Scofray Yeboah: Branding, A Process Not Just an Event

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Branding expert, Scofray Nana Yaw Yeboah, is a transformational coach and a public speaker on entrepreneurship, mentorship, leadership and largely on branding, who is passionate about the branding process for businesses, organizations and individuals. He is the founder and Lead consultant for Zoweh Global Consult & Golden City Business Magazine as well as the CEO of Nyansapo Clothing.

Scofray Yeboah, believes all sectors of the human society should be taking branding seriously and for businesses especially, branding should be important to you as funding is necessary, provided you want to run a business that is relevant for the future. Mr Yeboah has consulted for many segments of the Ghanaian society, from politics, events management, media, religious institutions, etc. and the author of Branding 360, Art of Life and Transformational Pearls.

Mr Yeboah is a known face on a number media houses in Ghana as well as GFM Radio UK, shedding light on the relevance of branding. In this interview, he tells you how you can appreciate branding for your small business.

What is your classic definition of branding?

First of all, I want to say thank you for the interview opportunity to discuss one of the most important subjects in the 21st century.

Branding according to my book, Branding 360, is giving definition of distinction to a project, design, thought, idea, person, business or something. Branding is the process that becomes the physical of the ideas that set up or formed the company. Let me use Coca-Cola as an example. The name is not just Coca-Cola, there are aspects that makes it a brand, check the uniqueness of how the bottling is done, check how the labeling is done, the chemical equation that gives the content or liquid a unique taste and employees who bring all these ideas into reality. All these components define and distinct the brand Coca-Cola from other forms of soft drinks or soda. So branding is a process that is first birth from within.

How can startup companies effectively brand for success?

Start-Ups must birth brands that form part of the ideas and ideals on which the business is founded. They must know which category they are in i.e. manufacturing, engineering, services, etc and study how they can fashion out a strategy to stand out uniquely among their competitors. This must be something that can be interwoven with the personal brand of all employees right from CEO to cleaner.

Military men just don’t grow in moral because of the uniform, but rather they birth it from within to resonate to the level of the brand the uniform bears. If workers cannot own the brand of the company that resonates with their personal brand then there is recipe for disaster when reality sets in.

What are myths of branding you have come across in your years of practice?

Well, many cannot decipher between ‘HYPE and BRAND’ or ‘LOGO and BRAND.’ This misconception birth mediocrity until they run into crises and seek the services of a brand expert. Hype comes with the things we do to be noticed and heard but brand is a process and strategies deployed for a lasting presence on the minds of people.

Why is branding relevant for businesses?

Branding has been very relevant in many developed nations which is now gaining roots in developing nations like Ghana and across Africa. It is very important just as capital is in running a business, except one wish to run a business that has no tomorrow. Your business brand becomes one of the bargaining chips you use to have a say and control in your specific market or category of business which we call niche.

It is the perception you imprint on the minds of your customers or client which get deepened by long track record of quality and integrity. It is that which gives customers a feeling and experience of a royal treat as being the reason for the business’s existence.

What mistakes should be avoided in the branding process?

I will encourage the avoidance of copy and pasting, or copy and modification, because every brand from the mind to the physical has a meaning and purpose it serves. Remember also not to just do something because you have the capital and there is a ready market for the said product or service. Plan out and put mitigation factors in place so you don’t find yourself and the business wanting when reality sets in.

In as much as some separate business brands from their personal brand, it is equally important to build a personal brand to augment the other, because you the individual birthed the business idea which was processed into a brand. People should not toy with the potentials of social media branding. One must deploy the right strategies to maximize benefits of social media and as well as minimize its dangers too.

Who are top brand experts you follow and learn from.

There are couple of experts within but I follow the works of Bernard Kelvin Clive and equally do a lot of reading from varied writers or sources on branding.

As brand expert, what has been your major achievement so far?

Sadly I am not entitled to give names but I have consulted for some hospitality industries, media houses, projects, events, etc.

What advice do you have for African entrepreneurs for success?

Don’t just approach anyone at all because they speak ‘branding,’ but it is very key and prudent to seek the services of a brand expert if indeed you mean business. Never underestimate the power of branding, even strong existing business enterprises still invest in their brands. One cardinal principle to always be aware of is that, branding is a process not just an event.

Read more on Scofray Nana Yaw Yeboah: Scofray.com

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