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The Power of Small Business Branding Through Private Labeling
by: Jake Mayer
Please consider this article for publication in your newsletter or on your website. Permission is granted to reprint for free with resource box and byline intact. Please send me a copy of your publication if you choose to include my article. The Power of Small Business Branding Through Private Labeling Your Label Says A Lot About Your Business A brand is a powerful tool in your hands, a visual image that encapsulates a perceived value associated with your company, product or service by customers and potential customers. As competition intensifies, small business owners are realizing the power of branding through private label as part of an ingenious business strategy. Owning your brand is not only an alluring marketing and sales tool, it makes good small business sense. Wholesalers of private label products offer resellers and diverse others the opportunity to build recognition for their own company and product, as well as develop customer loyalty. With a lead on identity and a secure on loyalty, new and repeat sales are sure to follow, given that your product meets consumer expectations. The bottom line is: You will drive your revenues and increase profits through the use of private labels. Once thought of as a value-added, low cost substitute for higher priced name brands, private label brands were referred to as store or generic brands; remember the no name brand! Interestingly, the private label perception is blossoming in today’s marketplace as the upscale alternative to national brands. As burnt cream evolved into French crème brûlée, consumers now consider private label brands as an affordable extravagance. Associated with distinctive, premium quality products and services, private labels are now positioning as your own proprietary brand or personalized brand, and rightly so. Private Label Brands Are Packed With Benefits A private label packs numerous marketing and sales benefits into your product. The basics of any good marketing plan are simple: Increase your customer base, increase the frequency of repeat sales and increase the average expenditure, the question is… how? Designed to display and impress your image and developed around your target market, propriety label may be the answer. Your own brand is what sets you apart from your competitors and builds brand loyalty. Differentiating your product as a unique brand also enables you to compete on non-price factors such as quality. A smart move for small business because typically, they cannot achieve sales volume levels to be a low price favorite. Stocking name brand products does little to entice consumers into your brick and mortar or online store. National brands are widely distributed and can be purchased almost anywhere. A private label will bring customers to your place of business, as your brand is exclusive. An additional benefit is that of product awareness, every time a customer opens your private label product sitting on the counter top the customer is reminded where the product was purchased. Small businesses do not have abundant resources to spend on large marketing and advertising campaigns like their national competitors. Your proprietary label, imprinted on an appealing package, is an excellent advertising item and channel. You gain exposure and get the word out about your business and product, requiring little effort outside your input in the label and package design. Using a private label is a cost effective method to market your small business. Of course, customers will not rush back to your store and beat down the door for a label. Establishing the brand with a high quality product is essential for repeat sales. Generate trust in your brand by selecting a respected wholesaler who knows the product and the business well. To promote consumer purchasing the reseller must also perfect the private label to meet the desires and expectations of the target market. Black Tea or Decadently Rich Chocolate Chai? You Decide Let’s take a look at a fast growing, competitive segment of the beverage industry, tea, to see how the benefits of private label are put into practice. Once trailing far behind the specialty coffee market, tea is now surging in the popularity and so are the sellers. The trend is driven by consumer lifestyle shifts toward good health, luxury and pleasure. Specialty tea is forecasted to become a major portion of the tea industry. Demand is stimulated by the new products available as consumers seek extraordinary and exotic tea flavors. It is essential reseller’s offer a quality product from a knowledgeable wholesaler supplier, as product choice can make or break a business. Working in partnership, the private label wholesaler and reseller will bring together knowledge, experience and creativity in the design of a captivating label and appealing package. With endless choices, from loose leaf to tins, the finally product is presented to exceed the reseller and final consumers expectations. An up and coming leader in the national spa market, exhale spa promotes a whole body rejuvenating selection of services based upon the wisdom of traditional healing and movement therapies. To enhance the relaxing ambience of the spa, exhale serves their own signature tea blends, formulated and packaged by Lapis Teahouse, a provider of premium private label tea. Resellers turn to Lapis Teahouse (http://www.lapisteahouse.com) and other select wholesalers that offer both private label and custom blending services for a competitive advantage. Private label companies build trust in a brand by selecting and custom blending extraordinary teas for flavor, aroma, and quality. Exciting new products are designed to fit the customer’s unique needs and compliment their business image. Private label producers serve a diverse customer base, and each benefit by selling a private label brand. From a nutrition center prescribing the health benefits of organic herbal tea, to an elegant teahouse serving a taste of luxury for tea connoisseurs, a brand can be developed to reflect and project your image. You don’t have to be a reseller to capitalize on the rewards of a unique identity. The private label extends into the service industry to enhance professional services and company ambience. Small business branding through private labeling conclusively builds company and product recognition. Positioning your unique product through private label, aimed at your target market, results in an effective, low cost-effort marketing strategy. It is the solution to getting customers into your store and back again and again… If your company is competing in the beverage or any other industry by using other brands, consider the benefits of your own proprietary brand. No matter how you label it, small business branding through a private label wholesaler is powerful marketing! About the author: Jake Mayer is the owner of Lapis Teahouse, a manufacturer of private label tea and custom blend herbal products that works with both large and small companies. He can be contacted to build your brand at jake@lapisteahouse.com Circulated by Article Emporium

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