Image Vs Product: What To Choose To Benefit A Small Business

When it comes to marketing your product you need to make your business stand out. To do this effectively, you need to make sure that the image matches the product. At the same time, there are issues when it comes to small businesses. As small businesses are limited by their finances, there can be cases of choosing which one works best at the time, the product or the image? When you look at it from an SME point of view, it boils down to where your funds should go, to one or the other? An issue with business is to spread the cost so much that the image nor the product benefits. So how can this be remedied? Which one should you be pushing for?

The Image

As far as the image is concerned, it is reliant on branding. Branding is the brainchild of the marketing department, so if there is enough push behind the product when it comes to marketing the image, then you can press ahead with the promotion.  Where this may fall down when it comes to small businesses is that marketing processes take time, and more importantly, money. To create the right image for a product requires trial and error.  So you need to be investing in the process of trial and error as that will take time.  An image can take a long time to develop, but when the image is developed, it may link with the product perfectly.  When the image is developed right, it can potentially solve any holes in the marketing strategy. To use an example, a company like Martin Awards. This company deals with trophies and prizes. So when it comes to marketing, achievement and winning are imbued throughout the business ethos. This is because of the types of products that they sell. If you want to push the image over the product you need to address the image or look at your marketing strategy.

The Product

If you decide, as a business, that promoting the product is the best approach, you must be confident that the product stands up on its own.  This is all dependent on the type of business that you run.  If the product is strong and so it is able to stand on its own merit, you need to make sure that the target market or the intended audience is catered for sufficiently.  As the product is one part of the four P’s:  Price, Promotion, Place and, of course, product. It needs to be within the right area for a reasonable price. And it should be promoted as best as possible.  So, as the product is intended for public use, make that to a broad enough spectrum.

Marketing a service or product is a delicate balance.  Deciding on what is better for your company, the product or the image can cause conflicting ideals.  So when deciding on this, you need to be sure that it affects your business in the right way, as the business is the fundamental structure on marketing your product or choosing your image. Be wise and choose carefully.

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