Written by Perryn Olson, President & COO of Brand Constructors

Branding is a term many people throw around loosely, so it is commonly misunderstood. First off, your company’s logo is not your brand. Your company’s brand is the experience that comes to people’s mind when they hear or see your company name. Your logo is the visual representation of that experience, but your brand is so much more than your logo. 

You do not have to be a B-to-C (Business-to-Consumer) company to provide a brand experience. Yes, a customer experience is easier to see for a restaurant or retailer, but your customers have an experience with your company, too. When your customers think of your company, do they think about delays, excuses, and work change orders? Hopefully not; however, if they do think of these things, then that experience represents your company’s brand in their mind. Ideally, you customers use words like quality, innovation, responsive, and friendly to describe you and your company. Every touch point a prospect or client has with your company contributes to their overall experience, from your receptionist answering the phone, to your drivers’ actions on the roadways, and the appearance of your jobsites.

Brand marketing is also different than traditional marketing. Marketing is educating through communication. Generally in business, you educate prospective buyers about your company’s services and products. Brand marketing is educating and communicating customers and prospective buyers about your brand experience. For example, a construction company would tout their preconstruction services through traditional marketing; for brand marketing, that same construction company would tout how their seamless design-build services create a relaxing experience for customers. 

Recent surveys show that today’s construction buyers are looking at reputation over price. This means they aren’t just buying your services; they are buying your company’s brand and the experience you offer them. 

 
Perryn Olson, president and COO of ABC member, Brand Constructors, holds the designation of Certified Construction Marketing Professional (CCMP) from the Construction Marketing Association and the Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) from the Society of Marketing Professional Services). He currently serves on the board of SMPS Southeast Louisiana and is the past president of Executive Connections, a business networking organization in New Orleans.