Why Branding is as Important as Your Business Plan

Often I am asked by potential clients how important it is to have branding work done prior to having a business plan completed. My quick response is simple. It is as important as your business plan and should be included within it. Investors and others who are looking at your and your new beer business venture will want to understand the full picture of what you have been imagining for years now. It is critical to have your branding and brand strategy completed prior to bringing your brewery dream to life.

To think of it in simple terms, your brand is your promise to your customer. If you don’t have any promises in place how will your customers know who you are and trust that your brewery is producing top quality product? Your brand tells someone through visual, written or physical means what a customer can expect from you and your brewery. If you don’t have this in place, customers will begin to make judgements about you, your beer and most often your staff. Just think about the last brewery or beer you saw that lacked character in their branding or story. You can recall this quickly can’t you? Now think about a great beer brand. What attributes does it communicate to you? Do the visual and written cues match up to the quality of the products? The atmosphere within the brewery and the attitude and service of the staff?

Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be. Make sure to take the time and money to invest in a branding strategy that will get you and your brewery out ahead of your competition and in the minds of your target customers.