The word brand is thrown around quite a bit these days, but have you stopped to question what it actually means to be on-brand? Your brand is more than its name and logo, design is important but it’s not everything. Your brand needs to represent who you are as a business and this means that everything you do, from advertising to your customer service all builds your brand identity.
So how important is branding?
The short answer, very! Your brand is what will make your product memorable and differentiate you from your competitors. Without it, you are likely to be lost in the sea of competition.
Whether you’re trying to generate future business, gain investment or build trust with potential clients and customers, branding is important. A well strategized brand can increase a business’ value and garner trust for your company and the products and services you offer.
But what makes a brand effective?
I’d say there are 5 key rules to follow:
1 Define your personality
Your brand’s personality is a key component of having an effective brand. Your definition of who you are needs to ring true internally as well as externally. This means the company culture and values need to align with your external persona…what do you sell? How do you sell it? What is your brand’s voice…smart, sexy, funny? Every form of communication needs to reflect this personality, whether it’s an email or a tweet, people need to recognise it’s from you. So make sure you have a personality! They’re important, it’s what attracts us to be people and the same is true for brands…just make sure it’s appropriate for your audience!
What brand does it well?
Nike is a great example. Their personality is probably best defined as exciting, cool, rugged, durable and innovative. They’ve pushed boundaries, taken political stands all whilst endorsing the very best athletes across a wide variety of sports. Their slogan ‘Just Do It’ is recognised around the globe and aims to offer a sense of confidence that aligns with the Nike brand. Their personality has amassed great brand loyalty, with many consumers defining themselves as Team Nike, choosing to wear only their products.
2 Keep it simple
Who you are as a company and what you do should be obvious – Your target audience shouldn’t have to spend time reading to understand your brand and why you differ from the rest of the competition.
What brand does it well?
Apple is simplicity epitomised. Steve Jobs had a vision for Apple - to distil its ideas to their essence. From the packaging to the messaging behind the marketing, the driving force was simplicity. This belief in the power of simplicity is what brought a company at the brink of bankruptcy back to go on and become the success we know today.
3 Consistency is key
Once you have defined your brand’s personality you need to make sure the design and messaging are consistent with it. This needs to remain consistent throughout, from emails and social posts to your internal newsletters, you need to reinforce your brand’s position, promise and personality.
What brand does it well?
Weird dark humour is my kryptonite and Cards Against Humanities is excellent at pandering to it. From the copy on their website to their emails, they consistently bring the snark and humour. Their consistent tone of voice and personality has enabled them to grow a loyal fan base who love the brand. And it is these fans that buy the expansion packs, read the emails and blogs and evangelise about the game bringing in future fans.
4 Demonstrate value
In order for a brand to be successful it needs to be valuable. You need to remind your customers of the value your company provides and create memorable moments and experiences for them that remind them of you. What can you offer that your competitors can’t? Figure out your USP and leverage it!
What brand does it well?
The online retailer Zappos is recognised as a brand that makes customer experience a priority. They are known to go above and beyond to show their appreciation for their customers. From hosting various events across the US to small personal touches; like employees sending baby blankets to customers when they hear a baby crying during a service call, Zappos knows how to surprise and delight. These special experiences mean they build a relationship with their customers that is beyond transactional and therefore more likely to be sustained.
5 Keep moving
A good brand will change with the times, as people our personalities grow and change as we do, and this should also be true for brands. Just be aware that staying relevant doesn’t mean jumping on every viral thread, it means looking for things related to your brand and adding to the conversation in a positive/meaningful way or simply adding to your offerings to incorporate the growing requirements of your customers.
What brand does it well?
Did you know that Lego started in 1939 making wooden toys? They’ve come a long way since but they are just as loved now (if not more) as they were then. Wondering how a company that sells tiny plastic building bricks remained so beloved over the years? They consistently evolve – in both their products and branding – all the while remaining true to their original brand mission: providing an outlet for a child’s imagination. They have done everything from opening theme-parks to creating products specifically for their growing adult audience. Lego continuously adapts their brand to new media to ensure they are targeting every niche possible – all while ultimately remaining a system of creative play and an outlet of imagination.
Once you have a clear brand identity you can start leveraging it in various ways! A prime example of this is using your brand as the first step for a successful influencer marketing campaign.