Your brand is neither your logo nor the products that you sell. Your brand is who you are and what your company is about.

Even though your image is influenced by how others perceive you, you actually do have some control over how your brand seen. Therefore, you need to decide if you want to make it stand out in a positive or negative way.

Below are a few examples of how to establish a true branding message:

Establish Your Brand’s “Why Buy”

Take time to really understand your “why buy” message.

Try this exercise with your team:

Get around a whiteboard to brainstorm all of the things that your dealership offers to your customers. You may hear things like, “We treat them like family,” or “We’ve been in business for 20 years.”

Write down every idea that comes to mind. Then go through the list and erase anything that any other dealer can claim. What’s left is your own “why buy” message.

If there is nothing left, you may want to begin to brainstorm with your teams as to what you can do to stand out and set your dealership apart from the competition. Just think: what would be of real value to your customers?

Reviews Can Make or Break a Brand

Reviews are a big part of what people in the community think of your brand – so care about them! People who care enough to write a review can be your greatest brand advocates or brand destroyers. Do not ignore them. Maintaining customer loyalty is every much as important as gaining new customers.

Even negative reviews may aid you in finding the missing part of your “why buy” message. Take any customer concerns to heart, listen to where improvements can be made, and make them.

Be True to Your Businesses Culture

Your company culture reflects the collective shared beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors of everyone in your workplace. This culture is driven by your organization’s goals, strategies, structure, and approaches to employee training, customer service, and the greater community.

Why is this important? Because your culture is directly related to how your business makes customers feel.  Which is in direct correlation to how you are going to be viewed, and so is part of your brand.

Make sure the culture that you believe you have built is actually what is radiating through the walls of your dealership. Talk to staff members and listen to their reviews, too.

Your brand is like a stack of building blocks that can’t stand without each of the elements above. Now it’s your turn to put them into action and create your dealership’s true branding message.

About the Author

PCG Digital Marketing is an award winning digital agency headquartered in Eatontown, NJ. We help our clients get found online through innovative search, social and online advertising campaigns.