Planning on Building Your Brand?
When it comes to the topic of brands, branding, and rebranding, there is a lot to be said. We can go on and on about trends, the impact of brands on your customers’ experience, when to rebrand and so forth. Before we dive into the intricacies of a brand, let us look at what makes a brand, well, a brand.
According to an article from Investopedia written by Will Kenton, a brand refers to a “business and marketing concept that helps people identify a particular company, product, or individual. Brands are intangible, which means you can’t actually touch or see them. As such, they help shape people’s perceptions of companies, their products, or individuals. Brands commonly use identifying markers to help create brand identities within the marketplace. They provide enormous value to the company or individual, giving them a competitive edge over others in the same industry.”
Brands are often synonymous with perception and experience, both internal and external. Your brand sets you apart from the competition. Think of brands like Apple, McDonald’s, and Nike. These brands are defined by their strategies, experiences, and interactions and not just their products or services. With that said, building and developing a brand takes time. It goes beyond logo design and placement. It is a strategic and focused process of defining and characterizing an entity’s —be it a business, company, or organization—targeted user experience. It must be clear, consistent, creative, and full of conviction, designed both internally and externally. Your brand needs to be impactful and leave a lasting impression because it tells your story.
Some statistics to consider when building your brand: it takes about 0.05 seconds for people to form an opinion about your brand (8ways, 2019); 88% of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding what brands they like and support (Stackla, 2021); 46% of consumers say that they would pay more to purchase from brands they can trust (Salsify, 2022); and consistent presentation of a brand has been seen to increase revenue by 33% (Lucidpress, 2019).
When building and developing your brand, these five building blocks can help you: brand beliefs, brand voice, brand performance, brand experience, and brand design.
BRAND BELIEFS are your values, your mission, and your vision for your business or organization. What values are at the core of your business? Integrity? Social consciousness? Community? Your core values define your mission and your vision for your business. Your brand belief is your true north and creates the framework for your brand.
BRAND VOICE is not just what you say but how you say it. Your brand voice sets you apart from the others in your industry. This is your brand’s personality, and you need to make it uniquely yours. It also needs to be consistent through all your communications—from social media, blog posts, emails, and advertisements.
BRAND PERFORMANCE measures your brand’s interactions and how it behaves within certain parameters. It is used to measure marketing campaign results and how effective your branding is. Brand performance varies with the goals you set.
BRAND EXPERIENCE is how you affect your audience in the short and long term. This is the lasting impression customers or end users have of your brand—their thoughts, reactions, and feelings. This is all about designing and giving an experience that is both meaningful and impactful
BRAND DESIGN is all about how you look—from logos to colors to textures. This is your visual identity, your brand’s signature look. It needs to be strategic, intentional, and instantly recognizable.
Building a brand takes a lot of strategy, thought, and really defining how you want to represent your business or organization.
