Branding is all around us: the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, and the apps we use are all well-branded. It even creeps into daily speech, and some really successful brands are so synonymous with their products, their names get used instead of the actual product name. Don’t believe us? Have you ever said “let me Google it”? How about “can you hand me a Kleenex” or “I need a Band-Aid”? Ever Tweeted about something? You guessed it -- branding, and great branding at that.
But branding is so much more than that. It’s also more than the aesthetic components that a lot of people think of when it gets mentioned; yes, your logo, color scheme, and fonts are crucial parts of branding, but it goes beyond all of those.
So, what is branding, really?
The best definition we know of is that branding is a marketing practice meant to differentiate a product or service via a unique name, symbol or design, for purposes of promotion. It encompasses your aesthetics, your company history, your mission statement, tone, and more. If you do it right, you’ll inspire not only brand loyalty but also trust in your customers -- and that’s the goal.
Who needs strong branding? Nowadays… basically everyone. If you don’t set yourself and your products apart, especially online, you run the very real risk of getting lost among your competitors. (And you have more competitors than you think.) It’s very important to keep tight control of your branding and to make sure that the brand story you’re telling resonates with your target market. If you fall out of alignment, you could be left in the dust.
How do you do it, though? Especially if you’re already busy with everything else that goes into running a successful business? Here are our top three quick branding tips!
Start Strong!
The best branding comes from the top-down, so you’ll want to take a little time before you go crazy with color palettes and logo designs and everything else out there to get super clear on your brand story. Start with your mission statement, your “why” as it were, and work outwards from there: As you move through the process, you’ll find that keeping your why in mind makes everything a lot simpler -- when adding an element, it’s an easy test: Does this make my “Why” clear?
Be consistent!
This is a big one. We can’t tell you how many businesses come to us for their branding needs and it turns out that they’re just all over the place: the logo is one style and one set of colors, and then the website itself is a totally different color palette, and the letterhead is a third color scheme… Don’t do this to yourself. The purpose of branding is to help people identify, and then identify with, your company. You can’t fulfill that purpose if your customers are confused by inconsistencies -- how will they identify you if everywhere you are, you look different? Humans love patterns and synergy, so cater to that psychological need and you’ll be on the right track.
Feeling overwhelmed?
Not sure what you need to build your perfect brand? Ask an expert! There’s very little room for error when you craft your brand, and re-branding is an intensive process that can absolutely mess up your consistency unless you do it exactly right. Anyone remember New Coke? Exactly. So, if you aren’t a hundred percent sure you’ve got a winning idea, it may be time to call for some expert help.
Conclusion
I know, we just threw a lot at you there -- but it’s okay! If you put in a little time and effort at the outset, you’ll find that branding is a lot simpler than many people make it out to be. (In fact, some of the best branding works because it’s so simple.) Of course, if you’re still confused about any aspect of branding, or if you’re super busy and simply don’t have the time to devote to really making your brand stand out, you can always hit us up.
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