Most people believe that branding begins with choosing a brand name and ends with trying out multiple color combinations on a generic logo. Wish it was that easy. Some people believe that building a brand is strictly a task for graphic designers. That’s not true at all.
Branding is from marketers and business owners. Branding takes place at every touch point, every interaction with the consumer, every time they think of your brand. Most importantly, branding is ultimately controlled by the customers. Too many companies think that they get to choose the brand while they only really get to influence how their customers see them. So, let’s look at some of the key elements that go into building a strong brand identity.
Being responsive and consistent
Don’t build things just for the sake of doing so. You take an action, you see how the customer responds, take their feedback and then you implement that into your brand strategy going forward. Of course, there is no need to make changes with every piece of feedback but keep an eye out and take things in.
Authenticity
Authentic brands understand consumers’ expectations the best. They are able to establish meaningful relationships with customers. Not only are customers more likely to trust an authentic brand, they are more likely to recommend it to others and that is a huge deal.
Brand strategy
It is imperative to have a long-term plan in place for the success of the brand, for years to come. Online marketing plays a huge role in implementing these strategies.
Brand story
Now this goes back to credibility. What is your backstory? How did you become what you have become? What makes you so passionate about solving a particular problem? The term storytelling is used a lot. It’s about telling the people what your company stands for and getting them to stand behind the ideas of your business.
Brand essence
Company culture is very important. Now, many companies will claim they are different from others by coming up with catchphrases about how their company culture is. However, keep in mind it doesn’t sound cheesy, especially in this era of digital marketing where everybody is trying to outsmart each other.
Brand differentiation
Copying the same strategy as another company are tactics for those who just aren’t creative enough. Don’t be a copycat. This all comes down to defining your unique selling point, your USP. What does your brand have that others don’t? How can you position your company in a way that it can’t be replicated?
Bottom line
At the end of the day, whether you are starting out on a new endeavor or rebranding an old business, you need to take the time to build a branding strategy. This way you can ensure that you and your team can align your voice, company goals, visual elements and everything that goes into portraying your brand. Your brand is never done being built.
