I came across an interesting fact recently.  Apparently when you knowingly take a branded painkiller it is likely you will get greater pain relief, even if the alternative is the exact same pill, but you don't get to see the packaging.  In fact a study of 800 people by Keele University found branded tablets gave 30% more pain relief than those believed to be unbranded.  This is powerful proof of the way our emotions and psychology rule our lives, even when we think we are mostly logical, rational human beings!  The branding and packaging contribute to our belief in the effectiveness of the product creating a placebo uplift.  And for the drugs companies, getting their branding right makes a direct contribution to their profits.

Which got me thinking, why should this effect be limited to painkillers?  Maybe we are all similarly affected by the branding on most things we buy - although most of us would be loathe to admit it!  If this is true, then it is something that all businesses, large and small, would be foolish to gloss over.

At its most simple a brand is the logo that you have for your business - but even at this level it can be easy to be slapdash about how you implement it.  Logos do not have to be complicated or clever, it is much more important to ensure that you adopt a consistent approach to use in the design of websites, business cards, leaflets, livery etc. This is not about how much you spend, it does not have to be expensive - but it does require conscious attention to detail.  I see far too many examples, among small businesses in particular but not exclusively, where it is clear that different items were produced on different days of the week, by different people, in better or worse moods!

Of course you can delve much more deeply into your brand, your company image, the values it does convey or you intended it to convey, and how you ensure every member of your organisation delivers the brand promise in every activity you perform for your customers.  Branding is a specialist field of marketing, often seen to be a bit of a black art, and often subject to criticism.  How many times have you seen the stories in the press about how some major corporation like BP has spent £millions on updating its logo?  And how many times have you wondered what was the point, who can tell the difference anyway?  Well now you know how deeply the branding can be affecting the customer's opinions, behaviours and beliefs.  I don't know what the profit margin is on a branded painkiller that has the exact same make up as the cheaper, unbranded version, but looking at how much higher the retail price is I would suggest that the cost of the branding must surely be worth it!

Bearing all this in mind I suggest you stand back and take a long hard look at how well your brand is working for you.  Ask others for their opinion.  Does your brand suggest, as for the painkillers, a professional, expert product that will deliver a more effective service than your competitors and that is worth paying a premium for?  Or is your business or product looking tired and shabby, in need of a tidy up?  Whatever you decide to do, don't just dismiss it as marketing mumbo jumbo when it could be making a real difference to your bottom line.