When was the last time you walked into an establishment, looked around and thought, “This place is a real mom and pop store!”

Historically, “mom-and-pop shops” were just that: small shops run by one's parents as a business that brought in enough to raise their children. Looking back a hundred years, you might think of a corner deli, or a bakery on a back street in the city, however, these days, “mom and pop” can be applied to any small business – albeit one's own. small business” has been drastically expanded to include businesses with up to hundreds of employeess. This is certainly not what most would think of a mom and pop type of store.

At its core, a mom and pop endeavor is small, independent and often family owned and operated, hence the name. They tend to be local, with a limited audience. Although small shops can thrive in big cities, the mental image most of us get is of a small town, with a general store offering goods to loyal customers – many of whom don't have much choice in where to shop. buy. And while that may be true in small-town America, there are plenty of family-run independents everywhere you go.

But if you know your small shop has a limited audience to begin with, the question arises – is branding important for a mom-and-pop shop?

The answer is yes. That is why.

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Fighting the competition

By their very nature, mom and pop stores don't have many resources to draw on. In the era of globalization, this can make it even more difficult for small businesses to keep up.

It is a fact that the financial situation of an average citizen tends to be unstable. Jobs come and go, and the economy seems to falter more and more each year. As the cost of living rises, consumers are increasingly demanding cheaper products – and big businesses, which outsource production to other countries, are eager to oblige. If you can get a product online for a fraction of the cost of buying it at a local store, it seems like an obvious choice to make.

Fortunately, there are several initiatives that are giving mom-and-pop shops an edge in e-commerce and big business. Small business Saturday was founded in 2010 to encourage shopping locally; In its wake, hundreds of variations on the theme have popped up in communities across the U.S. Spending money at small, local stores has become a point of pride for many people, even if they spend more there than they would online. .

However, branding still makes a difference for small local businesses, even if they have a limited audience. Part of this is due to the brand's personality.

Make shopping local easy

“Branding” as a whole encompasses many things. There are visual aspects, such as a well-designed logo. Advertisements and campaigns are also sub-branded. However, a mom-and-pop store's branding strategy emphasizes elements that are more important than your logo.

Think of it this way: branding is the process of introducing your business to your neighbors. Your logo is how you tell them your name. But your brand personality is who you really are – not just what a shopper can find in your store, but why they would want to shop there.

A customer may go to a department store for a particular product, but if you provide excellent customer service, they will come to your business for you. Customer service as a big part of branding can never be overstated, especially for a localized business that survives and thrives based on connections and loyalty.

Connected: How local mom and pop stores Big Box and E are taking over– trade

Set your aesthetic with a local touch

This is not to dismiss the visual aspects of branding or to imply that these do not matter. Your logo, as I said, is how you tell your neighbors your name. It puts a label, a mental image, in their mind. Every time they see that logo next, your business's reputation will stand out – and if it's paired with a pleasant workforce and a shopping experience they can feel good about, then your brand is working hand-in-hand.

Investing in your community and participating in local events is a great way to market your brand and network to your target audience: your neighbors. Your visual branding works alongside your brand personality at these events too – make sure your presence, whether on a stand or as a sponsor, is marked with your logo and company colors to make it clearly identifiable. When your audience sees a logo they recognize, they're more likely to come looking for faces they recognize, too.

A key point to remember when designing your visual brand is to avoid taking a page out of the big box playbook. While large businesses tend toward more general marketing to “play it safe” with a broad audience, you have the gift of knowing your audience well. Do what you can customize your visual brandg in your local area. Logos that include local landmarks or features, business names that include the name of the city or the family that runs the store – anything that connects your business to your area and lets everyone know you're at home there will help your store build loyalty in your community.

A small business like a mom-and-pop shop can be challenging to run in today's environment and economy. But with careful attention to branding—in customer service, in your brand visuals, and in your brand personality—a small store can grow into something truly successful.