Branding isn’t just for huge companies and corporate giants like McDonald’s, Coca Cola and the like. Even if you’re a smaller company – especially if you’re a smaller company! – branding is just as vital, and in the digital age, can be the difference between success… and failure.
Arguably, it may be even easier and more beneficial for smaller companies to pay greater attention to their brand. More established companies often have trouble rebranding, having to produce a great amount of training manuals, documents and more to keep their branding consistent across all levels. Above all, larger companies need to worry about losing their existing consumer base once their brand identity shifts due to lack of recognition.
Branding the Right Way is a short but sweet look into what companies should be looking towards when it comes to branding/rebranding. In this, we’ll explore the motivations behind branding, along with the processes you should expect.
77% of consumers buy brands that share their values, as found in the 2019 Havas Media’s Meaningful Brands Study. Consumers of today don’t buy a product, they buy into a cause. They buy into what your brand stands for. That means they’ll be paying attention firstly to your brand identity, and your brand story. But even if your brand already has this fantastic, emotional brand story; how do you make the most of it?
#1: Brand Perception
No matter what anyone says, homework is always important. You should start off by studying what makes your brand work, identifying your target audience, exploring your current consumers and even whether they’re suitable for your business.
What are the benefits you bring to your consumers? What do you bring to the table that other brands don’t? What makes your product or service worth the attention and money?
Brand Perception is arguably the most vital stage, as it lays the groundwork for any and all decision-making that comes next.
#2: Brand Positioning & Identity
Next, you’ll need to establish your brand position. You’re looking to create one that’s distinctive, uniquely yours, unforgettable to consumers and unmistakable from the competition.
Here’s what you need to be looking out for: establishing a firm and clear brand mission; then crafting a brand story from there. Your brand mission represents ‘what’ your brand is setting out to do, and your brand story the ‘why’ of it.
Before you even think of communicating your message to the audience, you absolutely need to have a clear brand mission and subsequently story in mind.
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#3: Brand Strategy
You’ve got your brand identity in mind, but communicating it effectively to your target audience is a whole different beast. You’ll want a strategy: one that covers all your channels of communication (or more likely, the channels that your consumers frequent).
Strategic planning is what ensures your brand grows instead of just surviving. It accounts for how your company will expand in the coming days, and strengthens your position in the minds of the consumers rather than just letting them take notice of you.
And more importantly, it’s to keep your brand presence consistent as it grows.
#4: Brand Touchpoints
Consumers need to be engaged, rather than just be told your brand exists. In order to retain brand loyalty, you’ll need to connect with them in more ways than one – viscerally, and emotionally.
In a nutshell, touchpoints are points where your brand interacts with your target audience. They can be both online and offline, preferably a mixture of both. The objective here is to subtly influence the human mind (not in a nefarious manner) to remind them of your brand in ways that persist long after each touchpoint has ended.
Done right, touchpoints are what ensure that your brand springs first to mind whenever it counts.
#5: Brand Continuity
A successful brand is one that’s always growing – in the 21st century, going stagnant means courting failure. Your brand will always need to stay ahead of the curve, and your brand needs to evolve to empower that.
Your strategy should always reflect this. Instead of just keeping up with the times, you’ll want to plan for the future – creating the impression that your brand is guiding it as an industry leader rather than constantly playing catch-up.
After all, one thing consumers relate to the most is success. Everyone likes a winner!
Branding can be a real pain, and while it can be complicated; playing it right yields fantastic results. Particularly when facing competition in terms of product/service quality or pricing; it’ll come down to branding that makes the difference.
We hope that this guide gives you a better understanding of how you should brand your company; along with a clear direction towards the success you deserve. If you’d like more insights on branding – especially branding with a unique flair of artistry, The Fame is always here for you.