Building your brand

If I show you the following icons:

It's likely that you will instantly know they are the logos for Apple, Nike, Pepsi, and McDonald's respectively. You instantly recognize their logos, right? But what makes these brands so successful?
It's their strong brand identity, which goes beyond just a logo. In this article, I'll explore why branding is so important for your business and how you can create a powerful brand that resonates with your customers.

Developing a Voice

Your brand is like the personality, voice, and values of your business. It's how you communicate and connect with your audience. It's highly unlikely you'll ever see a premium brand like Mercedes Benz advertise their products with a goofy clown or a budget TV commercial. Similarly, you are unlikely to see a brand that is aimed at the every person like eBay taking out a full page ad in Vanity Fair. A strong brand develops a unique voice that speaks to your target audience, they know who their audience is and how they want to converse with them. It's like having a distinct style, tone, and messaging that sets you apart from your competitors. This helps you connect with customers on a deeper level, building brand loyalty and trust.

Connecting with Customers

In a study by Stackla 2021 they found 88% of consumers feel that authenticity in a brand is important (with 50% stating it was very important). Branding is more than just selling products or services. It's about building relationships with your customers based on trust, loyalty, and shared values. A strong brand creates a sense of community, fosters customer engagement, and encourages loyalty. When customers feel connected to your brand, they are more likely to choose you over competitors and become brand advocates, spreading positive word-of-mouth.

Building Trust with Consistency

Consistency is the key to effective branding. A strong brand maintains consistency across all touchpoints, from its logo, colors, fonts, messaging, to its customer service, website, and social media presence. Consistency builds trust and credibility, as customers come to recognize and rely on your brand's identity and promises. It also helps establish brand recognition and recall, making it easier for customers to remember and identify your brand in a crowded marketplace. If you visit a social media page or website for Coca Cola you would assume (almost with a guarantee) that you will see that bright red colouring somewhere and that is the consistency and trust branding can build. You know what to expect from the business based on past experience.

Elements of a Good Brand

A good brand is not just about a logo (although that is a fantastic place to start). It includes several key elements that work together to create a cohesive and memorable identity. Here are some important elements to consider:

1. Logo: Your logo is like the face of your brand. It should be simple, memorable, and reflect the essence of your brand.
2. Brand Messaging: Your messaging should be consistent, clear, and aligned with your brand's values and voice. It should communicate your unique selling proposition (USP) and resonate with your target audience.
3. Brand Personality: Your brand should have a defined personality that aligns with your target audience. It could be fun, serious, professional, or quirky, depending on your brand's positioning and target market.
4. Visual Identity: This includes elements like colors, fonts, and imagery that are used consistently across all brand touchpoints. Your visual identity should reflect your brand's personality and create a cohesive and recognizable look and feel.

If you're interested in building the foundation of a strong brand there is a simple and effective method that branding specialists, like myself, can take you through to identify your brand and provide you with a strong base to build upon.

Personal Branding

Branding doesn't just apply to corporations or businesses but has become really important for individuals such as entrepreneurs and freelancers. Today we have people making successful careers from being internet personalities, streamers, influencers, podcasters, artists and many other previously non-existent jobs. The most successful people in these spaces have developed a really strong brand that is based around themselves. I decided a while back to establish my personal brand instead of developing a business brand because I wanted to give my clients a personal experience and sense that they know who they are working with. The rules are very similar when creating a personal brand but the most important thing is to build the brand uniquely around the person.

If you would like to discuss personal branding further feel free to get in touch with any questions you have.

‍

TL;DR - In today's competitive business world, building a strong brand is essential for success. A well-defined brand helps you develop a unique voice, connect with customers, and build trust through consistency. It includes elements like logo, brand messaging, personality, and visual identity that work together to create a memorable brand identity. A memorable brand creates a lasting impression, fosters customer loyalty, and sets your business apart.