How to Build a Brand: A 10-Step Guide for 2024

Make no mistake about it: a recognizable and loved brand is one of the most valuable assets a company owns.

Building a brand from start to finish is a demanding task. Whether you’re creating a new brand for a new business, designing a new brand after a merge, or rebranding an existing company, the process takes time, money, and lots of research. Brands are tailoring experiences both on and offline to address these evolving consumer needs, not only to convey their ethics and intentions, but to shape how their audiences perceive them.

To help out, this article will cover 10 effective strategies on how to create a brand. I’ll also provide recognizable brand examples for your inspiration and answer some commonly asked questions about the topic.

What is a brand?

A brand is the unique identity of a company that shapes how it is perceived by consumers. It encompasses visual elements like your logo and website design, as well as your tone of voice, mission, values, and more. A brand has a set of rules — called brand guidelines — that dictate how you should market and present your image.

Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon

What are the building blocks of a brand?

Brand is more than a logo. It’s more than a slogan or color palette. To build a successful brand, there’s plenty of ground work that needs to be done before you can start designing a website or creating marketing materials.

Here are the building blocks that will be included in your overall brand guidelines document:

Target audience

Defining your target audience is one of the most important stages of creating a brand from scratch. Everything stems from this. Defining your audience in detail helps you build a brand that speaks directly to it. Later in this article, you’ll learn tactics for understanding this audience.

Brand identity

Brand identity describes the externally visible elements of a brand that identify and distinguish the brand in consumers’ minds. While this can include visual aspects, such as color, design, and logo, it also includes the type of language and interactions a brand has with consumers. A strong brand identity is built with a strategic intention to cultivate a certain brand image in consumers’ minds.

Brand voice

Brand voice is how your brand sounds. Defining this ensures brand consistency across every customer touchpoint. If your customers expect a cheeky, frank tone from you on social media, carry that through into your website copy and other communications.

Mission and values

Your brand’s mission is the North Star for your business. It establishes both a goal for yourself and a promise to your customers. A brand mission statement clearly communicates a brand’s purpose, objectives and how it plans to serve its audience. It is action-oriented and gives readers an idea of what your business does and what impact it wants to make. This statement may shift over time as the company grows and redefines its goals.

Style guide

Your brand style guide is one part of your larger brand guidelines. It spells out exactly how your brand will surface on every platform or channel. It covers acceptable use of your logo, fonts you use, brand voice and tone, and overall aesthetic of your brand. It’s a useful guide as you scale, hire, and use agencies to create work on your behalf.

How to Build a Brand

Ten steps to building a brand probably sounds like a lot, but it’s a manageable process if you break it down. Let’s take a look at what brand building looks like in practice.

How to build a brand in 10 steps:

01. Define what makes your business unique

02. Define the Business Goals and Values

03. Identify Your Target Audience

04. Research the Competition

05. Develop a Personality and Brand Voice

06. Create your Brand Story

07. Choose your Business Name

08. Design your Brand Assets and Logo

09. Apply your Branding Consistently

10. Maintain Brand Reputation

01. Define what makes your business unique.

This question will be easier to answer if you are the founder of the company, or if you’ve had a period of significant change. This question is best wrestled with away from your computer. It will be the hardest to engage with, and the step that will take up most of your time to digest and ponder over. Understanding what your niche is, is the first step to help you sell your product or service.

However, your niche may not be a product feature or a completely revolutionary business approach. You may need to dig a bit deeper to understand the DNA of the company or charity.

02. Define the Business Goals and Values.

Before starting the brand-building process, define the business goals and values. This will help you understand the company’s greater purpose and the necessary measures to fulfill it.

Although there is no fixed format, the following can help you define your business’s goals and values:

• Vision statement. Briefly describe the company’s purpose and long-term goals in two to three sentences.
• Mission statement. Explain how the products impact customers and the steps required to achieve the vision.
• Values statement. Define the principles and code of ethics all employees should follow in daily operations.

03. Identify your audience

Recognizing the target audience involves locating and understanding the exact set of people or consumers interested in the product, service, or content. It is accomplished by conducting market research. Acquiring insights into a person’s demographics (such as age, gender, and geography), psychographics (such as interests, values, and lifestyle), behavior (including buying habits and internet activity), and preferences are all part of the process. If you start by considering what that audience is looking for, you’ll have much less trouble designing a brand that engages and connects with them.

Businesses and content creators must identify their target audience since doing so permits them to adjust their marketing tactics, communications, and product offers to fit the requirements and preferences of the consumer groups that are most relevant to their organization. It not only improves the effectiveness of marketing activities, but it even increases the possibility of engaging and delighting consumers, which eventually leads to better outcomes for businesses.

One simple way to identify your audience is to create buyer personas. A buyer persona is a rough sketch of the typical lead you want to sell to. It should include basics such as age, location, and income as well as more in-depth information like political views, product use cases, and any related brands they buy from. Of course, you’ll naturally learn about your audience over time as you develop the brand and make more sales.

04. Research the competition

Before diving deep into your brand, develop a clear grasp of your playing field. Conduct market research to define your target audience as well as direct and indirect competitors. The primary aim of such a process is to attain a deep understanding of competitors’ strategies, assess their strengths and weaknesses, scrutinize their product and service portfolios, and evaluate their customer relationships. The insights are invaluable in developing a sustainable competitive edge, honing the overall business strategy, and executing well-informed decisions that strategically position the brand for maximum efficacy within the market.

Studying competitor analysis constitutes a pivotal element in formulating a triumphant business strategy. One must embark on a multifaceted approach. It commences with a thorough foray into market research, aimed at meticulously identifying preeminent competitors to undertake the task with efficacy. Delve into the intricate intricacies of their product portfolios, discern the nuances of their target demographics, and scrutinize their meticulously crafted market positioning strategies.

Perform a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis to assess the competitors’ internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as the external opportunities and threats they face. Study their online presence, including their website, social media profiles, and online reviews. Analyze their content, engagement strategies, and customer feedback. Compare the products or services with theirs, considering quality, pricing, features, and unique selling points.

05. Determine your Brand’s Voice and Personality

A strong, well-defined personality humanizes a brand, making it both distinctly different and relatable in today’s cluttered marketplace.

Simply put, brand personality is the way a brand is personified; the sum of its emotional, psychological and behavioral patterns that remain unique over the course of its lifespan. They are the human characteristics and traits that consumers relate to.

Brainstorm using word association

Imagine your brand as a person. What are they like? Do they have the kind of personality your customers would be attracted to? Describe this person. How can your description translate from a person to a brand?

Fashion branding expert Joey Ng suggests narrowing your list of adjectives down to just three of the best words. “Find your niche and define in very few words what makes your brand distinctive,” she says. “If something doesn’t fit those original three words — even though you might like it — scrap it. Establish the core message, nail it, then expand.”

Hone your brand voice and tone

Brand tone of voice is a consistent way of conveying your brand message to your audience. It’s a part of a brand expression that together with more tangible visuals define your brand identity. Many brands call tone of voice as communication best practices. Is your voice cheeky or serious? Does it aim to be a reliable friend, a muse, or a trusted expert?

The way a brand looks is just as important as the way it sounds.

Establish a list of dos and don’ts that govern the language you will and won’t use in your communications. You may even want to drill down on specific communications channels like social media or customer service: How does your tone change depending on the situation?

Starbucks has a clear and concise brand guidelines available online, with a section dedicated to its tone of voice.

The Starbucks voice is functional and expressive.

Starbucks’ brand voice guidelines consists of many examples on how to design different applications.

06. Create your brand story

Stories connect people on a personal level, so using them in your marketing is a great way to appeal to customers.

A brand story is a written narrative that describes the origins of your company and its products/services in an emotionally engaging way. It’s a powerful tool for building an emotional connection with your audience and differentiating your brand. The book Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller provides an outline of what to include in your brand story. It starts with a character — your customer — and a problem. The character meets a guide who gives them a plan and a call to action to help avoid future failure. This simple formula can be used by casting your brand as the guide and your unique value proposition as the plan.

• Hero. Give a face to your customer to help them relate to your brand. You did a lot of this when you built buyer personas in step one.
• Conflict. Like in any good story, the stakes should be high. Assess what your customer wants or needs. Expose the practical need but don’t forget to appeal to emotions.
• Guide. Show your customers why your brand is the solution to their dilemma. Provide client testimonials that highlight the differences between your brand and the competition.
• Climax. Give your customers an idea of a potential negative impact of not choosing your solution. Then deliver your call to action.
• Resolution. List several promises your customer can rely on if they choose your brand. Show how their decision will lead to success.

Storytelling is a great supplement to your mission statement. It can explain why your brand exists and its beliefs. Once you’ve established your story, incorporate it into ads and landing pages.

Brand Story: Airbnb says it is a trusted community marketplace for consumers to list, discover, and book unique accommodations for unique travel experiences.

In a Nutshell: Welcome home.

Measure of Success: The brand projected more than one million people would stay in an Airbnb on New Year’s Eve 2015. It offers accommodations in more than 34,000 cities and 190 countries.

Why it Works: Again, Airbnb has challenged the hotel industry and totally redefined an experience. As a result, as noted in its brand story, it boasts a community of loyal users.

07. Choose your Business Name

A brand name or trade name is a name (usually a proper noun) applied by a manufacturer or organization to a particular product or service. While a brand name is sometimes simply the name of the founders of a company, such as John Deere or Johnson & Johnson (founded by brothers Robert Wood, James Wood, and Edward Mead Johnson), these days, brand names are most often strategically thought-out marketing tools geared toward establishing consumer awareness and fostering brand loyalty.

There are some simple techniques you can use when creating a name for your brand.

• Made-up words like Adidas
• Inspirational figures like Nike — the winged goddess of victory in Greek mythology
• Relevant words or phrases like Mastercard for a brand of credit or debit card
• Word combinations like Facebook
• Altered words like Tumblr

8. Design your logo and brand assets

While a logo design is one of the first things you might think of when building a brand, it should happen later in the process. That’s because it’s a critical identifier for your brand in the wild — and it’s hard to change once you’ve locked it in.

However, a logo can and should be more than a symbol of identification. If designed well, it also tells a company’s story, by conveying your brand message in a way that helps to establish an emotional connection with your target audience. This vague-yet-nonetheless-inspiring definition of a logo can be broken down by the following question:

Consider all the places where your brand’s logo will show up:

• Website
• Social media avatar
• Product packaging
• Video ads
• YouTube channel banner
• Browser favicon (the tiny icon that identifies your open browser tabs)
• Email marketing
• Press mentions and partnerships

You may need to create a few versions of your logo to make it work across applications. If you have a text logo, for example, it’ll be almost impossible to read as a favicon or social avatar. Create a simplified visual version of your logo that works as a square or circle.

Types of logos

Wordmarks, lettermarks, and other type-based logos are the most common type of logo for modern brands. But other styles may work better for you, depending on your goals and aesthetic. Some logo types include the following:

• Abstract logos are a combination of shapes and colors that don’t easily tie back to anything in the real world. These are best used as a secondary logo, paired with a wordmark, while you build brand recognition.
• Mascot logos are represented by the face of a character or real person you use as an ambassador for your brand. They can humanize your business by creating a relatable personality. This works best for kids’ brands or those looking for a retro feel (e.g., Wendy’s, Colonel Sanders for KFC).
• Emblem logos are often circular and combine text with an emblem for a luxurious brand design. Avoid making them too fussy or they won’t scale (e.g., Polo Ralph Lauren).
• Icon logos represent your brand as a visual metaphor. Unlike an abstract logo, an icon logo suggests something about the product (e.g., YouTube’s Play button logo).
• Wordmarks or lettermarks are type-based logos that are either your full business name, a combination of letters, or an initial.

Color

Colors used in branding can also convey a specific message. Be mindful of the psychological effects of color when designing your logo and brand. Research color theory to help solidify what you want your brand to represent and how you want it to make people feel.

Font

Choose a font that represents your brand voice and personality well. Fonts communicate tone and brand identity as much as color and images. A bold, wide font implies strength. A serif font is often associated with authority. A script font can let audiences know your brand is more playful.

If you decide to include text in your logo, keep in mind that it needs to be easy to read even when the platform or material forces it to be very small or in simple black and white.

Imagery

Brand imagery defines your brand through the visuals it uses. Visuals, in this case, can appear in a variety of forms: illustrations, print materials, social media content — the list goes on. Yet brand images are much more than just simple placeholders. They also reflect your product’s style and set a tone for how you communicate with your audience. Whether your brand is modern and minimalistic or traditional and sophisticated, you can always use well-selected images to engage your viewers in a meaningful and emotional way.

Tagline

Believe it or not, it is estimated that 47% of consumers believe that a slogan is either very or somewhat important when making a purchasing decision. It would seem like a catchy tagline can influence buyer behavior, generate brand awareness, and increase conversions.

But what exactly makes a tagline successful enough to be remembered by your target audience? Here is our list of top tips to create a catchy slogan for your next marketing campaign.

1. Simplicity: A great tagline should be simple and easy to understand. It should communicate the core message clearly without being overly complicated or confusing.
2. Memorability: The best taglines are easy to remember, ensuring that consumers can recall them when needed. This can be achieved through rhythmic patterns, alliteration, or clever wordplay.
3. Uniqueness: A perfect tagline sets the brand or product apart from its competitors. It should be distinctive and avoid clichés or generic phrases.
4. Relevance: The tagline should align with the brand’s identity, values, and positioning. It must reflect the essence of what the brand stands for and what it offers.
5. Emotional Appeal: A powerful tagline often taps into emotions, creating a connection with the audience and inspiring action.
6. Timelessness: While trends change, a great tagline withstands the test of time. Avoiding references to specific events or fads helps the tagline remain relevant for years to come.
7. Conveys Benefits or Promise: A perfect tagline communicates the benefits or promise of the product or service it represents.
8. Short and Sweet: Ideally, a tagline should be concise, typically consisting of a few words or a short sentence to increase memorability.
9. Versatility: A well-crafted tagline should work across different mediums and marketing campaigns. It should complement logos, slogans, and advertisements.
10. Attention-Grabbing: The tagline should capture the audience’s attention and pique their interest to know more about the brand or product.

09. Apply your Branding Consistently

Once you’ve established the foundation of your brand, it’s time to integrate it cohesively throughout your company.

Create a style guide to ensure you have a unified voice and presence across every channel. Outline how you want your brand to sound, look, and feel as a reference. Your brand’s personality should be evident through every social media post, marketing campaign, and the design of your website.

What are the benefits of brand guidelines?

Brand guidelines help ensure good content marketing and offer several benefits to organizations, allowing employees across departments to follow a set of rules that align with an organization’s vision, mission, and values. Some of the key benefits of brand guidelines include:

• Consistency: Brand guidelines help ensure consistency across organizations across various platforms, materials, and touchpoints. With a style guide, companies can create a set of rules and standards that maintain visual, tonal, and written consistency, which helps build brand recognition and trust among the target audience.
• Brand recognition: A well-thought style guide helps organizations create a recognizable brand identity that stands out in the market. Through consistent visuals and copy, organizations can reinforce brand recognition and recall.
• Efficiency: When designers, marketers, and other stakeholders have access to brand guidelines, they can work more efficiently when creating brand assets and communication materials.
• Risk mitigation: Brand guidelines can also serve as a protective measure, ensuring a brand’s identity and assets are used correctly and consistently. With guidelines on typography, logo usage, and other visual elements, organizations can prevent the misuse of their brand.

10. Maintain Brand Reputation

After starting a brand, maintaining its reputation is crucial in helping the business thrive. Brand reputation management isn’t a one-time deal. It’s a continuous process of keeping up with consumer perception and taking time to resolve any issues that arise. To maintain brand reputation, consider the following tips:

• Deliver excellent service. Satisfied users are more likely to become brand advocates. In fact, 72% of consumers share a positive user experience with at least six people.
• Monitor brand mentions. Google your business regularly to find good and bad reviews of your brand on other sites and discussion forums. Tools like Agile CRM help monitor brand mentions on social media.
• Address negative comments adequately. Quickly respond to negative comments. Contact the unhappy customer, provide solutions, and offer compensation to restore their trust.
• Improve employee satisfaction. Unhappy employees may express their dissatisfaction on social media. To prevent this, ask for their feedback consistently to create a better work environment.
• Gather social proof. Encourage past and existing clients to leave positive testimonials on popular review sites. This is important, as nine out of 10 consumers read online reviews before making a purchase.

Benefits of Developing a Strong Brand

Dedicating time, effort, and resources to developing a brand may seem unnecessary for new business owners. Having a strong brand is all about consistent and recognizable company expressions — to offer not only products and services but also meaning. If that’s your case, let’s take a look at how a strong branding process can help a business succeed:

• Provide a clear guideline. Brand identity helps business owners determine the company’s vision and goals upfront, providing a clear path to success.
• Improves customer loyalty to your brand. Most people consider established brands more credible and reliable, prompting them to make purchases.
• Increases brand recognition. Brand recognition is how well your target audience, and potential customers, can recall your company’s brand and identify your products. It’s an indicator of how well your audience differentiates your product from those of competitors.
• Attract ideal customers. It’s easier to attract customers when they relate to the brand’s values and mission statement.
• Get repeat sales. Providing a unique selling proposition can help businesses acquire returning customers.
• Lower price sensitivity. Price sensitivity is a term that describes how heavily the cost of your product weighs on your target market’s willingness to buy it. The less it weighs on their decision, the better; it means they like your brand well enough to give less weight to price. Customers with lower price sensitivity have most likely been satisfied with a product they’ve bought from you or have a positive emotional connection to your brand.

Conclusion

Without branding, your business will just be another nameless and faceless organization. People won’t be able to pick you out of the crowd, and survival will be a struggle. Designing an entire brand is crucial to establish your business in the market. Since the brand-building process entails a lot of time and investment, it’s important to prepare accordingly.

I hope this article has encouraged you to build a successful business through solid and effective branding.

Reference Book List

1. “Strong Brand Growth Studies” by Wang Chih-Shang 2. “The Big Question of Brands” by Huang Wen-Bo 3. “Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen” by Donald Miller 4. “Creating a Brand Identity: A Guide for Designers” by Catharine Slade-Brooking