The Basics Of Branding

Building a brand is more than just selling quality products, or having a good marketing strategy. Running a solid business and building a reputable brand are two different accomplishments, and creating a solid brand has incredible benefits. Understanding branding, and learning the steps to create a brand, will help boost you to the next level.

What Is A Brand:

Although this seems like an obvious question, it is good to be aware of what goes into a brand. A brand is a set of features that differentiate one organization from another. Typically this includes a name, logo, tagline, design, brand voice, and more. Overall customer experience also goes into the brand- how do you respond to issues, interact on social media, what is your shopping experience like, etc.

What Is Branding:

Branding is the process of developing, researching, and implementing distinct features to your business. This allows customers to associate your brand with your products or services, and highlights what sets you apart from your competitors. While this sounds pretty basic, branding can get complicated- and can also be a huge deciding factor in customer’s purchasing decisions. If done correctly, it will help make your business memorable, support your marketing, and give you an identity.

Important Branding Terms:

There are many terms that go along with branding, and having an understanding of the terms and their differences will help you develop them.

Brand identity is the core of your image. If your brand had a personality, this would be it. Brand identity encompasses your values, communication, and what you want customers to feel when interacting with you.

Brand awareness is how familiar your audience is with your brand. The more aware customers are of your brand, the better chance you have of building a reputable company. Brand awareness also helps spark interest in potential customers, as they will keep you in mind when looking to make a purchase.

Brand recognition is a step farther than brand awareness. This measures how well consumers can recognize and identify your brand without seeing your business name, based off of your logo, jingle, packaging, or other identifiable brand features you have created. For example, if you hear “Just Do It”, your mind probably goes immediately to Nike. If you drive past the “golden arches”, you know a McDonald’s is nearby.

Brand trust is another very important aspect to work on. How much do your customers trust you? Do you follow through on your promises? Are your products everything that you say they are? Do they get honest and reliable customer service? Doing everything in your power to create a trustworthy brand helps give customers peace of mind when purchasing with you.

Now that we have covered the basics of branding, you should have an idea of what to look for in your own business. Next week, we will cover how to use this information to build your brand!