Branding for different sectors

Branding for different sectors

Although the audiences, competitors, delivery and service aspects of branding in different market sectors may vary, the basic principle of being clear about what you stand for always applies.

Start-up businesses
At the start of a new business you can launch your product with a brand that challenges the conventions of the sector – often called a ‘challenger brand’. This is much harder to do once you’re established as you have more to lose. You must think carefully about how brave and ‘rule-breaking’ your product or service can be by assessing the market sector from the outside, looking at the different players, opportunities or gaps in the market.

Another benefit at start-up is that the business is likely to be small and, therefore, more responsive and adaptable, with no existing processes that have to be changed to create a new brand.

Business to business (B2B)
The principles of effective branding apply to the B2B sector in the same way as they do in customer-facing businesses. B2B businesses market products and services directly to other businesses rather than the public. They too need to use branding to differentiate and create a distinct personality, even if that personality is more corporate and business-like in its tone.

Service businesses
You should consider how your brand is reflected in how your service is provided and how your staff interact with customers.

Service brands are built on the people who deliver them, so staff need to be trained to understand the company’s culture, its ‘promise’ to customers and how they will put this into practice.