Are products ever just products?
Adidas is more than just a sportswear and Apple is more than just innovative technology right ?
Interacting with these products provides us with experiences, and we purchase them with that in mind. Even better, the companies that create and market them know exactly what kind of experience they want you to have when you buy or consider buying their product. That is why they cultivate their brands.
Companies understand that their brand extends far beyond the label and leverage this tool to entice customers to choose their products from a menu of alternatives.
With several businesses vying for attention from consumers, having a strong brand has become critical for businesses to distinguish themselves from their competitors.
What’s a brand and branding ?
A brand is a distinctive feature or set of features that distinguishes a product or service. A brand consists of the design, name, trademarked symbol, colour scheme, tagline, logos etc. It also refers to a customer’s overall experience when interacting with a business. Branding, on the other hand, is the process of establishing a distinct identity for a company in the minds of its target audience and customers. Every step of the branding process involves selecting or creating elements that elicit a specific emotion in your target audience.
The Coca-Cola brand, for example, has one of the most well-known logos and colour stories in the world. The timeless red and white letters, bright artwork, and distinct typography have stood the test of time.
The Coca-Cola brand has weathered the test of time and is a testament to the power of continuous, effective branding that customers have come to appreciate.
Branding is an iterative process that necessitates connecting with the heart of your consumers. It’s crucial for several reasons, which we’ll go through below.
Why is branding important ?
Every brand has its own personality. With branding, you can differentiate your business from the competition and create a lasting impression on your customers by establishing a recognizable name, logo, look, and feel. Branding plays a key role in how consumers perceive your products and services. It conveys a sense of the products and services you offer, the audience you aim to reach, and your values.
How to Create a Brand in 7 Steps
Creating a brand entails following a systematic process, from research, asset creation and implementation. Recognise that branding is an iterative process, so some of these steps may be repeated as you brainstorm and build your brand.
Here are seven steps you can follow to create your own brand.
1. Conduct an audit and research.
2. Define your target audience
3. Establish your mission statement.
4. Identify your value proposition.
5. Find your brand voice.
6. Visual asset
7. Implement your brand across all touchpoints
- Conduct an audit and research
The first step in developing a brand is conducting research. If you’ve been operating without a proper branding strategy, you’ll also need to conduct a brand audit. These steps are critical in constructing the first pillar of your foundation.
So, gather as much information as you can about your business, industry, and target audience. This information will assist you in developing a brand that is both relevant and profitable in the long run.
2. Define your target audience
A target market is a defined group of consumers that a company intends to serve with its products or services. Identifying the target market is a critical step in the development of products, services, and marketing efforts used to promote your products or service
In defining your target market, you must identify a smaller and relevant niche. It all comes down to narrowing your focus while broadening your reach. Gathering data on your target audience and understanding their needs, personality, and motivations on a deeper level is an important part of conducting research in the first step.
This information can now be visualized in the form of an easy-to-read graphic or document known as a customer persona or buyer persona. A buyer persona is a profile that represents your ideal consumer and is based on real data from existing customers and market research.
3. Establish your mission statement
A mission statement is an action-oriented statement that declares the purpose an organization serves and how they serve their audience. This usually includes a description of the organization, its function, and its goals. During a company’s growth, its objectives and goals may change. As the business’s goals are achieved, mission statements should be revised as necessary to reflect its new objectives.
For example, You’ve probably seen TED Talks online, right? TED stands for “Technology Education and Design,” it has a two-word mission: “Spread ideas” that shines through every talk that the company has posted online. In order to get an audience to remember you, sometimes it helps to zoom out as far as your business’s vision allows. TED has recorded some influential videos from expert speakers across the globe but its ultimate goal is to “spread ideas”.
You should be able to communicate the purpose of your business before you can create a brand that your audience recognizes, values, and trusts. The mission and vision can then be reflected in every aspect of your brand i.e., logo, tagline, imagery, voice, and personality etc
Your mission statement is a component of your brand manifesto, which explains why your company exists and why people should care about your brand.
4. Identify Your Unique Value Proposition
A brand’s unique value proposition (UVP) is the foundation of your marketing messaging. It clearly communicates to customers, employees, and stakeholders what your company offers that no one else can. It defines what sets you apart from your competition and in similar fashion to mission, purpose, and vision statements, the value proposition describes the specific way a brand solves its customer’s problems.
5. Find your brand’s voice
Consider your brand’s auditory component because branding also involves how you communicate with your target market. You want to establish a brand voice that connects and resonates with your target audience. Ensure that your tone is consistent throughout all of your written content, from your advertising campaigns and social media captions to your blog posts and brand story. Allow your audience to become acquainted with your brand and learn to recognize the sound of your voice. Even better, hone a fun, entertaining voice, and your customers will eagerly await your social media and email updates. MailChimp is an excellent example of a brand that uses a consistent tone. MailChimp has developed a distinct brand voice and personality.
6. Visual assets
Visual branding assets serve as the foundation for how customers and audiences recognize your brand. This includes everything from your primary colors to your logo and typography. Brand assets enable you to create instantly recognizable customer touchpoints. Consider Amazon’s packaging, Pixar’s lamp, or Apple’s minimalist design.
However, branding assets are more than just logos and slogans. They are a synthesis of several elements that come together to form a distinct, distinguishable identity. Visual assets, when well-designed, can raise brand awareness, increase marketing ROI, foster customer loyalty, and give a competitive advantage in the market.
Every business has unique requirements and thus unique assets. An emblem may be more important to some than packaging. However, to differentiate themselves from competitors, all businesses must have a few essential visual branding assets.
7. Implement Your Brand Across All Touchpoints
Finally, make certain that every visual asset or marketing material created is consistent with your brand’s voice and values.
All visuals involved in every interaction with your brand should showcase your brand. Marketing is the vehicle for your brand’s growth, and branding is the fuel.
It is essential to have a consistent brand voice throughout all internal and external communications. Consequently, just as the copy on your social media posts must align with your core values, brand personality, and voice, so must the way your client-facing employees handle interactions, complaints, demos, and emails.
How can social media be used as part of a branding strategy?
In the highly competitive social media sphere, where businesses try to attract and retain loyal audiences, branding is critical. With consistent social media branding, you can cut through the clutter and stand out to your target audience, increasing your chances of generating more business, leads, and sales. In addition, a social media presence plays a critical role in increasing brand awareness and it gives a voice to your brand.
The following are ways to use social media to interact with your customers and potential customers:
- Your social media posts should align with your customer’s interest and needs
- Maintaining a consistent brand identity by only making posts that relate to it.
- Ensure that your company’s values are reflected in the posts you like and share.
- Engage with the content of the businesses and people you’d want to work with
- Brand consistency across all your website and social media pages
Finally, to better understand the branding process, think of your brand as a person. Identifying your brand is the first step, then defining its personality (what it does), and finally defining how people experience your brand (how they remember it).
Branding is about developing relationships with customers. The most effective way to accomplish this is by treating your brand as if it were a person and encouraging your customers to do the same. The goal is to build loyalty by providing a product that aligns with what the brand promises. A successful brand is one that gets to the heart and soul of the target audience.
.
