What is branding ?
We are going to answer what is branding and the importance of branding,
and give you some tips and guidelines that can help you create your brand or improve your business.
Without wasting too much of your time, let’s begin.
Branding is the process of creating a certain reputation for your company, products, or services, or yourself in the eyes of the customers, by displaying a set of values and personality traits that make you different than your competition.
You achieve this through your actions, interactions, or features of your company, such as the logo, fonts, and colors on your website. Features like your logo, font, and colors don’t make your brand, but they help in how you are perceived. Branding goes far beyond the features you choose.
For example, if your website is pink and yellow, you won’t have the reputation of being rugged and manly like Harley Davidson.
If you want your customers to see your law firm as, professional, competent, and sophisticated, using colors like black, grey, and white, won’t create your brand, but they will certainly paint a more appropriate brand image, than yellow and red.
But we will get to colors soon, bear with me for a second, first, let’s explain
WHY IS BRANDING IMPORTANT?
Branding has many benefits,
Effective branding helps you imprint the idea of you in your customers' minds, set yourself apart from others, and invoke loyalty in your customers.
It gives you credibility and builds trust
Good branding gives you credibility and helps you build relationships of trust with your audience, Don’t you trust buying Nike shoes over some unnamed brand in your local mall? We bet you would pay a higher price for Nike shoes than some companies you've never heard of.
You know that by buying Nike, you get quality, and performance, but you also get something more, you get to feel like an athlete.
Attracts talent
A strong brand can also make a company more attractive to talented people, whether they are athletes, singers, successful businessmen, or businesswomen.
Recognition
By having a recognizable brand, you achieve a competitive edge, you will always stand out in the crowd.
I will give you an example, and I bet you will understand it without me even saying it.
Say you are walking in Times Square, and there are hundreds of billboards with advertising all around you, but you notice one of them immediately, The bright blue and gray colors of an energy drink that gives you wings catch your attention.
We are sure you know their name.
They managed to stand out in the crowd of hundreds of billboards, by building a strong brand image, and are recognizable almost everywhere in the world.
Helps with employee acquisition
Employees are often more motivated and engaged when they work for a company with a strong, reputable brand. If you like the place you work, chances are you will try harder.
Branding increases profits
The ultimate goal of every business is to make a profit.
Having a strong brand image and identity will increase your brand's visibility and awareness.
It gives you exposure to new customers and helps you retain your existing ones.
A good branding strategy is essential for the long-term growth of your business and for increasing your ROI.
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BRAND IDENTITY
Brand identity is what you decide your company stands for
It consists of your values, ideals, and vision for your company.
Let’s imagine for a second that you see your brand as strong, rugged, and masculine.
You create your logo, pick your colors, and carry yourself accordingly.
This is your brand identity, the brand image, is something slightly different.
Your brand image?is the result of all of these efforts, it is how the public perceives you.
HOW TO BUILD A BRAND IDENTITY
What is the purpose of your brand?
First, you need to have a purpose that drives you.
Why do you do what you do?
Identify the values and characteristics you want your brand to have.
Who is your target audience? what do they want and how can you give this to them?
How do you want your brand to be perceived? What do you want your brand's identity to be?
Microsoft’s purpose is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
Facebook’s purpose is to give people the power to build a community and bring the world closer together.
Our purpose is to help people build better businesses and bring their vision to life.
What is your purpose? Here are some questions you can ask yourself to find your purpose
Here is what you should ask yourself when you are finding your brand vision
Tips and tricks
Define your brand’s mission, vision, and values: What is your brand’s purpose, and what do you stand for? Specifically defining your brand’s mission, vision, and values will help guide your branding strategy, thus ensuring that you are consistent in your messaging..
Know your target audience:?Understanding who you are trying to reach with your brand is crucial. Consider factors such as demographics, interests, needs, and pain points. This will help you tailor your branding efforts to effectively resonate with your target audience.
Create a unique brand identity:?The identity of your brand should set you apart from the competition. A brand with unique features, including logo, color scheme, typography, and also imagery, is more likely to stand out.
Consistency is key:?Be consistent in all aspects of your branding, including your logo and color scheme, down to the tone of voice and messaging you use. This helps create a memorable brand experience for your customers.
Customers can sense when a brand is genuine, and also when a brand is faking it.
It’s important to be true to your brand’s identity, vision, and values, and to communicate honestly with your customers.
Are you ready to build a story around your brand and grow the brand image of your company?
Contact us at www.ivanovcorp.com/contact if you need help growing a story around your brand and making your brand image memorable.
We hope you enjoyed the article.