Why is Brand Building Like Marriage?

You meet somebody that catches your eye. It could be their smile, their style, or their personality; you may even be attracted to their conviction and passion for something.

You ask for their number. You text them that night (because calling at this stage is kind of lame), you flirt and get to know each other. Is this person a wacko? Does s/he fit my values?

First, a coffee date, then a dinner. A movie. Over time, along with consistent and quality effort, you are in a committed relationship and ultimately, one day, happily married.

Consistent and quality effort.

On the one hand, you do not want to neglect them. Calling only when the time is right for you or when there is something you want is not only crass, it is also selfish. But also, you don’t want to be the clingy one in this relationship. As is often the case, it is about maintaining a balance. You must keep your (potential and current) customers engaged in a tactical, timely and valuable way.

In my world of content marketing, that means you need to offer something valuable to the relationship, usually the creation of informative or entertaining collateral that is in line with the company’s key objectives. It also means these communiques are distributed in a timely manner on strategically important platforms. Remember, content is King, but distribution is Queen.

Consequently, it is near impossible to pinpoint the moment of success, aka ROI, because there isn’t one exact moment. That doesn’t mean there is no ROI, because we all know there is. Instead, it requires looking at the ROI over longer time frames. It is the cumulative effect of consistent and quality messaging and content that determines brand perceptions.

Consistent and quality effort. That is brand building in a nutshell.

Attainment of that ultimate goal – the marriage of preference and brand – requires strategic engagement with your audience. Only sustained and effective delivery of your messaging can keep your brand near top of mind.

So, the next time the business guys ask you about the efficacy of communications, ask them if they’re married.

Cal Wong is the Content Services Manager at PR Newswire Asia. This articles was originally posted on Linkedin