By: Julia Aidan
Submitted: 2011-01-23 10:20:03 | Word Count: 446
As marketing channels proliferate both offline and online, businesses looking to create brand equity must determine how best to present a strong, unified brand despite the variety in settings. Diverse marketing efforts mean that your brand must be stronger than ever in order to communicate effectively not only in different media venues but also to different kinds of people. Logos and business cards are a great starting point, but you'll have to delve deeper in order to create a brand that's both memorable and functional.
Create a Strategy
The go-to starting point for any workable plan, your strategy should receive your full attention before you begin your concrete marketing efforts. Decide which multimedia venues you want to invest in and make sure you have the personnel and the funds to develop each one fully. Some of the most effective multimedia marketing channels include printed materials, websites, email marketing, digital templates and files, and written copy like articles and press releases (both online and in print). Your strategy should incorporate timing (when will each marketing effort be made public), budget, and an evaluation process to determine effectiveness.
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Know Your Market
As you create a strategy for your multimedia marketing efforts, it's vital that you take time to know your target market. Find out where they tend to congregate online and what multimedia venues they already use. If your target market loves Facebook and Twitter, work to create an effective social media strategy. If they typically check email on a mobile phone, make sure you create a mobile version of your newsletter. On the other hand, if you market to an older generation that may not be comfortable with more modern media, you may need to focus your efforts on printed materials, a stellar website and simple email marketing.
Be Consistent
Successful multimedia branding efforts always emphasize consistency. For instance, make sure the design of your website matches the design of your printed materials and incorporate the same color scheme in your email newsletters as you do in your printed ads. Presenting your company consistently across multiple marketing channels will help people recognize and remember you no matter where they come across your brand. Be consistent with copy as well. Use the same slogans, catch-phrases, and selling points in all your marketing efforts.
As you work toward building brand equity through multimedia marketing, remember that your number one goal should be to create a positive association with your brand in the consumer's mind. That means creating positive interaction situations and following through with consistent branding efforts that will help those positive messages stick.
