maintained, a brand will ensure a long-lasting consumer relationship. A strong brand is comprised of both emotional and practical value. When consumers identify with a brand and build an emotional tie with it, it helps create brand loyalty. Connecting with a brand on a personal level frequently translates into repeat purchases.
In order to create a resilient brand, the target audience must be identified. One cannot create an effective marketing strategy if the objective is not clear. Such a strategy would not be in a position to address the customers’ requirements and concerns.

A business will need to define itself and have a clear picture of what it is exactly, what its products and services consist of, what makes it unique, what its long-term vision is. Its brand has to formulate the way it behaves, acts and reacts. Once the brand personality is identified, a business must stay consistent. Consistency must be present not only with regards to the look of the brand, but also in respect of the tone used to get a message across. Critical business goals have to be put on paper and any key messaging the business wants to get through to its target market must be present at inception stage.
A resilient brand enhances cross-promotion and brand promotion, encourages customer retention and repeat purchases, permits premium pricing, strengthens employees and customers loyalty, and builds feeling of security and trust.
Brand resilience tends to be also brought about by association with brand ambassadors. A brand ambassador is a person who represents a brand and promotes it in public. Carefully chosen ambassadors help develop and foster customer loyalty.
Building a vibrant and resilient brand will aid brand recognition in an already saturated marketplace and allows differentiation between similar products. Being synonymous with a trustworthy brand will ultimately require less persuasion on the business’s part to encourage consumers to purchase other products from the same brand and lead to a perception of high quality and service.

Diane