Recently, we looked at how you can build a premium brand and reasons why you might want to do this. Every day, business owners must make intentional, informed, decisions about how their brand is going to show up in the marketplace. How you position your brand is one such decision that requires real forethought and consideration. 

Remember, premium refers to the higher price that a customer will pay for the product/service and the perception that the brand is more valuable and desirable than others. Premium status, like any other differentiator, requires evidence to support this position.

Here are 4 practical ways to position your brand as a premium value:

Language

Carefully chosen language helps forge your premium brand identity by shaping the perception of premium value for your brand. This does not require that your premium brand be a luxury brand. You must choose words that communicate a highly curated or customized experience that caters to the unique needs of a specialized audience. Words like boutique, bespoke, customized, tailored – all these terms speak to how a brand delivers a unique, different and valuable experience. Other words and phrases that speak to high quality include top-shelf, high end, first-class. Language can help convey.

Imagery

It takes less than one second for someone to form an impression about your brand. The reality of branded communication today is that it is highly visual. As important as the words are in conveying messaging, the visual elements are what are going to attract the eye first. Visuals must serve to communicate the premium nature of your brand and its offerings quickly and convincingly. Language that conveys premium brand status must be accompanied by appropriate imagery that suggests the same type of value.

The use of stylized, high-resolution images or intricate, handcrafted, graphics and illustrations are two elements that can be used to communicate a premium brand. Similarly, you will want to avoid imagery that looks generic cheap, such as basic clip art and or low-resolution graphic or clip art. The key is a consistent approach that is carried through the visual, verbal and all other brand elements. Refined, carefully applied imagery.

Association/Affiliation

There is a popular saying, “ It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” In many ways this applies to the third element that can be leveraged to communicate a premium brand: association/affiliation. This refers to your brand’s identification with a well-known, highly-regarded brand or framework automatically elevates your brand by way of association.  

For example, a Tony Robbins-aligned coach differs from an unaffiliated coach in that they can position to leverage that association to lend added credibility or value to your brand that you would not have otherwise. The association, and implied endorsement of and connection to the highly-regarded brand, adds cache to your brand and enhances the premium perception of your offering. As in all cases, the rest is up to you, but that investment in the association can pay off in the long run with clients who value that affiliation and are willing to pay more to access your brand because of it.

Data/Technology

The ability to make use of a proprietary or exclusive technology or information source can create the perception of a premium brand and be used to justify a premium price point. People value access and exclusivity. If you can demonstrate that you take advantage of unique or hard-to-acquire information or delivery system that no one else can claim, to the clear benefit of the customer’s experience, this can reinforce the idea that your brand is indeed a premium brand. People are willing to pay more for something they cannot get elsewhere or that is not available as a commodity. As with all the other categories listed here, the experience you develop around your brand must align with what is presented.

Conclusion

Note, many business use more than one of these tactics mentioned above to convey the premium nature of their brand. The next time you are thinking about a brand, or perhaps comparing two brands in the same category, consider how they have thoughtfully used the elements we’ve mentioned. If one or both aims for a premium positioning, analyze how they have deployed these tactics listed above. Most importantly, remember that communicating premium is just the beginning. The way people experience your brand will either reinforce or undermine your efforts to obtain premium perception. The presentation must be backed up with a customer experience that delivers on that promise.  In our next blog post, we’ll examine how brands can do just that.

Enthuse Creative can help

Enthuse Creative can help you build and bolster the elements of your premium brand, creating the right perception for your brand. Reach out to us today for a free consultation.