Do you think you’re a pro at branding? Sure, you may be getting tons of engagements and followers on social media. You may feel that you have created a brand with its own unique personality that really speaks to your audience. But even the most famous brands can learn a thing or two about branding. We here at Neff Associates understand that branding is a constantly evolving, ever-changing form of marketing. Here are five things you may not have known about branding:

1. Food advertisements use real food  . . . sort of – Sure, the food looks fake, but most of the time it’s actually real. However, on average, most advertisements use a method called “food styling” to make the food look perfect. This makes for drool-worthy pictures, but it also makes the food unsafe to eat. Acrylic paint is one of the most commonly used materials for food styling.
2. P. S. – This note matters – You may think that “P.S.” is something people say only when they forget to include something important in the body of the text. This practice may seem a bit annoying, bordering on unnecessary, but it can almost be viewed as its own special call to action. Did you know that, on average, a P.S. note is ten times more likely to be read than any other text in your sales letter? While P.S. should still be used sparingly, it can most definitely be a clever little tool for helping to grab your audience’s attention and to share an important message about your brand!
3. Your current audience matters more than your potential audience – Sure, everyone loves to expand their brand. Who doesn’t want new followers? But don’t get so lost in attracting a new audience that you forget about the loyal fan base you already have. Did you know that you have up to a 70% chance of selling your products to an existing customer? However, when it comes to selling to a new audience, you have only about a 20% chance of success. You’re also more likely to make a profit off of your existing customers. Retaining customers can help you gain up to a 125% profit; attracting new customers can cost you up to six times more than it costs to keep existing customers. In short, while it’s important to attract new customers, it is even more important to retain the ones you have already won.
4. You should reconsider targeting “moms” for your next ad campaign – Most marketers are under the mistaken impression that mom does all of the shopping – especially online. However, according to a recent report run by Ad Week, Dads may be up to four times more likely to engage with and download shopping ads than moms are. Simply put, when it comes to online marketing, Mom’s not always buying it.
5. Mascots are more effective for branding than even the most famous celebrities – Of course, celebrity endorsement can help your brand to achieve sales, but don’t go replacing your lovable mascot just yet! Mascots have been proven to be more effective than even the top-earning celebrities when it comes to generating a buzz about any given brand. Mascots can also help to increase social engagements more than celebrities can. The reason? It’s simple. Mascots help to create a more unique identity for brands than celebrities can. People feel a stronger emotional connection with unique mascots than they can with the celebrities. All in all, a brand’s own mascot is what will make it stand out and appear memorable – not a celebrity.

Which fact about branding were you most surprised by? Does knowing these facts now change how you plan to brand for your business or yourself in the future?