For any business to stand out, branding, now more than ever, is crucial. Brand uniqueness enables one to communicate and stand out from those in the same business pool. Needless to say, branding creates a product or company’s identity.

Barbara Teddy Arimi is the head of marketing and corporate affairs at NSSF. She has been a business executive with experience that encompasses the financial services sector, fast moving consumer goods and academia. Her expertise revolves around communications strategy, public relations, brand management, marketing strategy, research, corporate governance and product development.

Barbara is also a board member of Dfcu group and apprenticeship board CEO. Apart from adding value to products and brands, she is passionate about adding value to workmates because in turn, the clients and the organisation benefit.

She shares that brands are very central to any company and at the Fund, Barbara is mandated to support the delivery of the business growth objectives of NSSF. This means developing and supporting implementation of product development and research, corporate social responsibility, digital, marketing and brand strategies as well as public relations. That is done in collaboration with other departments.

Building a reputable brand does not happen overnight as it calls for investing time and effort. However, its destruction can happen by just the click of a finger. As such, Barbara advises people and companies to guard their brand jealously. She shares some gems to building a reputable brand:

Consistency: Once a company has established their identity and culture, they should see to it that the communication that goes out is in line with the brand and consistent to ensure that the public is not left second guessing about what they stand for.

Right people: It could be a person or people to help in driving the person or company’s image. As an organisation, management works as the internal brand ambassadors, driving what the company is all about both internally and to the wider public.

Barbara shares that if a business does not have a solid brand identity, it is not going to last for long in someone’s mind and so will its products and services. That will surely reflect on the sales because a solid brand is easily noticed. She adds that every brand must exude the following:

Brand positioning: It is the uniqueness that makes the brand stand out. As such, a company must come up with a plan on how you want your clients to remember your brand.

Brand identity: This speaks to visual appeal of the brand. It is the look and feel of your identity. It should be consistent and precise.

Brand promise: It is the experience a client expects to get whenever they interface with the company.

Brand personality: This is the human component of the brand and encompasses the traits one or the company want their brand to be known for internally and externally.

Brand definition: This is what the company is about. For instance, who you are, your clients, your product or service.

Consistency is also very important in all these features if the brand is to become strong.