Great branding is neither your trademark, your logo nor how amazing your advertising strategy is.

It’s much, much, more than that…

In our previous blog, we discuss ‘Brand Experience’ and the ability to master the varying touch points with your audience.

Great! So where do I start, I hear you ask?

Well, that is always a little daunting, however with these 4 fundamentals, you should be well on your way to creating a fantastic brand.

1. Understand and establish your identity

Ask yourself the following questions.

What is the purpose of your brand?

Why should your customers choose you over your competitors?

What is your vision and how do you intend to achieve your goals?

Think about how you want your brand to be perceived by your audience and when communicating with them remember to…‘say what you mean’. If what you say is different from what you think and do then this could negatively impact the relationship with your chosen demographic.

Since a brand is an intangible asset, it is important to create emotion.

Humans yearn for emotional relationships and it is massively important for brands to create and evoke tangible feelings wherever possible. Attributes such as humour, trust, and expertise go a long way in cementing your relationship and if done correctly, can lead to extended brand loyalty and repeat business.

2. Know your audience

Trying to communicate your brand to everyone is counterproductive. Like any relationship, you’re not going to connect on the same level with everyone. Since a brand represents a product or service you can expect different personalities and characteristics for different audiences.

For this reason, it is important for you tounderstand your audience. By marrying up your brand to specific audience types, you will ensure your customers both understand and appreciate what you have to offer.

3. Be consistent

Your brand promise must be engineered into all aspects of your marketing. By reiterating the same message over and over again you develop a level of trust between you and your customers. They begin to believe your message and as long as you deliver on your promises, they will have no reason to doubt your capabilities as a company.

Inconsistencies in your message or delivery can break this trust immediately and further increase the risk of your customers leaving for a competitor. In order to stop this from happening, simply set your standard and stick to it.

4. Create a competitive advantage

Competitive advantage is difficult to achieve in today’s market. For a brand to make a name for itself is not an easy undertaking but it’s rewarding in the long term. Great, impact-driven branding is a key tool to help gain your competitive advantage as it makes you stand out from your competitors and gets you noticed within the industry.

If you’re thinking about branding, don’t let the image takeover; it’s not just your logo, slogan or your trademark. In the grand scheme of building great branding, it is only part of the equation. It goes much deeper than you think.

REMEMBER…

Make a brand promise!

Communicate your promises to the relevant target market.

Keep your promise, always.

Strengthen your promise to stay relevant

If you’re looking for a brand refresh or you want to rebrand, let us help you establish an identity that is consistent across all communications.