The Brand: The First Step to Selling in the United States

The Importance of Having a Well-Built Brand

Presenting yourself with a well-defined identity is a critical factor for entering the American market.

A business, just like the person who represents it, must have a clear identity and goal to be successful. The brand you present in the market encapsulates and summarizes all the characteristics you want to communicate to your customer.

Remember, however, that a brand is not your company's logo. A brand is the collection of feelings and thoughts your company evokes in your (potential) customer. It follows, therefore, that brands only exist in the minds of those who come into contact with you and your business, be they customers, suppliers, competitors, or institutions.

 

Building a Brand in the USA

This means ensuring that those who interact with us (stakeholders) remember our company by associating it with positive elements and concepts that can help us do business and differentiate from our competitors. First, it is useful to identify who our stakeholders are and define the mission and vision that will guide our way of doing business and the identity we want to present.

Without customers, a company cannot exist, so they are the first stakeholders to identify. An in-depth market analysis is therefore the foundation for building a brand, and it is necessary to understand the context and the American business environment even just to build your brand. Cultural, political, and social nuances can only be grasped and understood by those who live and breathe the U.S. market daily. It may seem trivial, but the difference between an authentic brand and a less credible one is sometimes dictated by seemingly insignificant details.

Do not overlook other stakeholders. Remember, especially in a market like the American one, the image and trust you can generate with institutions can play a crucial role in obtaining visas and commercial and financial information. Presenting yourself with a partner who already has a strong market reputation is the simplest and most direct way to do so.

 

Mission and Vision Are the Second Key Step

The vision represents the reason you decided to do business and, in your case, in the United States. The mission outlines the way and guidelines you intend to follow.

To define the first, ask yourself what your field is and what the great aspiration of your company is and its values. For the mission, think about the methods, medium-term objectives, and how you intend to carry on your business day by day.

For example, Barilla's Vision is "We help people live better by bringing wellness and the joy of good eating into their lives every day," while the Mission is "Barilla offers a quality selection of tasty and safe products. Barilla believes in the Italian food model that combines superior quality ingredients and simple recipes, offering unique experiences for the five senses.”

 

Graphic Elements such as the Logo, Choice of Distribution Channels, Packaging, Commercial Partners, or Ambassadors. Everything Contributes to Creating Your Brand

Now that it’s clear who you want to be in the American market, it's time to work on the elements that can express your idea. Remembering that the brand is a collection of feelings in the minds of our stakeholders, all the tools we have at our disposal help define our brand. Just as we tend to define a person we've just met by evaluating various aspects (their way of dressing, their tone of voice, the topics of their discussions), so will your audience form an idea of your company by evaluating all the aspects you show them, willingly or unconsciously.
 

Creating a Connection and Building Trust with the American Consumer

The first step is therefore to work on brand awareness and ensure that the first impressions are more than positive

To do this, the best choice is certainly to associate the new brand, still unknown in the U.S. market, with partners who already have an excellent reputation with suppliers, customers, and institutions (after all, we often evaluate a person based on our impression of the person introducing them to us). Using a specialized consulting service can be the winning key not only to proceed correctly but also, and above all, to start building your reputation in the American market.