What is branding? You’re probably thinking of logos, colours, and maybe a catchy slogan, but in reality a brand is so much more. Those are certainly the things people use to identify a business, but strong branding goes beyond merely having a memorable identity.
Strong brands can become synonymous with quality. They can make people proud to be associated with them, and that goes for customers as well as employees. People adopt them as a part of their own identity. They would pay a premium for what that brand offers even when there is no rational reason to do so.
Even with quality products, this type of branding is not easy to achieve. However, breaking down and looking at the factors that go into making a brand can be a useful way to get you thinking about how you or your brand strategy agency could improve your own branding.
1. Identity: This is the first thing that most people think of and it is usually a good place to start. It encompasses all of the external features, the things people see and hear, about your brand. This includes the logo, colours, slogans, and how your stores, packaging, and website look, even down to small details like the typefaces used.
Identity is important. It needs to be memorable and to stand out. It should reflect the personality of your business, whether that is playful or serious. It should also reflect your price range. However, it is easy to get carried away making changes in this area when there are other brand components which may be more important.
2. Mission and values: Your mission should be some kind of clear goal that you want to achieve with your business. It can change over time, but you should always have one if you want your brand to remain strong. “A computer on every desk and in every home” was the mission Microsoft originally set out with. It’s not a slogan and you don’t have to share it every time you communicate with customers. Rather, they should be able to infer it through your company’s actions.
Values are more like what your business will do, or won’t do, on the way to achieving that mission. Add the word “while” to the end of your mission and think about what you might put afterwards. It could be something like delivering excellent service, keeping prices low, or using sustainable or recycled materials.
3. Experience: This refers to the way customers interact with your company, whether that’s in-store, with a customer service team, or even with your social media and blogs. It is important to deliver a great experience and remain consistent in these interactions.
Companies with strong brands typically train their staff to use words, phrases, and an overall tone which reflects that of their brand.
These things are helpful to think about individually to help you develop your brand into a strong one. However, don’t think that you can just come up with some improvements now and never consider them again. While protected intellectual property like your name or logo is complicated to change, great brands are constantly tweaking and refining the other components mentioned here.
