I’ve been working with retailers for many years to help develop a brand strategy that will differentiate them from the competition. Major chains, of course, readily accept that branding is a critical part of the marketing program. However, when I speak to independents, I always am asked the question: Isn’t branding just for the big chains? I only have one store and can’t afford that kind of budget. My response is always the same: “Branding is one place where size doesn’t matter.” This is especially true in the car wash business. If you’re going to be successful, you must create a brand that differentiates you from the others offering the same services. In my more than 30 years in the retail business, I’ve learned that it take five steps to build a successful brand, and you’ve got to do each one with equal passion.

Step 1:

Create a Vision. You’ve got to have clear idea on what you want your business to be and what it will look like in the future. Dr. Leonard Berry, founder of Texas A&M’s Center for Retail Studies, says that stores with successful brands have decided what they want to be famous for with their customers. This is not just awareness. It’s what makes you different. Take a minute now and write down what your business is famous for. Is it your service, your people, the cleanliness of your facility, your ancillary services?

If you have a problem writing this down, then you may have a branding problem, and it will be difficult to compete with the guys down the street. In today’s highly competitive market, we sometimes choose to build our marketing on price and promotion, but that won’t differentiate you and likely will drain your sales and profits. Find a real differentiating vision, and pursue it with passion and a strong business plan.

Step 2:

Conduct Research. If you are going to differentiate yourself, you have to know what your customers think about you and what they think about your competition. You probably know who your prime competitors are, but don’t assume you know how your customers perceive them. I recommend drawing a perceptual map that shows where you stand. You can do it. Simply draw two axes: the horizontal one for price and the vertical one for service with one end being low and the other high. Place your car wash where you believe your customers would perceive you and then put your top competitors where you think they would land. Once you do this, your next step is to identify where you want to be to grow your business. Then write your plan as to how you’re going to get there. To validate your thoughts, quantitative research, such as phone interviews or online questionnaires can be done fairly inexpensively and in a very short time. The result can have a big payback if the customer feels differently than you thought. Ongoing research is important, and your local newspaper or other media often have studies that will cost you nothing but your time.

Step 3:

Communicate with Your Customers. Once you’ve done the first steps, then you can start to communicate your value. Notice I didn’t say advertise — although advertising will be one of the key ways you’ll use to build sales. One of the big mistakes that retailers make is that they immediately jump into a new ad campaign and then see what happens. Knowing your vision and your customers first will help you build a relationship with them. No relationship...no brand.

To build this, you have to communicate both the truth of your brand and the heart of your brand at the same time. The truth is made up of the facts about your brand (i.e flexserve conveyor, 30 employees, three pumps, oil change service, 500 square feet of merchandise, etc). The heart is made up of those activities that build the relationship (i.e long-term, friendly employees who call their customers by name, free coffee, loyalty program with regular personalized mailings/e-mails, community support, etc.). Write down those activities that you regularly do that build a positive relationship with your customers. Include those things that provide value that differentiate your business from the competition. Look at the truth and the heart. When you marry these together, you build a contract with your customer that is the basis for a long-term relationship. A discount coupon may be part of the campaign, but it’s a short-term incentive that’s not going to build a relationship.

Step 4:

Implement the Plan. Building your brand is not going to happen by accident. You need a plan that can make it a reality. What will it take? Perhaps things like improved facilities, expanded locations, increased staff, more training, additional marketing, etc. Your brand strategy is not a seat-of-the-pants activity. It takes a well-thought-out plan and a realistic way to make it happen. Write down five things that you can do to make your brand better starting tomorrow. In our new book, BrainBranding — Activate the Brain, Stimulate Your Brand, Robyn Winters and I identify what it takes to have a plan that appeals to the four buying styles that are determined by the way your customers think — each one in their own unique way. The plan has to be well organized, but it also has to have appeal to all of your potential customers.

There’s one more step and it may seem to be obvious to you, but it’s often the reason why a product or store’s branding fails to generate loyalty and fails to grow and prosper. It’s the final step, but it has to start before you ever run one ad or make one promotional offer to the customers.

Step 5:

Live Up to the Brand, Everyday. How many times have you been motivated by an advertisement or brand message only to have a completely disappointing experience. Too often the forgotten audience for your marketing message are the people who represent it every time they serve a customer or make a management decision — your staff. Write down how you communicate with your people and how often they give you feedback on how to improve your business. It’s critical to inform your organization and get their input on building the brand, and then determine how they will live up to it in their individual responsibilities whenever they come to work. It takes more than a team meeting or an online video, it takes a plan that follows the same four steps above and is constantly reinforced with your team. Get their opinion and their buy in, and they will make it all worthwhile.