Slapping the phrase “World Famous” before your onion rings listing on the menu doesn’t make them so. This is a trick many operators use to try and skip the branding process without doing any of the work necessary to put some actual meaning behind the modifier.
    Will someone in Botswana really have heard of your Southwestern quesadilla? The phrase has become watered down to the point that in the eyes of the consumer it has come to mean, “We think they’re pretty good, and they might actually be liked by a few people around town as well.”
    Take the time to brand your location or signature item strongly so you can one day refer to them as “World Famous” — or at least “Famous” or “Award-Winning.”

The Brand Played On
    So what exactly is branding?  “An old west technique of identifying cattle to a ranch?” you might ask. In a way, that is exactly what branding is. Branding is a way — less painful than the cattleman’s way — of making your product unmistakably identifiable in the marketplace. To put it simply, a brand is your product’s personality. And your product is absolutely everything associated with your bar or restaurant. 
    This includes, but is not limited to your name, logo, architectural style, waitstaff, uniforms, every item on your menu, the décor, colors, the music you play, the lighting and even your individual personality as the manager.
    Branding is not just for chains; it’s just as important for the one-unit proprietor. In fact, you’re branding whether you’re trying to or not. It’s just a matter of whether you’re doing a good job branding or a bad job branding. No matter what you do, your customers are assigning a “brand evaluation” to you, so make sure it’s the image you want associated with your bar.
    A strong brand image arguably is more important today than the food or beverages you serve (although your menu is an element of your brand).
    Branding encompasses the set of expectations that your customers will associate with your bar and this cannot be created overnight, as it is the sum of your customers’ experiences and interactions with you. With every customer visit, an impression is created and remembered. Your customer’s perception, whether good or bad, ultimately becomes your brand image. Too often, an image comes up watered down, conflicting or, most unfortunately, indistinguishable from your competitors.
    Creating a strong brand image is extremely helpful when expanding to additional locations. Customers know what to expect if they go to any of your venues.

Getting Started
    The first step in developing or creating your brand is to change your perception. 
No longer think of your location as just “my bar” or “the club.” Think of it as a living, breathing entity with multiple personality traits. Develop your brand by giving it an image, not unlike what you tried to do for yourself in high school. It is your job to cultivate that personality and decide which traits you want it to have.  
    Are you a fun and easy-going bar or are you classier and more refined? Come up with the key points that will attract the customers you want to serve. Will your menu be fast and casual or gourmet with high quality food and spirits? Do you want your waitstaff to be extremely friendly or to skew a little more professional? You should ask questions like these for every aspect of your business.
    Your brand can be angled to focus on just about anything — a signature food item, the music, the uniforms, one killer drink, your name or logo, a unique architectural element of your building, an advertising jingle, your mascot, yourself, etc.

Executing the Mission
The goal is that when people mention the name of your establishment, it immediately evokes all of the positive imagery you have crafted. Reinforce your brand with everything you do.
Once you make your perception a reality, it will be true for your customers. With quality repetition and consistency, your image will be “branded” into your consumers’ consciousness. NCB

Jason Stone is the premier account manager for MarkeTeam Inc., a sales, promotion and marketing agency specializing in the hospitality industry. For more information, visit marketeaminc.com.

10 Tips for Creating or Strengthening Your Brands 

1. Research your Brand
    Do your market research. Know what your competition is doing and make sure you find your niche. Listen to what your customers are saying and what the customers of your competition are saying. Refer to comment cards, exit interviews, table visits, etc. Find out if your customers see your business the same way you do, because their perception is your reality.
2. Create Your Brand Image
    Clearly define who you are and who you want to be. Write a “mission statement” for your brand’s image and then implement it into everything you do. Décor, marketing, menu items, waitstaff,  employee uniforms, music, etc.
3. Create Your Brand Name
    Your name should be easy to pronounce, easy to remember, easy to recognize and should attract attention. It also should suggest the type of food or drink offerings or services you provide, and it should reflect your company image. Your name should be protected legally, so make sure you register it. 
4. Sell Your Brand 
    All your marketing and promotional messages — menus, ads, flyers, business cards, matchbooks, uniforms — must include the emphasis.
5. Live Your Brand
    You should be creating an image by which your bar or restaurant lives. Start with how you answer the phone to how staff approach and greet tables. Implement maintaining your brand image into your training programs and reinforce with an internal incentive contest. 
6. Develop a Signature Item
    If you’ve got a strong item on your menu that people come back for, make sure you let everyone know about it. Deliver samples to tables and/or to people waiting to be seated. They will appreciate the free item, and if it is as good as you think it is, they’ll order it. They’ll tell their friends about it. Become famous for it.
7. Merchandise
    Give away free T-shirts to clientele you’d like to have your logo/name seen on around town. You can’t buy better publicity. Think “attractive blond wearing a CBGB’s T-shirt, driving a VW Cabriolet with a Señor Frogs bumper sticker along the Pacific Coast Highway.” The amazing side effect of good branding is that individuals will incorporate your brand into their own style to associate your image and style with their own personal “brand.”
8. Look for Opportunities
    Pay attention to small details. A message imprinted on a matchbook or coaster will further help your customer connect to your brand. Don’t forget to promote your brand at the micro level.
9. Determine Your Colors 
    Your set of company colors should be somewhere around two to three colors. Make sure that these colors are on everything you produce.
10. Create Your Own Brand Guide
    Write down everything you’ve created and create a brand guide just like the big chains.  Have it as a reference for yourself, managers and staff to refer to for promotions, advertising and special events.