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Branding {verb} – a disciplined process used to build awareness and extend customer loyalty.
I love this definition as it hits the nail on the head – branding is a process. It’s a disciplined activity – a continuous process that never ends.
Branding Process
Branding strategy is a holistic process of discovering a company’s BIG IDEA, and implementing its story into life through visual marketing materials. Effective brand strategy provides a central unifying idea around which all promotional behaviour, marketing actions, and internal communications are aligned. The best brand strategies are easy to understand and to talk about (whether you are a CEO of the organization or its customer). Branding is what makes an organization stand out and be remembered about (at the time of customer’s need).
Conducting Research
Branding research is where your BIG IDEA would connect the dots between your product and your customers’ feelings. The reality is – your product is not your brand. Your product demonstrates your brand, but branding itself is about evoking emotions, feelings.
- Gillette – confidence
- Nike – innovation + inspiration
- Mercedes Benz – the audacity to reject compromise
- Apple – different
Designing Identity
Knowing how your customers want to feel will be your blueprint for designing your brand’s visuals. A corporate brand identity, from colours to typography, from logo design, to web design – everything will be guided by your brand’s promise of how you want your customers to feel as a result of your product or service.
Confident, capable, inspired to act, unique, adventurous, romantic or nostalgic – give your customers the feeling they desire, and they will be loyal to your brand for decades.
Managing Assets
As your organization grows, your brand grows with it. The original goal of brand visibility is being replaced by brand loyalty. As the natural evolution of your brand takes place, you and your branding team takes on a new role of managing your brand assets. Online brand reputation management is one of the most effective ways to ensure you know what is being said about your brand, and be able to join that conversation.
Preserving the feeling and your brand promise while carrying it through the years of being in business, through numerous management changes, and team shuffles – this is where the fine art of branding really shows. Develop and protect.
Take care of your brand, and it will take care of your business.
Need help defining your branding milestones? Give us a shout, or stop by. We always shave chocolate.