Effective branding of your company is holding true to the core values of what you are passionate about, the values you stand for, and what makes you unique from others in the marketplace. Showing this across all advertising platforms consistently will build your brand in a strong way.
Building Awareness
When people recognize your brand as yours.
- This does not necessarily mean they prefer your brand, attach a high value to it, or associate any superior attributes to your brand, it just means they recognize your brand and can identify it under different conditions.
- A brand’s practical attributes and symbolic values are inherent elements that help the brand appeal to consumers’ minds and emotions. When consumers relate brands with symbols, it becomes easier for an organization to raise consumer interest.
- Mercedes is known for luxury. Any type of advertising for these vehicles are represented in very classy, clean and professionally styled environments. This gives you the impression of high quality, luxurious feel, and a step above the rest.
- Apple is known for innovation. Apple rarely sells its product that focused on the features of a phone or laptop. They focus on the benefits of how this piece of technology will improve your lifestyle. Technology is all around us and is ever changing and how innovative pieces of technology that enhance your way of life. Apple knows how to attract that interest in effective marketing and branding.
In consumers’ minds, a brand is more than just a recognizable name:
it is a promise that needs to be met on a regular basis.
How to Do It Correctly
Branding is not just about applying a logo in a consistent manner, and having the right colors, it is ensuring:
- That all messaging on communication materials are pulling in the same direction for your branding
- That it all “looks” consistent in design, copy and across all mediums.
- That each communication you have with a customer is growing the relationship and building awareness to ensure trust.
If you’re not consistent, it will cause consumers to lose trust in your brand and its messaging.
Connecting All Marketing Mediums
Direct Mail and Email
- Multi-touch campaigns
- Branding with visuals and copy to maintain consistency
Print to Web
- Taking it online
Website and Social Media
- Your online branding presence
The Value of Your Brand
What does your product or service means to your customers’ lifestyles?
- Does it makes it easier on their life or job?
- Will it give them confidence in what programs they are developing?
- Will it improve the sales process to prospects with a strong brand?
Or in other terms, it’s called Brand Equity. The sum total of all the different values people attach to the brand, or the holistic value of the brand to its owner as a corporate asset.
A brand is nearly worthless unless it enjoys some equity in the marketplace. Without brand equity, you simply have a commodity product.
Perceived Quality or Emotional Attachment
- The added value to brand equity frequently comes in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment.
Nike associates its products with star athletes, hoping customers will transfer their emotional attachment from the athlete to the product. For Nike, it’s not just the shoe’s features that sell the shoe.
What Does it Mean to Your Business?
Regardless if you have been in business for 80 years or just opening your doors as a new business, brand consistency can make or break your success.
Using your logo, colors, key messaging about your business and services in a consistent manner helps build the brand awareness that you want.
If you are showing a new product online, providing a sales brochure to a prospective client, or discussing your services with someone at a tradeshow it all connects to your branding. This does not mean that everything is exactly the same, however it does set guidelines for keeping the message true to your main company focus.
Creating a proper Branding Guidelines document will help you stay on the right path of growing your Brand for your company. Many companies only need a basic set of guidelines consisting of font styles, color selections and specifications, tone of messaging, and style of imagery across for anything that is created for your company.
Ultimate Brand consistency allows you to connect with a person in a deeply and more meaningful way to create a lasting impression of your company in their minds.
Time to Evaluate Your Company Brand?
Review yours with this 10-Point Assessment for Your Company Brand.
