Est. reading time: 5 minutes

 

Do you know that the most successful people do not do things all alone? They all have teams they work with. Let’s do a little exercise. Right on this spot, can you think of three businesses? Think of three successful brands that made it all alone. If you can come up with three, you should probably stop reading this article right now because it is not for you. However, if that is not the case, then let’s go on this journey of unveiling the benefits of hiring a brand consultant.

But hold up, before we do that, let’s discuss who a brand consultant is.

Who is a brand consultant?

Have you ever seen a movie and you were like, “Oh my God, this is brilliant and so on point.” You loved it and praised the actors. But aside from the cast, the actors whom you see, what about the people whom we can’t see but also contributed immensely to producing such a fantastic movie? Behind every good dramatic production is an outstanding crew working behind the camera. We are not here to talk about movies, but this is similar to what goes on behind the scenes of successful brands as well.

Behind every brilliant strategy, idea, and innovation the target audience resonates with and feels in their gut is a brand consultant who is working to make them a success. A brand consultant is a professional, a trusted partner, who is trained to guide a brand through a strategic roadmap to define or refine and enhance a brand’s goals, values, image, and performance.

Statistics confirm that 90% of startup businesses fail within the first two to five years. How many brands have we heard of or seen that started and have graced our lives, but now, their names have been buried deep in the ocean? It’s either they are no longer in existence, or they are, but they are not growing.

Let’s go on to the benefits of hiring a brand consultant.

Benefits of hiring a brand consultant 

You can hire a brand consultant before or after the start of your business. So, whether your business is about to take off or it has taken off, it’s all good. 

Think of a brand consultant as a marriage counsellor. Premarital counselling is done to tackle any difficulties and get you ready for the work ahead. Post-marital counselling, on the other hand, is to address issues that have ensued for the betterment of the marriage. 

Therefore, just like marriage, your brand needs a consultant to help build it as well. Here are the advantages of a brand consultant

1. Up-to-date expert advice 

As stated above, a brand consultant is a professional, and with the ever-changing world of markets, consumer behaviour, and competition flying all about, you need an expert who understands the intricacies of how these things are done. The truth is, you cannot build a successful brand alone without help or collaboration with others. Successful brands work with teams – the likes of Amazon, Facebook, Jumia etc.

You could be thinking, “But I started my business alone.” Yes, you could have started it all by yourself, but more than that, the big question is whether you can sustain it alone. 

However, you should know that this does not insinuate that your knowledge is not valuable and welcomed. It is just that as your brand grows and expands, and with the challenges that come with change, it could get to a point where your knowledge might not be sufficient, and there will be a gap for an expert to fill. Hence, a brand consultant provides valuable insights, advice, and guidance you can tap into to create a brand that resonates with the target audience. 

2. Deep research 

Show us a brand that does not invest in research, and we will show you a brand whose growth is stunted. The good news is that research is a fundamental attribute of a brand consultant. You can not provide valuable information without knowledge.

So, what does a brand consultant do to benefit a business here?

A brand consultant takes the stress off you and does thorough digging, collection, and collation of data that will aid the growth of your business. Some people might think that if it is just to gather data, why hire someone when you can do it yourself? Good question. This is similar to saying that if it is just to get drugs, why go to the hospital for consultation?

A consultation is needed because you are not versed in that aspect. How do you conduct research? Where do you go to get your data? How do you get the data? What data should you get? When should you use the data: proactively or reactively?

A brand consultant researches the following:

1. Industry 

A brand consultant conducts research on the industry your business operates in, the market trends, what works, and what should be discarded. To win in a saturated market, you need to learn how to stay ahead in the game. They can foresee challenges and prospects and then develop strategies to move your business from where you are to where you need to be and what should be done to get there.

2. Customers

Any business’s financial strength depends on its customer database’s capacity.

How do you see your customers?

You should not see your customers as just your commercial audience, people who you are only interested in their money. Otherwise, you will not be able to build a relationship and an emotional connection with them. The aftermath of this can result in your customers leaving your brand for another brand.

You should see your customers as your business assets. You should value them and gather as much data as possible on their needs, wants, preferences, behaviour, etc. This is an intensive procedure that requires a brand consultant. 

Your business will earn attention from the audience and create a perfect customer experience with this information. This makes your customers come back and even go as far as to refer other people to your brand.

3. Competitors

A brand consultant will also research your competitors. There are tons of other people in the same business as you. So, a brand consultant creates strategies to gain a competitive advantage over competitors with their findings.

3. Clear Direction

What could be more disastrous for a business than having no direction? Your business will have a clear direction on where to go, what to do to get there, and how long it could take to get there with the strategies created by a brand consultant. 

You don’t want to run your business based on anything that works. No, how can anything work? It is a clear symbol that screams amateur. When the audience does not see you as a professional, it could be difficult for them to patronise you. Why? People find it hard to part with their money, so when they do, they want to be sure it is worthwhile.

4. Brand Audit

Brand consultants are market savvy; hence, they are aware of the trends and changes that occur from time to time. And with this, to ensure that a brand is not falling behind, they conduct regular assessments of the current brand’s status and recommend improvements when the need arises.

5.  Brand consistency

They also help your brand to maintain uniformity across all the channels of communication with the target audience. Either by crafting compelling and consistent messages or in your logo, colours, typography, etc. As a result, it will create a cohesive brand identity that resonates with your audience.

6. Training of members

Brand consultants do not stop at the benefits stated above. They also go as far as training members of an organisation. They ensure that their communication with the customers is cohesive and aligns with what the brand represents.

Conclusion

We have explored the benefits of a brand consultant: up-to-date expert advice, deep research, clear direction, audit, consistency, and training of members. Always remember that hiring a brand consultant is more than just a business decision – it’s a strategic move to building a strong brand for your business. Your business is a treasure, and you should not leave it to chance. Connect with Kian Consult today, for we are your trusted partner to unlock your brand potential and transform it into your brand power.