Is it a logo? Is it a person? Is it a company? … we can go through questions like this all day… it is more than just one thing. Imagine, if you would, that the brand for your business is your baby, as a parent you are responsible for laying down the foundation of its beliefs, values and personality. Though your baby is born small, you know that with a lot of hard work, love and dedication it will grow into a thriving success, and you are excited about its future. Branding is much like raising a child, it’s about making important decisions now with its future in mind. It’s about thinking big with long-term ideas.
SO, what should you ask yourself when ‘raising’ your brand?
What does your brand promise – its ‘big idea’ – its ‘purpose’?
Branding gives your business identity beyond its product or service. It gives consumers something to relate to and connect with. It’s the characteristics that create the ‘identity’ that makes your business memorable. It’s the face of your company and helps consumers distinguish your business from others, regardless of which platform it’s represented on. Identifying your brand’s promise will help to assist you in this character-building process.
Now you have the ‘WHAT’ the next step is to determine the ‘WHO’
If you understand what you have to offer, you will have a good idea as to who is looking for it. If your brand is about selling services to the elderly, don’t waste your time developing a brand that can only be understood by someone who spend their time on TikTok. If you build a brand without understanding who its audience is, you will never get it right, we call that method ’spray and pray’ which is a good way to waste your time and resources, marketing to those who don’t need what you’re supplying.
Have you ever met somebody that perfectly fits into the category ‘women between 20-30 years of age’? Or ‘teen’? No. Why? Because there are too many variables, just as we are all unique, different people, so will your target audience be.
The next step for your brand is its character building.
I’m talking about style, language, the true essence of THE brand. When you meet someone, what impression do you hope to leave with them? This is what we must consider when we build its character.
Once you’ve landed on this character, stay true to yourself, reputation is everything – like with anything a good reputation is about consistency and consistency creates loyalty. Successful companies maintain strict quality control in communication, product, customer service and graphic output
*Hot Tip: Good brands stand out in crowded industries because trust is important. To earn that trust you must always be consistent and accountable with your brand’s promise. Brand perception is sometimes more important than reality.
Consider your brand’s social impact.
The logo is only the entry point to the brand – customer service experience is the key.
Everyone in your audience will see your brand and instantly determine whether it’s; positive or negative, clear or confused, friendly or hostile etc. But NO BRAND is neutral.
Company actions are very important, the company needs to abide by its ‘code’ and be transparent. Clients can identify companies that aren’t genuine a mile away, and you can almost never recover from a bad reputation. Just as you should personally, your brand needs to be accountable for its services, products and deliver on its promises.
Successful companies maintain strict quality control in communication, product, customer service and graphic output.
Research your competition
How does it help to know what is already out there?
- Find your biggest competition- what works for competitors and what does not.
- How does your competition engage with the followers, and how would you improve upon it?
- Gain inspiration
- Find a way to keep up with your competitors and add uniqueness to separate your brand from theirs.
- To identify the right marketing platforms for your brand.
Competitive analysis is important. Not only does it educate you on where your competition stands and how they are excelling, but it can also give you ideas on how you can improve or further set apart your brand.
However, be conscious to not fall into an imitation trap. Keep your competitive research limited and focus on what your organization brings to the table.
Let’s get down to the graphic elements.
Your brand is a combination of:
- Service
- Product
- Company culture & ethics
- Logo
- Visuals
- Expectations
- Reputation
These need to be represented in a clear, simple and memorable way in order for it to easily be identified by the audience your brand is targeting.
Design Strategy is based on the communication strategy – the style, the font, the colors all play a part to help the viewer quickly understand which basket to put the brand into.
Brand Colours & Visual Appearance/style – always able to advance into the brands potential, but consistency is key. Colours hold a psychological value that touches people in different ways, a change of the brightness of a colour can give your brand a completely different feeling, a different emotion.
Personality / Voice – Tone, use of “I” or “we,” how does your brand talk to its followers/customers.
The Logo
Your logo is an important key aspect of your brand, so treat it well, nurture it, give it the right foundations and let it grow strong.
- Good logos identify, they do not describe
- A logo cannot solve every problem
- Logos must be visually engaging
- Logos must have mnemonic value
- Logos must be able to exist in a variety of media
- A logo is not an illustration
- A logo is the foundation of the visual system
- The entry point of the brand element
Final thoughts: A genius logo, a clever tagline, an authentic manifesto, and a clear brand voice will take your brand far, but truly strong brands thrive when they focus on the big picture of their brand. Get to the heart and soul of your target audience and your organization, and a successful brand will follow.
You are looking to set up your own brand in a perfect way? Contact us!