What EMBA program students need to know about brand consulting

With increasingly specialized online branding tools, businesses in all sectors are turning to brand consultants for a strategic advantage. Having analyzed a business’s market performance and consumer demographic, brand consultants develop strategic marketing solutions to help organizations cut through the noise – and blow past the competition.

Branding is not solely for business giants. Brand consultants increasingly help small companies define their unique appeal, attracting customers on their terms. As online marketing continues to evolve, brand consultancy presents a number of exciting opportunities both for future consultants and business owners.

Are you curious about the state of brand consulting? Read on to find out more.  

Consultants highlight mistakes that hold back branding

Businesses gain an important advantage with strategic branding, especially if they embrace it before their competitors. In many cases, resistance to branding strategies stems from misinformation. Small business owners are often weary of branding consultancy as a large-scale solution that might distort their mission statement. Yet branding services now cater specifically to ‘micro businesses’, allowing them to compete with larger companies while maintaining their lean and independent culture. 

Another related misconception concerns brand authenticity. A 2013 Boston Consulting Group survey found that brand authenticity was among the top company qualities that attracted US consumers. Business owners are right to prioritize authenticity, but misled in assuming that branding consultants diminish it. In fact, brand consultants are only successful when highlighting a business’s uniqueness, helping it carve its place in a competitive market. Rather than map a generic model onto a new client, the best branding consultants build new marketing strategies from the ground up.

EMBA program students should follow online marketing strategies

Perhaps above all, brand consultants help businesses stay abreast of online marketing strategies. Companies around the world have turned to internet and social media platforms to shape their identity for consumers. While pursuing careers as entrepreneurs or consultants – or simply staying informed of best practices – graduates of a global MBA program should know the ins and outs of online marketing.

Top branding consultants now use internet data to help businesses market themselves. In many cases, this involves matching web keywords and hashtags to popular internet searches, leading the right consumers to the businesses’ sites. While optimizing social media presence on platforms like Facebook, branding strategists refine business messaging, presenting it in the most widely disseminated – and shareable – formats.

Brand consultancy can have an immediate impact 

EMBA program students should know how efficient brand consultancy can be. In addition to long-term business relationships, branding consultants offer quick consultations to lay the foundations of a new marketing strategy. Future brand consultants are advised to offer a range of consultant services including short appointments over phone or Skype. 

Marketing experts are often available for business ‘strategy days’, helping companies take a temperature test of their brand. Among their most requested services, brand consultants also perform website audits. This service typically identifies the causes of low web traffic, including poor layout and ineffective messaging. As businesses look to edge competitors, these quick consultations are crucial in an increasingly digital market.

Are you looking to develop business skills for a career in strategic marketing?

Contact WU Executive Academy to learn more about our Executive Master of Business Administration degree!