How Your Brand Can Frame “The Bigger Picture.”

Here’s the set-up: you’re an oil products supplier to a retailer whose end user is the general public.

At first glance you might not feel that the public at large is your audience so your branding needn’t concern them. That stance makes direct business sense, but not necessarily brand sense. Since you are involved in an industry laden with a plethora of chemicals and environmental compliances and your company’s end user deals with the general public, there are still brand opportunities that make good business sense to keep the general public on your radar even though they may not be a direct customer.

How? By providing your customer with a good sustainability story. If your business is 100% compliant and more, then he (your customer) can provide his customer with a great story to tell about their supplier.It shows a concern for the customer’s well being. Anything you can do to make your customer look golden is great for the relationship you are continually nurturing.

“The Bigger Picture” is the community in general. If your brand is a shining example of corporate responsibility, letting the world know about it brings your business a lot of attention. That attention is essentially a great brand story that attracts key employees and potential buyers and investors for your company. Ignoring the bigger picture keeps these people out of your loop.

As a part of any buying cycle, you must follow the money. Be forever aware of the general conversation within your industry, chances are everyone is talking the same story. Your brand should do what it can to change the conversation to a story that benefits you. Even if it seems like old news to you, there are many ways that you can use it to your benefit.

Branding is all about resonating with a customer and getting them to look at your business as THE leader. No matter where your business is located, everyone plays a part in their community. A brand is linked to community through a mutual pride among stake holders. Even sponsoring a junior ball team, tells local industry that it’s not all about money for you. Encouraging your employees to embrace volunteerism (even on company time) is an example of “Bigger Picture Branding.”

The bottom line is that you should take every opportunity to grow your brand in a positive light. Don’t you hold it back, there are enough barriers in the marketplace for that. Your brand is more far reaching than you might imagine. Even if you don’t see an immediate or direct return, keep an open mind and build an advantage for yourself.