The right/wrong branding can be make or break for your business. Get it right and you’ll reap the rewards. Get it wrong and you’ll be planning your comeback…
What even is branding?
Noun = ‘’ a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name’’
You branding is your identity. It’s what makes your service or product unique, and helps you to differentiate yourself from your competitors. it’s also the essence of what your company stands for and, most importantly, the art of aligning what you want people to think about your company, with what people actually do think about your company. It’s everything from your website, your logo and your social media, to the way that you market yourself.
But why is it so important?
Quite simply, your branding allows your business to reach its full potential. It allows you to give customers a reason to choose your business over your competitors.
Our top tips
1. Get to know your audience
To make certain that your brand will stand out from the rest, you need to get to know your audience. What are they looking for? Why do they need you? How do you engage them? Before you even start to think about marketing your brand, you need to make sure that you have the right ingredients to appeal to your target audience.
Knowing your audience means not only understanding their demographics, but also being aware of their likes, dislikes, needs and wants. Create a character profile of your ideal customer and cater your brand and marketing around them.
2. The perfect brand name
Your brand name is an extension of your brand, and it’s the first thing people will know about your business and what you do. You need to decide what you want your name to represent, and how you want to make that all important first impression.
Potential customers looking at your brand, may know nothing about your business, so you want your name to give them a taste of what you can offer and how you can help them. With so many successful brands out there in the market, you need to make sure that your name is not only memorable, but stands out from your competition.
Start by brainstorming plenty of names, and then pin it down to 2 or 3 that represent what you do the best, and are distinctive to your business.
3. Your brand guidelines do matter
Brand guidelines are a set of rules defining how to use your branding materials, giving guidance on which elements to use and how to use them. Your brand guidelines are your whole identity, and they define everything from your brand colours and font, to your tone of voice.
They ensure that your brand is consistent across all of your marketing channels. They should be in place, not to limit creativity, but to ensure that your brand is constantly recognisable to audiences. Having them in place, will make the lives of your designers, web developers and copywriters a whole lot easier.
4. Invest in your logo
It’s important to understand that your brand and your logo are completely different. A logo is purely one single element of your brand. Your logo should instantly connect people to your business without the need to use its name. Nike, Starbucks and Coca Cola, are all brands that do this well, with logo’s well recognised across the globe. It’s not unusual for companies to spend millions on perfecting their logo. UK oil group BP, spent £136m back in 2000, on introducing its current sunflower design.
Your logo is your most utilised asset, displayed on your website, printed on your branding materials and embedded into your online ads. It’s crutial when developing your logo, that you cater to the low attention span of your audience, meaning your logo must make a great first impression.
People are drawn to colour and interesting design, so think about choosing colours that make your audience feel how you want them to feel about brand. For example, blue tones evoke trust, stability and tranquility, whereas red represents power, strength and energy.
If you need a hand branding or re-branding your buisness, then we’d be happy to have a chat.
