50 / SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2018 IN MY PREVIOUS COLUMN, I wrote about how to identify what’s preventing your brand from connecting with customers. You’re forgetting who your customers are. Your message is off. Your brand isn’t engaging enough. Your logo/overall brand look is stale. All these factors work in sync. They all play off of one another and affect the others. There are some key ways to begin freshening up your brand and, in effect, tackle all four of these issues. You can start with any step you like and tackle each of these in any sequence you like, but the result will be the same: you’ll have a better vision for your brand. Step 1 — So, you’ve determined who your target customers are. Now, ask yourself this: what makes them tick? What values are important to them? How can your brand reflect those values? For example: it’s no secret that farms are being passed on to a younger generation, and younger people have different values than older people. They’re embracing new technology, for instance. Are you? Step 2 — You communicate with your customers about your brand’s central message. What are you about? If you need to tailor your message to a younger audience, for instance, what should that message be? It’s very likely that you need to let them know that you, too, are enthu- siastic about new technology. You have to tell them that you’re eager to learn new things, just like they are. Step 3 — Now you have to engage them. Are you on social media? If so, do you engage with people over the internet? If you aren’t yet on Twitter or Facebook or another platform, it’s time you look at doing so. Younger people gravitate toward social media, and if your company and brand don’t have a pres- ence on it and don’t engage with them even if you do, that tells them your brand is stale and behind the times. And if your brand is boring, what does that say about your product? Step 4 — Your logo is the face of your brand. Is the design of your logo old- fashioned? A retro look can sometimes be appealing, but there’s a difference between looking retro and looking old. What colours do you use? Is your logo well designed for the modern age? Does it serve to catch attention both in print and on a screen? Tackling these four problem areas will help you determine where your brand is lacking and get you on the road to sprucing it up. In my next installment on branding (Part 3 of 4), I’ll delve deeper into how to engage with your customers and get their attention in a technology-dominated world. Four Steps to Sprucing Up Your Brand GLENN FRIESEN MERIDIAN MANUFACTURING SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT @GfriesenGlenn • gfriesen@meridianmfg.com • meridianmfg.com Download the Seed World Mobile App For Free! DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID Scan the code with your mobile device to download our app! Scan the code with your mobile device to download our app! Stay connected and engaged with all the latest news trending in the global seed industry. Features: Easy click or swipe menu navigation iOS and Android mobile and tablet versions Current stories at a glance Enlarged text for easy reading ü ü ü ü Sponsored by: