I would be willing to bet that you have heard the word branding a million times in your professional life. Professionals talk about the value and importance of having a well-defined brand, and how your brand can influence people to buy your product or service. But have you ever stopped to think about what branding means and how to develop a strong brand?
Branding can be defined as the promotion of a particular product or company by means of advertising and distinctive design, or as the marketing practice in which a company creates a name and logo, or the logo which is easily recognizable as belonging to your company. There are also branding kits, rebrands, and marketing campaigns to launch your brand.
Yet, in order to know if creating a brand is right for you, you must first understand why it is important. A brand does the following:
• Makes a memorable impression on your audience.
• Allows customers to know what to expect from your business.
• Serves as a way to distinguish yourself from your competitors.
• Clarifies why you are the best.
Your brand should be the truest representation of who you are as a business and how you would like to be perceived.
A good brand should communicate the following:
• Create company recognition.
• Increase company value.
• Create more leverage.
• Establish your place in the market.
• Generate new customers.
• Improve employee pride.
• Create trust within your market.
• Support advertising.
Think about a brand you know. I always think of Coca-Cola. Whenever I see a red background with a white script, I instantly think of Coke products. Their brand is clean, simple, and has stayed somewhat consistent over the years. As they have added new products, they have adjusted their color scheme to match the product, remaining true to the brand. In other words, you know with a quick glance that a bottle of soda is Diet Coke because of their consistency. Every brand should strive for the same clarity and function.
When working on your brand there are four steps to work through. The first step is brand position. Ask yourself what attributes, benefits, beliefs and values you would like your product or services to communicate. Once you define these, you can move to the next step: brand name. Select your name and take the proper steps to protect it. The third step is brand sponsorships. Is this a solo venture or a partnership between two established companies? Is this a sub-brand of an established brand? For example when Kellogg’s Cereal launches a new cereal line. The final step is brand development. In this stage you should define how you want to brand any extensions, multi-brands or new brands.
Before committing to your logo and tagline, make sure you have researched your target audience and know what would appeal to them. Define keywords and phrases that should always be used in marketing, as well as any emotions you want your customers to feel. Study color theory to help choose colors representative of your brand’s key emotions. When designing your logo, remember that less is more, and you should have a full color logo, as well as a one-color logo. Your branding kit should also define the fonts you would like used. Review your choices to make sure that one message is communicated to your audience. Make sure your brand is unique and can remain consistent both online and offline.
As you develop your brand, you will learn a lot about yourself and your company. Defining your values – what you want your brand to communicate and how you want your customers to perceive your products and companies – will help you determine your niche market and create the ideal marketing plan.
Sara Orellana is an independent entrepreneur who specializes in strategic planning, leadership, and grant writing. She can be reached at sara@3raptorconsulting.com.