Establishing a recognisable brand name can be really challenging for haulage companies, especially in a marketplace such as the UK, where new hauliers seem to appear every week. But ‘challenging’ does not mean ‘impossible’ and there are certain strategies that you can use to enhance your brand’s image in the public eye, such as the following.
Make your Company’s Principles Part of the Corporate Culture
It is one thing to write a list of shining business principles on paper but it is another to actually ‘live’ it and make it an integral part of the daily operation of your company. In the case of haulage companies, having a good set of business principles is of maximum importance because, in essence, you are running a ‘people oriented’ business, and although you do not manufacture products, you deal directly with people all the time. And these people are customers who can either make you or break you depending on their sense of satisfaction with your service. That is why finding an effective way to inculcate your business principles in each and every one of your agents, drivers, customer service people, and even managers is absolutely necessary. These employees are the living, breathing ‘face’ of your brand and if they sour the transaction, then your ‘face’ will be remembered in that negative light.
Decide on your Core Strengths
Haulage companies, and especially those who have just entered the fray, tend to ‘overkill’ with the use of superlatives, for example, ‘we are the best’, or ‘we are the fastest’ or ‘we are the friendliest’. While we all want to eagerly announce to the world and our potential customers how good and efficient we are, the human capacity for attention is limited, and people may be able to remember only one thing about you. Never mind that your haulage company is actually a composite of all the desirable qualities of a well-organised business organisation, you still must focus on just a few things. If possible, focus only on one single, most memorable strength, then express it in a punchy, powerful slogan that should be advertised wherever your company logo is printed, such as on billboards, t-shirts, the side of your vehicles, and website. For example, would you remember if Nike used the line ‘We make high quality, fancy, colourful shoes’ instead of its now popular slogan, ‘Just do it’?
Build a Sterling Track Record
The longer haulage companies stay in business, the longer the list of customers they have served. And if some or most of those customers are respected brands in their own right, their collective reputation can be used to bolster the image of your brand name. That is why it is important to gather the data about your past customers with specific details of when you served them and what contributions your company made to that organisation. When customers check out your track record and see some brands they trust, they will also trust you.